The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-11

HOkBtsted mat you would IN al pToDabn-
ity wish frat TO see the scene of the ex
plOsion, and proposed that he should call
here with his carriage and accompany
YOU TO the treasury. He wished 10 know
II O'Clock In the afternoon would suit
your convenience"
"0h. yea" replied Jennie. II am anx-
ious TO begin at once, and, OF course
shall be Obliged to him II he win act al
my guice In the vaults Of the treasury
and tell me how much they have already
discovered"
You must not expect information from
the police-in fact, ! doubt IL they nave
discovered anything. still, IL they have
they are more likely TO keep II 70 them
selves, and / imagine they will hold a
pretty close watch on you and be more
anxious to learn what you find cut, aiid
thus take ths credit. If they can, than
to furnish you with any knowledge or the
affair they may happen TO possess.
THAT is quite natural and only what
one has a right 10 expect. | cont wish
10 rob the police OF any credit there is
10 be gained from this investigation, and
/ an quite willing 10 turn over TO them
whatever cleWs / may happen 10 chance
upon"
We'll. II you can convince the director
Of that, you win have all the assistance
he can give you IL wouldn't be bad tao
tics to let him know that you are acting
merely in an amateur way, and that you
nave no desire 10 rob them of their glory
when it comes TO the solving OF The
problem"
Promptly at o'clock the director Of
police put Ia appearance at the Palace
steinheImer. He proved 20 be most
obsequious. highly decorated old gentle
man. in a very respondent uniform, and
he could hardly conceal his surprise on
I learning that the lady detective was a
woman so young and so pretty. Charm
. cd as he was to find himself in the COM
Tany OF one SO engaging, ii was never
Z theless evident to Jennie that he placed
no very high estimate on the assistance
/ she might be able 10 give I'm solving the
/ mystery OF the treasury This trend of
mind, she thought had it's advantages,
I for the director would be less loath to
give her full particulars Of what has al
ready been accomplished by the police.
Jennie accompanied the director TO that
extensive mass of buildings OF which the
Treasury forms a part. The carriage
drew up at a doorway, and here the di-
rector and his companion got out He
led the way into the building. then de-
seended stair, entered an arched corri-
DOR at the door of which two soldiers
stood on guard, who saluted as the chief
passed them.
Does this lead TO the room where the
explosion took placer" asked Jennie.
! Yes"
And this is the only entrance?"
The only entrance, madame"
Were the men on guard in this door.
way injured by the eYplosiong'
Yes. They We're not seriously injured
but were rendered incapable for a timt
of attending To their duties'
Then person could have escaped
without their seeing him?'
"A whole regiment of persons migh
have escaped. You will understand ex
! actly the situation if | compare this cor
ridor 10 long cannon, the room at tht
end being the breechlOading chamber
! TWO guards were inside the room and 1--WE
others outside the door that communicat
ed with this corridor. These four mer
were Killed instantly. OF the guards in
side the room not a vestige has beer
found. The door, one of the stronges
that can be made. somewhat similar Il
the door of d safe. Was flung outward anC
crushed to the floor the two guards VIII,
stood outside it in the corridor. BetWeel
the chamber In which the chest lay an,
the outside entrance were sixteen mel
on guard Every one of those was throw
down, for the blast, if / may call it 50
: Travelled along this straight corridor lill
the charge along the inside of a gun bar
, ! rel. The guards nearest the treasur
4 chamber We're, of course, the more seri
: ously injured, but those farther out di
! not escape the shock, and the door b
which We entered this corridor, while no
z blown from its hinges was nevertheless
L forced open, its strong bolts swapping lik
matches. So when you see the great dis
a tance that intervenes between the cham
Z, Der and that door you will have some ide
S of the force of the explosion"
e There is no exit then, from the treas
ure chamber except along this corridor?
e mo, madame. The walls of the cbambe
Z are OF enormous strength, because. q
/ course, it was expected that if an attemp
II al robbery were ever made il would b
from the outside, and 1t is scarcely pos
: sible that even the most expert Of thieye
could succeed in passing the two guard
u at the door, sixteen guards and officer
e along the corridor, two outside the treas
n ury door, and two in the chamber itsel
o Such a large number of soldiers wer
: kept here so that any attempt at briber
Q would be impossible. Among such a nun
Z Der one or two were sure TO be incOrrupt
e IDLE, and the guards were CONSTANT
e changed Seldom was either officer or ma
u twice on duty here during the month
e With such an enormous amount at stak
|. every precaution was taken"
Are there any rooms at the right {
al left OF this corridor in which the thiev,
Is could have concealed themselves Will
y they fired the mine?'
No; the corridor leads to the treasuI
. chamber alone
"Then" said Jennie, Il can't see no
,. il was possible for number OF men
= have made away with the treasure
- such circumstances as exist here"
- Nevertheless my dear young lady. II
treasure is gone. We think THAI the mir
> was laid with the connvance Of one
more officers on duty here. You see, Il
amount at stake was SO large that
+ share of il would tempt any nine hums
~ beings out of ten. our theory is that Il
- train was Laid, possibly electric wires b
?" ing used which would be unnoticed al0r
,u The edge of the corridor. and that Il
bribed officer exploded The dynamite /
i, bringing the ends of the wire into contac
- We think that the explosion was a gre
=, deal more severe than Was anticipate
Probably il was expected that the shoe
- would break a hole from the treasu
chamber TO the street, but so strong we
~ the walls that no impression was ma
a. upon them, and a cabman who was drl
- ing past al the time heard not sour
m of The explosion, although ne felt trer
bla Of the ground and thought for a m
,s r,ent there had been a shock of cart
lg quake
You think, then, that the thieves We
e. | outsider
or ..That seems the only possible solution
- THE outside doors were locked al
,u bolted of cOuTsey
..0h. certainly! But II they had co
| federate or two in the large hallway u
a. stairs they would see TO il that there "
a no trouble about gettlaS in, once insi
r. ! the large hallway, win guards stunn
a | bv ,he shock, the way 20 the treasu
Ia chamber was absolutely clear
is There were sentrics outside the bull
IS, lng, / supposeE
pt Yes"
an "Did they see any vehicle standing
am arriving near the treasury
A .No: that is the strange part OF H. al
in narrower, the sentries, although paei
~ outside the walls OF this building, hea
a nothlng Of the explosion beyond . Is
I