The herald., 1896-02-18

a hundred dollars he had received for it
and had recommended man to buy it
saying it was fine bargain, and that i
had not been stolen.
As soon as TIE HERALD dropped on thi'
tremendous blunder it dispatched re
porter to trail Major Truman, who, i
seems. had known something about it fo
more than week, but had again promised
the detective to say nothing concerning it
But as Major Ben was red-hot over Moffat
and Goodman's inexcusable bungling, b,
means OF which the burglar got away
talthough the other is in custody, he sub
mitted gracefully TO an interview, aftel
being assured that THE HsRALD was "oI
to'' the whole thing, and that it was III
longer secret. He said:
MAJOR TRUMAN;S STORY
"Of all the bungles, to use no wors.
word, this beggars description. In th'
first place, Mr.. Moffatt, who seems to b'
chief clerk of the detective force, has sale
to me a number Of times that 10 case ha6
given the chief so much care and worry
that not single clue could be obtained
that tho burglars had made such gooc
haul that they had probably departed fol
parts unknown with their swag.
''He said that orders had been issued tc
do special work in our case and spare nc
pains, and all such stuff that he probably
says .te, ,everybody+ A number of times
Moffatt showed me old pieces of rings and
chains and galvanized opera glasses and
prize package sleeve, buttons, and each
time,he would tell me that, no diamonds
had yet turned up'lor anything answering
TO our losses, but that the whole force was
at work, etc., etc., and that three detec-
tives had elaborate descriptions of the dia-
mond rings and bracelets. ETC., and that as
soon as anything valuable turned up
should be notified.
"T didn't want to call often or hang
round as il l had lost a child, but on SuI-
day week last saw Goodman, who partic-
ularly has the case in charge, and asked
him in a jocular way if he had captured
any diamonds lately, and in an hour he
came to my house with one big cluster
ring minus the stones, and said he knew
where they were and could get them.
pigs THEM Ur
"Early on the Monday following Mr..
Goodman again came to my house and
brought the three and quarter carat
stone in a new setting, and recommended
Mrs. Truman to pay certain man 500
for it. He came again in the afternoon
and said he would call on me in the even
ing. which he did. and renewed the offer.
II was amazed at the idea of buying my
own stolen goods through detective en-
ployed by the city. and in answer to my
reply he said that he had had one of the
burglars in arrest and knew where to put
his hand on the other: that there were two
of them, named Bryant and Miller.
VERY SINGULAR
"He then informed me that about q week
or more ago he had the man who sold the
ring for 500 in Jail and the ring in his
possession, but as no one had claimed il he
had told Mr.. Young that it was all right,
and that he should buy it.
HE then added that he had stopped the
check given in payment for the diamond
for few hours for some reason of his own.
NATURALLY | asked him why he did not
come at once to me, and he said he had
suggested to the chief and to Moffatt that
fatt pooh-poohed the idea, and declared it
was not Cruman'J, and that il was time
thrown away, etc.
II then asked Goodman, who said he had
had no doubt of the property being ours.
why he didn't come at any rate, as he had
chains and other debris, and he claimed
that he was under the orders of the chief
office. and that Moffatt, who had talked to
Inc so pathetically, had told him not to or
that there was no use in it.
''On Tuesday called on Moffatt, as the
chief was away, and he admitted that he
had said to Goodman that he guessed it
and then he got off his old twaddle about
their straining every point in my case, and
that they had one of the burglars in Jail
and hoped to get the other.
SAW THE CHECK CASHED
"Goodmau said he saw the person get his
hundred-dollar check cashed and called
him thief and sent him out of town.
''Now, was there ever such bungle all
the way round. With no malice toward
Moffatt ] declare his action the big
gest exhibition of stupidity I have ever
seen. You wouldn't think such person
would be kept in place where at least a
small degree of intelligence is required
He has had a full description of the stolen
articles and diagrams of some of them on
his book, and Hanley and Bradish have
full descriptions. And yet they had the
big stone of all in their possession several
times in one week and one of the burglars
in Jail (since turned loose with hundred
dollars), and none OF them ever came near
me nor sent me word.
"Moffatt makes a most dreadful mess of
it in explaining, and winds up by saying
that he is sorry he said what he did and
that the office will push things. etc.
WHAT THE PURCHASER SAYS
81 met the man who bought the stone
and he said the detectives must have been
asleep; that the man had been on Spring
street week selling unset diamonds, and
named a ieweler who had purchased seven
small stones taken from the custer), and
that the large stones had been offered at
Montgomery Bros. and other places, and
that a jeweler had tested it and weighed
it and told him to buy it.
''Is it any wonder that burglars and
thieves have easy times in our city with
such detective work as that?
WHAT ROTHERs THE MAJOR
"What bothers ine is why Moffatt told
Goodman not to show the diamonds to me,
if he did, Aad why Goodman didn't do go
at any rate, as he had called several times
before. Why, il he held the stone thirty
six hours and stopped the payment of the
check for q. time. he did not give me a
chance at. the property, he believed to he
mtne,--i- 7.-s. -----s IS.
"Aul Why sif he had a right to stop the
check at all. he didn't stop it longer. No
one will say, that the whole thing is not a
great bungle and shows great stupidity on
on, the part. Of .Moffatt and Goodman.
This is admitted noy.in the chiefs office.
One of the detectives informed Inc that
Moffatt's action was the d-st piece of
stupidity he had ever seen. And now we
are told that we must buy our stolen goods
back 1t we ever get them.
ONE MORE FONT
VI may as we'll tell you something else
while am about it. A = soon as Hurley alias
Marshal, had been surprised by Mrs. Row
an and run down by the Traction com
pany boys and captured not by the police
4 sized up Marshal. He had worked in a
barber shop near me and thought he was
the fellow that had done us up. Without
the aid or knowledge of the detectives,
no