The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-09-23
A RUN To FREETOWN.
BY GEORGE GRIFFITH.

/
In the nature of the case it was
quite out of the question that the
story of the Diamond Dog, under the
skin of which gems were smuggled
from the mine, should remain secret
for very long. To the illicit diamond
buyers every detail of it, as it gradu-
ally leaked out, was as sweet morsel
under the tongue, and to many more
honest enemies OF the new compound
system, mostly tradesmen and can
teen keepers, it was far too acceptable
a story to be kept dark or to be allow
ed to lose anything in the retelling
Added to this the tragedy in which
it had eliminated had lent piquancy
to its flavor which sufficiently stimu.
lated the palate of Kimberly society
to set it longing for more. and SO,
little by little. 1t filtered through the
barriers of official reticence until at
last fitting finish was given to the
story by the confession of Chief De
tective Inspector Lipinzki one night
in the smoking room of the club that
that days mail had brought him
brief note, written him by one Loo
Shat, presumably former resident of
that name in Delagoa bay, requesting
that an inclosed acceptance for t250,
] drawn in his favor by the late Mr..
Augustus Lowenfeldt, might be cash
ed by that gentleman's executors. and
the amount, less 10 per cent. for his,
the inspectors trouble, forwarded at
his convenience to No. 9 Malay street,
Singapore. The note concluded by
stating that the $3.50 was a balance
due from Mr. Lowenfe!dt on the pur-
chase of certain dog OF the estimat-
ed value of fll,0G0.
Despite the fact that not few of
those who heard the note read out
and looked at the acceptance as it
was handed round, had lost some por-
tion of that eli, 900, the irony of the
note and the delicate humor of the
address given-Malay street, Singa-
pore, having reputation that is re
dolent throughout the whole East
provoked laugh as general as it was
hearty, and the next morning all
Kimberly was enjoying the heathen's
parting joke.
That night lady variety vocalist
at the theater Royal sent her audi
ence into prolonged and vociferous
raptures by singing the then famous
patter song, "Keyser, Don't You Want
to Puy Tog?' with appropriate local
illusions, and then Kimberly pro-
ceeded to improve the occasion IN its
own way.
"No Dogs Admitted ;" was found
painted in large black letters across
the principal entrance to the De
Beers Compound. The corpse of a
large Newfoundland dog sewn up in
the skin of small donkey, and care
fully packed in neat case, was sent
by coach from NryDurg to the chief
inspector "to be paid for on delivery"
Printed notices were stuck up in con-
spicuous places of the town to the
effect that in future all dogs entering
or leaving Kimberly would haye to
be skinned alive Shy authorlty'--and
so on until the very sight of dog af-
tlicted the worthy inspector and his
subordlnates with something like
a new sort of rabies.
All this was humorous enough in its
way, and hnmor went then in camp,
but for all That it was destined to lead
up, indirectly, to much darker ira
gedy than that which had closed The
career of Mr. Augustus Lowenfeldt.
There was at that time in Kimberly
a Yankee adventurer named Seth Sal
ter, who was known to the detective
department as an even more skilful |.
d. b. than the late lamented Lowen
feldt. His ostensible means Of liveli
hood were stock and share specula
ton, billiards aud three card monte,
varied by the occasional keeping of a
faro bank; but though he did we'll at
all these comparatively honest voca-
tons, he did not do well enough to
satisfactorily account for a style of
living and luxuriance of dissipation
which could not be adequately sup
ported on less than 5000 a year, at
the most modest computation. There
were only two possible alternative by
potheses, debt or l. d. B., and he had
no debts.
Now, Seth Salter was one of the
most conspicuous humorists who, as
he put it. made the department see
dogs instead of snakes when the
officials thereof had got bit too
full,' and before very long Inspector
Lipinzky publicly stated in the bar of
the Queens hotel that the next time
| Mr. Saiter tried. either in person or
| by proxy, to run parcel of Illicit
| {l0 -
he would so arrange matters that,
by the time the circus was over, the
said Mr. Salter would have good rea
son to wish that he had been born
dog, instead of a dirty, stock rigging,
card swindling diamond thief.
As it CHANGED, just as the inspector
was emphasizing the above statement,
garnished with certain verbal frillings
which need not be produced here, by
slapping his four fingers on toe bar
counter, Mr.. Seth himself lounged
into the room. The instant turning
of the eyes of the company On to him
told him, as plainly as any words
could have done, that he was the sub
ject of the inspectors eloquence
The crowd saw at glance that he
had taken in the situation, and every
one expected a royal row, for Salter
was known to have temper as quick
| as his eye and his hand, and Lipinz
ky. though only about half the Yam
kee's size, was gri. all through.
Nothing less than immediate man
slaughter was looked for, and the
crowd began to scatter instinctively.
But, somewhat to the disappointment
of the more festive spirits, Salter
strolled quietly up to the ba1, took
his place about three feet from the
inspector, and said, with most per-
feet good humor:
Evenin', boss! Don't seem to be
feelin' quite good to night Hope no
ones been tryin' to sell the depart
| mont an.af hor rnn9 ToEo q dr;nE q,