Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-11-14
A DETECTIVES RUSE.

Cholmondely is very old friend OF
mine. To the world he poses successful
" as a social star. He runs fat in
Mayfair which would knock the stuff1ng
out Of an earl. His country house is sit
uated in one of the best parts of Hert-
fordshire. Any day you would pick his
Yacht out Of the swaggerest batch at
Cowes, and his horses and wine are be-
yond all reproach.
But he hasn't friend saving myself
who knows where his money comes
from.
AS a matter Of fact, Cholmondely is
a sort of society Sherlock Holmes.
There are a good many affairs OF in
ternational importance which require
the most subtle investigation and d.
plomacy of high order.
And then there are many society cases
affecting people Of high standing which
require the most delicate handling
Such matters are placed entirely in the
hands Of men of Cholmondely's stamp
He makes quite so, 900 year.
was more agreeably surprised than
otherwise when one day last week the
following wire arrived from him:
loan you see me before IL? Important
matter. Urgent. !"
There was nothing Of the blase man
Of the world air which Cholmondely
affects in society as he greeted me this
morning. Instead he got to business al
once.
His first action was to cross the room
to little box which was fitted against
the wall. had seen it scores of times
before. It was what he called his peep
ing machine-an arrangement Of pipes
and mirrors-by means Of which he il
able to see from the study what is going
on in his drawing room and dining
room,
"See anything?"
Eyes. There's man there. I"
"Recognize him?"
started back in surprise. The visitor
was none other than prominent mem
per OF Cne SOVoruHlouU'
Cholmondely said nothing, but sim
ply turned small lever and told me tx
look again. This time saw into tn
dining room. :
Seated at the table was gentleman!
man Of about 40. He was studying
notebook.
"Think be looks the desperate Grim
inal Of fction?"
''Couldn't soy boo to goose" re
piled.
"Well, anyway, he's our man, an
we've got to catch him..
'But, my dear chap, he's here. 70
could sprinkle salt on his tail. "
"Steady, my friend, steady. This
not a common or garden case. It's
matter involving the theft Of govern
ment secret.
"Our client is Lord --, whom 20
saw in the drawing room just now
About 9 o'clock last night he left th
foreign Office with dispatches Of th
most important description. Wore the
! In the hands Of the government to whol
they are addressed nothing could ave.
q great European war. he had orde,
to CROSS to the continent with them th
first thing in the morning.
ITO cut a long story short, they wei
stolen on his way home, and half a
hour later he received urgent instru'
tions to return them at once, as in vie
Of fresh complications they must not |
delivered at any cost
"Now, the case hadn't been in m
hands for more than an hour before
discovered who were the guilty gentl
men in the affair. had been there b
fore, 90 to speak. As matter Of fact,
know within an ace where those di
patches are now, but there are one
} two difficulties in the path. In the fir
place, it is impossible BY the nature
the case to arrest the men,
.'Now these gentlemen offer the usu
alternatives. Either we must pay the
q huge ransom for the ers-you o
now why they stole them-or they wi
skip across the channel and deliv
them, in which case there will be Il
dickens to pay.
1.-THE man you saw in the dinil
room ID one Of the two gentlemen co
cerned in the theft. Knowing he 10 "a
4 from arrest, he has called to negotia
with me on the question Of compens
ton. It's blackmail in plain English
cor couree INV clienta ara willing