Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-03-11


with the dollars before we've time tc
finish cigar"
The diamond merchant executed this
commission with such alscrity and dis.
patch that he was back in the office al
most before the colonel had taken sec.
ond puff at fresh Villar y villar.
The American held the closed jewel
case in his hand.
Lock it up" he cried jestingly, "or
l might be tempted to run away with
itr'
The little Dutchman hardly relished
that form OF joking. He opened his safe
with surprising promptitude, and the
colonel himself placed the case within
its fastness. The merchant turned the
key and returned it to his pocket
They sat down and smoked. Time
passed, and it grew dusk. The colonel
became fidgety. Vanderstroom was also
getting restless. 1t was time for him to
be getting home to dinner.
After they bad sat thus for more than
an hour the colonel rose from his chair
and put his watch to his, ear. 1t must
have stopped. No. it was going. Thirty
three hundred pounds was a large sum
to intrust a servant with. He wished
ho had gone to the hotel for the money
himself. But-pshawl Nonsense! He'd
trusted the man with larger sums be-
fore. His wife had gone out and the
groom was waiting for her. Yes, nc
doubt that was what it was.
Six o'clock and nearly dark nowi An
hour past closing time!
The colonel no longer disguised his
anxiety. Something unusual must have
happened. He would return to his hotel
at once. His wife must have got home
By that time. Would Vanderstroom come
with him? Or-how silly he was-to-
morrow morning would do equally we'll
Even if his man had gone wrong, he
could easily get fresh notes and be in
Hatton Garden with them by 10.
The diamond merchant was really
more anxious about his dinner than any
thing else. Reflection had shown him
that there was no cause for anxiety ON
his part. The jewels were locked up in
the safe, and he had e200 as cover for
the setting.
Therefore, as far as be was concerned,
the payment might just as well be con-
cluded on the morrow as that night.
They left each other after one or two
refreshers at their favorite restaurant,
with the appointment standing for 10
next morning. 1t was not kept by either
party. The colonel called hanson as
he waved his one hand to him, and it
was the last glimpse the little Dutch
man ever had of his military Yankee
relative with his distinguished bearing
and his sleeveless coat.
When the little merchant reached his
suburban home that night, it was late,
for he had met friend and dined with
him at his club.
Mrs. Vanderstroom was doing in a
chair before the fire.
MY lofe," began her husband apollo
getically.
II know" she answered sleepily. 81
suppose you wanted it in business or you
wouldn't have broken your word
Broken my word! Vat vord?" cried
Vanderstroom in amazement.
"Why, your word that you would
never touch that eS,500 unless ur-
GENT
"Vere is de dree tousand fife hundret
pounds?" shrieked Cornelius with hor-
rible foreboding. "Speakl Who has got
it:''
why. who should have it but you?
Did you not send q man here with this
order? And of course gave the pocket
book up to him at once. -"
"Gott in hiEmelr' calculated the
unfortunate merchant as his eyes caught
sight of the memorandum paper he had
written at the diotation of the American,
requesting the immediate return Of his
pocketbook and signe6-actually signed
Vanderstroom, his own mis-
guided autograph.
''Done, by -v' re shouted as the
whele swindle flashed upon m. Then
he rushed to the stables, had horse put
to his carriage at once and made his
man drive at top speed back to town.
1t was past in the morning when he
reached the Americans hotel. The bird
had flown. With a horrible suspicion
that he had not yet realized the worst
he next drove to the Office in Hatton
Garden. With trembling hands he TN
locked the great safe and opened the
jewel case. II was empty. In place Of
the diamonds there was only slip of
paper, and Cornelius Vanderstroom, the
tute, the clever, the infallihle deteoter
Of q ''put up yoh," fell fainting on the
floor as he read his own oft quoted
maxim:
Its the quickness of the hand de-
ceiyes the eye.
They never caught the colonel or his
wife or that highly respectable oonfed-
crate. the groom. The Scotland Yard
detectives were of the opinion that the
affair was the handiwork Of a certain
Flash Cassady. cockney crackslnan of
phenomenal ingenuity and of cosmopol-
itan accomplishments, who had person.
ated Yankee with considerable success
before. Whether this was so or not he
disappeared, as Cornelius had to do
when the robbery got wind. and the lit
tie Dutchman became the wholesale re-
cipient of that form of common, or Gar
den. chaff for which the great diamond
market is so justly celebrated. The
notes and the diamonds were never re-
covered. The former, after decent in
terval. found their way into the inevi-
table innocent holders hands," while
the latter. when taken out of the set
ting, might have been easily disposed
of on the continent Thus the great
Hatton Garden robbery lives now only
in the archives of the police as the most