The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-06-06

hours most careful and intelligent in
spection of the house, it's grounds, and
everything in the neighborhood which by
any possibility could throw light on the
mystery, felt compelled to acknowledge
that he was as much at sea as to how or
by whom the burglary had bean perpetrat-
ed as the local police had been in the last
case.
Indeed the only point that even looked
like a clew had heeu discovered by the
local police. Toward evening, when the
detective was wearied and disappointed by
| his lahors, Inspector Doodle came to him
that he had found an important clew
This turned out to be IL story told by the
groom of the doctor at the village, who bad
been attending one of Mr. st. James Jones
f.mily. This fellow said that, on coming
to Chatsworth the previous da, with IA
bottle of medicine, he had noticed a
STABILITY dressed man hanging about the
laurels at the side of the lawn. This per
son, when he saw he was observed, hurriedly
made off. Sergeant Collie had the footnan
before him for examination 1t was then
made clear that the intruder on the lawn
was merely a common tramp. The
detective, on making sure Of this dismissed
the footman and his story with contempt
He was certain of little as regards the
burglary SAL this, that it was the work,
not of tramps, but of men carefully trained
| in that line Of hu.inc.<. who had planned
ont cv,ry Getail in it before taking the job
! in hand.
One or two points in the burglary had
carefully struck the detective. IN the
first place the plate safe in Chatsworth was
built into the kitchen wall, yet the bur
glars had gone straight to it in this unusal
place Again a minute examination of the
footprints outside the house had con-
viEced the officer that two or, at the most
three, persons had been engaged in the job
Thirdly, the plumber carried away-and
Carried away with amazing rapidity-must
have weighed the best part of twenty stone
And, lastly, there was not the slightest
evidence to show that horse and vehicle
of any kind had been used to remove the
plumber. As before, the usual number of
private carriages had been seen passing
along london road, hut nothing beyond
that.
To the detectives mind all these peculiar
circumstances could point to only one
conclusion, namely, that the burglars had
been in the house before they went there
to commit the burglary, and that they
must live somewhere in the immediate
neghborhood of the scene of the burglary
Accordingly, he directed his inquiries as
to the persons who had lately been visiting
the servants hall at Chatsworth.
These he found consisted pretty exclu-
hearts. The former were all ultra respect
able men who had been living in the
village for years back, yet the detective
thought it wise to inspect the premises of
all of them. They raised no objection, and
he made no discovery. As to the sweet
hearts, he found that all the maids had
recognized lovers, who were allowed by
Mrs. st. ,Iames-Jones pretty free run of
the servants hall. Among them was
the policeman on whose beat London road
was. He informed the detective who the
other lovers were, and assured him that no
new admirers had been hanging round the
place of late. "lIi'd have seen EN- if they
'ad,' he said, ''and the missus would ave
done so, too. She's a very systematic Idly.
She hallows each Of er mides one sweet art
and no more. When the gai' as got one,
too, she won't stand poaching. No. hi m
sure there weren't no hother men about y
And the men who were about, the detective
soon ascertained, were all as respectable
and above suspicion and the constable him
SELF
Sergeant Collie occupied full fortnight
in these inquiries. At the end of that
time he had to confess that he was not an
inch nearer the solution of the mystery of
the burglars than ever. Heagain reported
to headquarters that further investigation
seemed useless, and requested to be re-
called.
He was awaiting an answer from Scot
land Yard when early one morning, he
was aroused by Inspector Doodle rushing
excitedly into his bid room. The officer
brought news Of another burglary. This
time the victim was st. George Robinson
The mansion broken into was called Hat
field and lay on the opposite side of the
village to the other two plundered houses.
Exasperated at this repetition of the
burglaries under his very nose, Segeant
Collie set out hurriedly with Inspector
Doodle for Hatfield, iiercely resolved to
leave no trace unturned in his efforts to
trace the perpetrators, As they fastened
along the road-the house was some half
mile from the village-the sergeant cross
questioned his companion as to the charac-
ter of the poor people who lived in the
neighborhood of Hatfield. When he had
gotall the information he could he became