The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-22

" that oOSur0 ana lncreulDle story. III any
thing. rather worse. for you'll get dropped
on more heavily by taking that line than II
you do your best to restore me my stolen
property. Now, then, you'll be a fool IL
you refuse; you will, upon my word
If had stolen the diamonds, or knew
where they were, I'd close with you like
shot, Mr. Blumefeeld, for I know very well
that I'm in for five years anyhow But l
didn't steal them and I don't know where
they are any more than you do" answered
Morris. my story sounds unlikely enough,
I'm well aware. Maybe the Judge and Jury
won't believe it, either; but it's true, and
that's all about it,
From this position-true or false moth
ing could induce him to bulge.
The day of his trial arrived The case
excited great interest and the recorders
court was packed. There were two counts
in the indictment; the Une '{I'm not a law
yer, and only quote fromrmemory, there
fore will crave indulgence, in case my legal
'phraseology be incorrect-the one of
,"feloniously breaking into"f Blumefeeld's
premises in Hatton Gardens the other of
Stealing therefrom diamonds to the value
of 100000" To the former the prisoner
pleaded guilty; to the latter, not guilty,
and the prosecution, in hope of procuring a
more exemplary sentence, proceeded with
the charge of stealing the Jewels. But this
was difficult matter to prove. Everybody
was convinced, of course, that Morris had
stolen the diamonds; but to establish it by
the technical rules of evidence was another
affair. Against the fact, that he was caught
on the premises, admittedly with the inten-
ton of stealing the diamonds, had to be set
the fact that no sign of diamond, or any
other stolen article, was found upon him
when caught. Furthermore, the circum-
stances of his having refused Blumefeelds
offer of $4,000, which was elicted by his
counsel in evidence, went to some slight ex-
tent in his favor. But this the prosecution
tried to discount by advancing the theory
that he must have had an accomplce who
made off with the jewels and that the pris-
oner would hardly be likely to give away
100000 for $4,000 On the other hand the
defense urged that there was absolutely no
evidence of the existence of any accomplice;
and, besides, after the manner in which
the theft of the blue diamonds had been
bruted abroad and advertised, it would be
impossible for the thief or thieves to dis
pose of them for a quarter of their real
value, if indeed, at all. In which conten-
sion, of course, there was some truth
length-a careful, equipoised summing up.
as I remember thinking at the time, bal
anced, like the sentences in a Greek dia-
logue, with perpetual ION the one hand"
and ION the other hand" impartial, no
doubt, but colorless, and Offering no assist
ance whatever to the jury. The latter,
after considering their verdict for an hour
or so, at length brought the prisoner in
mot guilty on this Indictment He was
then sentenced on the other indictment to
20 months hard labor, the recorder observ-
ing that If anything previous had been
known against him, which apparently there
was not, he should have sent him into penal
servitude.
Such is brief-a very brief-recapitula-
ton of Robert Morris trial and sentence in
connection with the theft of the blue dia-
monds. Anyone who is interested to go
more into details of the matter, can turn up
the case in the back volumes of the news
paper, which he can put his hands upon at
any of the public libraries. If he does so
he will find, believe, that much as l have
pruned and condensed the reports, l have
not omitted any material item. And, in
deed Ito say nothing of the requirements of
space in these columns) it would be weari-
some to retell the story at any length, since,
except for the one mystery in the matter,
the disposition of the stolen diamonds by
Morris assuming him to have been the
thief, as everybody still did)--the rest of
the features are commonplace enough.
l now come to the important point in my
story; the only part of it which is not mere
recapitulation, namelyLthe' elucidation of
the mystery as, impaired to me only few
weeks ago by Morris himself. 1 may take
this opportunity of saying that I am the
doctor who attended the ex-convict in his
last illness, of which Che fatal termination
came so recently as a. fortnight since. He
died in lodging in Bloomsbury, in miser-
ably poor circumstances, and being unable
to pay me any fee, Impaired to me his
secret to do what could with, as sort of
last acknowledgment of my services
Doctor" he said to me one day, about
week before he died, Il shan't leave any
effects behind me to pay your bill. But l
can leave you little secret, which you
might turn into nice sum of ready, if you
set about it the right way All! what fool
1 was to go and make ducks and brakes of
all that oof! Do you know, doctor, after I
came out of shop was worth E80OO?"
Eight thousand!' 1 exclaimed. '"Then
you did steal the blue diamonds? How the
ueVIl OlQ you manage TO nlOe tnem.
That's the secret I'm going to tell you.
All. doctor Che chuckled gleefully); I'm not
writing a moral tale; I'm telling the truth;
and the truth is that Robert Morris was not
in the least penitenD. II had the diamonds
on me when I was caught; I had them on
me when 1 was searched at the station; l
had them on me when l went before the
lord mayor; had them on me when I was
tried at the Old Bailey; had them on me all
the 20 months l was in the stone jug-aye,
all the blessed time
"Impossible!" 1 cried. ''You could not
have concealed them -
Couldn't 1 though? All, doctor, I'll
show you Bring me that cup off the wash
stand, now. Do you see what's in it?'
''Your grinders 1 said, looking down at
the double set-o false teeth lying in the
cup, what about 'em?"
Mice ones, eh?" he asked with leer and
wink
Very I answered.
Made em myself" he said, with another
chuckle. ''The p'leece knew 1 was den
lists assistant, too. Wonder they never
guessed
Guessed what?''
"Take 'em out of the cup" he told me.
did So
There's little mark at the side of the
plate" he went on. 'It's a spring. Press