The record-union., 1897-08-22
0W-STREET POLICE COURT.
BRITISH METHODS OF DEALING
WITH PERSONS ACCUSED.
the Escort of Sergeant Allan,
Who Figured in the Recovery
of the Burden Jewels.

Detective Sergeant Benjamin Allan
was waiting for us at Scotland Yard
to take us safely through the dangers
of the BoW-street Police Court and
prison, and in the afternoon through
the police museum. Setting out from
Scotland Yard for Bow street under
police escore is not altogether novel;
even Americans go through that pro-
cess occasionally under compulsfon; but
if they could always have as affable and
courteous an officer as Sergeant Allan,
who of course was not in uniform, they
would have no reason to complain.
The common belief that detectives are
constantly going about in disguise,
sometimes as old men, as street beg
gars, organ grinders, and what not, is
only matter of ridicule in Scotland
Yard, as it is IN most police centers.
1t is only the French detective as he
exists in novels who does that, or pos
Sibly one of the creatures of the lively
imagination of Captain Byrnes.
Il have disguised myself only once
since L have been in the service" Ser
geant Allan said, land then I was
soundly thrashed for my pains.
went disguised to a race track a few
miles out of town, and the crowd made
an attack on the booksellers. / start
ed in to assist the police, but they look
me for one Of the crowd; and between
the rioters and the police l was we'll
pummeled before l could make them
understand that / was an officer from
Scotland Yard. It is very difficult for
a man to disguise himself well enough
to escape detection, but my disguise
that day was a little too good"
HOW THE BURDEN JEWELS WE'RE
FOUND.
It was on the way to Bow street that
the Sergeant told of his part in the re-
coVery of the Burden jewels; and when
l suggested that the American public
would be glad to know the inner work.
1ngs of that case he was particularly
anxious that in writing about it /
should not give him the sole credit
There were others who had as much
TO do with it as t. he said ''and who
deserve quite as much credit. if any
credit is due, for the discovery was
largely accidental and was brought
about in the first Instance by Streeter
the jeweler Two men went to Mr..
Streeter with number of diamonds to
sell, and he examined them and found
them good, and named a price that he
was willing to give. The men were
satisfied with his terms, and said they
had more that they would sell at the
same rate
Very wel1,' said he; come back to-
morrow, and bring them all together
He had a reason for wanting them
to come back. The men represented
themselves as diamond dealers, but he
was satisfied that they were not.
Though the stones were good, they
were what in the trade is called
greasy; that is, they were dirty from
handling. and needed cleaning with
acids to restore their luster; and no
dealer would offer greasy stones for
sale. So. Mr.. Streeter put them off
and sent word to Scotland Yard. and
next morning another officer and I
waited outside for their appearance.
When they came Mr. Streeter told them
that he had changed his mind and did
not care to buy; and as soon as they
came out of the store we put them
under arrest on suspicion.
When they were searched a money
belt was found on one of them con-
tanning a large number of diamonds
out they refused to give any account Of
themselves, and there was not a. parti
Gle OF evidence against them beyond
the possession of the stones. We did
not at that time connect them at all
with the Burden diamonds. 7 do NOT
Know that we had any description Of
the Burden jewels.
AT any rate the men were locked
up separately on suspicion, and after
a day or two / went to the Younger
fold h;
trouble, and that if he had anv friends
IN the city he had better give me their
addresses SO that something could he
done for him. After considera ble ne,.-
suasion he told me that they had been
boarding with his brother-in-law who
kept public house. He gave me the
address, and that was the first clew
we had to the mems identity.
I'VE went to the public house. the
other man waiting outside and I going
IN told the landlord that his brother
1n-law was under arrest and that T
wished to search the mans room. He
was inclined to be indignant at that.
and declared that no part of his house
should be searched
Very WE'LL told him, then I shall
have to surround the house with police
CdAu SCo1ICI1 the WnOIe place
That brought him to his senses. for
ne was doing too good a business to
run any risks, and he consented. Then
l told him that we wanted to search
the other mans room also.
oh. they room togetheri' said he
and he went up stairs with us while
We searched the room. It did not take
long to find large number of dia-
mondS concealed in the bed, but we
could not tell till they were examined
by an expert whether they We're val
uable or only cheap stones to be used
for swindling purposes. At any rate
the landlord Immediately claimed them.
and said we could not take them away
You can imagine that we made short
work of his claim, as we had the stones
In our possession and the men under
arrest. But we had to threaten to take
him with us before he quieted down.
The diamonds were not long in the
hands Of the police before they were
identified as the Burden jewels, and the
rest of the story everybody knows In
Justice to Sergeant Allen 1 must say
that he told me the story of their cap
fure only in answer to my questions
and not at an in the way of seeking
10 giorify himself
THROUGH COVERT GARDEN MAR
KET.
The way to Bow street led through
Covert Garden Market, where the re-
mains Of the mornings fruits and flow
ers and vegetables were still exhibited
giving to the whole neighborhood the