The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-02-18

ing, plainly showed that the owner
thereof was man of somewhat eXpen-
sive tastes. The dinins-room revealed
nothing, but in corner Of his sleeping
apartment | stumbled against small
safe. Hardened official as | was, my
heart beat freely as drew out my
skeleton keys to try the lock, for if the
diamonds were in Reeves possession, it
was hundred chances to one they
would be in the safe. No IMAM in his
senses would dream of disposing OF
such well-known stones whilst the hue
and cry after them was raging.
After several Intellectual attempts. |
was successful, and the safe door swung
open. Acry of JOY escaped me as espied
a small jewel case, bearing the Pollock
crest on the lid. The diamonds were
apparently intact-not one OF them had
been removed, so far as | could per-
ceive. l could hardly believe my good
fortune, but all the same did nOt wait
to gloat over it. Slowing away the case
in the recesses of my breast pocket, |
left the building, leaving the amazed
servant still wondering.
My journey to the bank, whence l
next took my steps or rather, to which
a cab bore me, was consumed with emo
tons, in which perhaps anxiety pre-
dominated. l was anxious because it
seemed to me that perhaps even at the
eleventh hour might lose my man. If
by any mishap Reeves had got wind of
my visit to his house, he would in all
probability have made good his flight
ere this. Still, the diamonds were in
my possession. and that was the main
point after all.
Aha! the bank at last. Leaping from
the vehicle, rushed into the building,
"Mr. Reeves gone yet?" l shouted to
a clerk.
81 think he is just going, SIR" re-
turned the man.
Without waiting to be announced. I
darted upstairs into the room which l
had quilted that morning. Reeves was
lighting cigar previous to leaving the
bank, and he looked up quickly when |
entered
Back so soon," he calculated; "that
means good news. Have you clew??"
81 have" l answered, sternly; sand
what is more, l have the diamonds as
WELL"
He turned very white, and clung to
the table for support.
"Are you joking, man? what
do you mean?"
at MEANS" l returned, deliberately,
as locked the door and pocketed the
key, "that your crime has been discov.
cred, and that you are my prisoner,
John Reeves. 1t is my duty to arrest
you in the queens name on'the charge
of being connected with the theft of
Lady Pollock's diamonds"
He collapsed like house of cards,
demolished by blow. His knees
knocked together, his lips trembled,
his hands twitched violently. A more
abject creature have never seen. and
If ever guilt was written on mans
face and in mans figure it was writ
ten on his face and in his figure then
He accompanied me down the stairs
and into cab like man in dream.
The evidence against Reeves being so
conclusive, he was advised by his coun-
sci to plead guilty and to make full
confession. This he did. and the con-
fession, which revealed crime of
singular ingenuity and daring, ran
thus:
That being desperately hard up
through high play and betting on the
turf, he had been at his wits ends to
obtain money and it therefore occurred
to him to take advantage of his position
at the bank to obtain and dispose of
some of the banks valuables.
That his first idea had been to do this
and decamp, but that further delibera-
ton showed him how he might with i'm
punity obtain his nefarious ends, and
yet remain in the banks service.
That the plan which he at length hit
upon was to arrange with an accom-
plice to present himself at the bank
with a letter forged by himself, and
purporting to come from Lady Pollock.
asking that the jewel case deposited by
her ladyship should be given up.
That he had arranged with the said
accomplish to wait until the head man.
ager was away from London, SD that
there might be nobody to criticse the
forgery, for in the absence of the chief
it, of course, fell upon Reeves himself
to deal with letters of the kind in
question.
That the receipt which the supposed
messenger had handed in with the let
ter was simply another forgery by the
ingenious Reeves, copied naturally
from the genuine document in the pos
session of Lady Pollock, which copy
had been made by Reeves on the morn
ing when the jewels were deposited
three months previously.
He was sentenced to a considerable
term OF imprisonment. a punishment
which he certainly merited.
Perhaps they who have read these
lines will wonder what was the link
which set me on the right track, and
which connected John Reeves with the
crime. All, well, it was the smallest
i'll - .