Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY GEORGE GRIFFITH.
Copyright. 1897. by Geo. Grimth)


Written for The Eveairg star.
II was several months after the bril-
liant. if somewhat mysterious. recovery
OF the E5Ooo parcel from the notorious
but now vanished Seth Salter that 1 had
the pleasure. and / think i may fairly add
the privilege. of making the acquaintance
OF Inspector Lipinzkl.
! can say without hesitation that in the
course of wanderings which have led me
over a considerable portion of the lands
and seas of the world l have never me; a
more interesting man than he was. | say
was poor fellow. for ne is now no longer
anything bat memory of bitterness TO the
l. II. B.-but that must be told in another
place.
There is no need of further explanation
of the all too brief intimacy which fol-
lowed our introduction than the statement
OF the fact that the greatest South African
lie elective of his day was after all man,
as well as a detective and hence not only
jUstfiably proud of the many brilliant
achievements which illustrated his career.
but also by no means 10th that some day
the story OF them should, with all due and
proper precautions and reservations, be told
to = wider and possibly less prejudiced au-
dience than the motley and migratory popu-
lation of the camp as it was in his day.
| had not been five minutes in the cozy.
Hastily furnished sanctum of his low, broad
rooted bungalow in New De Beers road
before | saw it was museum as well
as study. Specimens of all sorts of queer
apparatus employed by the l. ID. BIS for
smuggling diamonds were scattered over
the tables and mantelpiece.
There were massive, handsomely carved
briar and meerschaum pipes. which seemed
to hold wonderfully little tobacco
for their size: rough sticks of firewood in
goniously followed out. which must have
been worth a good round sum in their
time: hollow handles of travelling trunks:
Lodi hoo of tha fo- ion off tod
a memorable occasion by Mrs. Michael
Muratti land novels, hymn books, church
services and Bibles, with cavities cut out
of the center of their leaves which had
once held thousands of pounds worth of IL
licit stones on their unsupported passage
through the book post.
But none CT these interested. or. indeed.
puzzled me so much as did a couple of
curiously assorted articles which lay under
"A little glass case corner bracket. One
ordinary piece of heavy lead tub
ing. about three inches long and an inch in
diameter. sealed by fusing at both ends.
and having a little brass tap fused into
one end. The other was a little ragged
piece of dirty red sheet india rubber. very
thin-in fact almost transparent-and,
roughly speaking. four or five inches
square.
/ was looking at these things, wondering
what on earth could be the connection be-
tween them. and what manner of strange
story might he connected with them, when
the Inspector came in.
Good evening. Glad to see you he said
in his quiet ana almost gentle voice. and
without trace Of foreign accent. as we
shook hands. well, what do you think
of my museum? | daresay you've guessed
already that If some of these things could
speak they could keep your readers enter
tanned for some little time. eh?''
We'll. there is no reason why their owner
shouldn't speak for them / said making
the obvious reply. provided always. of
course. that it wouldn't be giving away
too many secrets of state
My dear SIR, he said. with smile
which curied up the ends of his little black
carefullytrimmei mustache ever so slight
". 4 should not have made you the prom
Use did at the club the other night if had
not been prepared to rely absolutely on your
whisky and soda or brandy: which do you
prefer? You smoke. of course. and 1 think
you'll find these pretty good, and that
chair 1 can recommend. / have unraveled
many krotty problem in it, / can tell
YOU"
And now he went on when we were at
last comfortably settled. may 1 ask which
of my relies has most aroused your pro-
fessional curiosity?"
IL was already on the tip of my tongue
TO ask for tine story of the gaspipe and
piece of india rubber. but the Inspector
fOrestalled me by saying:
But perhaps that is hardly a fair aues-
ton. as they will all probably seem pretty
strange to you. Now, for instance, l saw
you looking at two of my curios when
came H. You would hardly expect them
10 be associated, and very Intimately 100,
with about the most daring and ski!ifullv
planned diamond robbery that ever took
place o. The fields. or of them for the mat
ter Of that. would your"
Hardy" l said. And yet I think I
Fave learned enough of the devious WAYS
of the l. d. Il. 10 he prepared for per-
fect'y logical explanation of the fact
AS logical as l think / may fairly saw
romantic. replied the Inspector as he set
his glass down. in ore sense ii was Inc
most II r&lisb problem that I've ever had
10 tackle of course you've heard some
version or other Of the disappearance of
tie great DE Beers diamOrd?''
Il SHOULD rather think / had" / said.
with decided thrill OF rlaasurable an
ucipation. for I felt sure that now, if ever.
/ WAS gong 30 get to :he bottom of the
great mystery. ''Everybodv in camp
seems I" have 4 different version of it,
and. al course every one seems to think
that il he had Crly had the management
q. TIE Csc the mystery would have been
solved long ago
1t IS Invariably the case" said the in
p"etor. r.iih another of his quiet pleasant
Smiles. Tat every one can do work better
tram those whose reputation depends upon
me doing of II. We are not altogether
fools at the department and yet j have to
confess th--t ] myself was in ignorance as
- Ji1-t How tn;st dia mOni disappeared, or
wEsre Il got to, until within twelve hours
a-o.
Now. I am going TO tell you the facts
exactly IS trey are, hut under the condi-
dun that you VIII alter all the names ex-
cept. II you choose. ny own. and that you
WIZ rot publish the story for at least
sonIl ami pirate reasons FOR this which
yOu VIII probably understand without NV