The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-09

tnat rail- then play your trump card, Wnlcn
Is this highly important document.
The director of the police. who is very
shrewd man, seemed anxious TO make your
acquaintance before you began your investi-
cations. He asked me if you would call upon
| him. but seemed taken aback when / told
him that you were my wife's friend and a
guest at our house. so he suggested that
you would in all probability wish first to see
the scene of the explosion and proposed that
he should call here with his carriage and ac-
company you to the treasury. He wished
To know if o'clock in the afternoon would
suit your convenience"
"Oh, yes" replied Jennie. 'I am anxious
to begin at once, and OF course 1 shall be
obliged to him IL he Will act as my guide 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 if they have dis
covered anything; still, If they have, they
are more likely to keep it to themselves,
and imagine they will hold a pretty close
watch on you and be more anxious to learn
what you find out and thus take the credit,
If they can, than to furnish you with any
knowledge of the affair they may happen
to possess
THAT is quite natural and only what one
has right to expect. / don't wish to
rob the police of any credit there is to be
gained from this investigation, and 1 am
quite willing to turn over to them what
ever clews 1 may happen to chance upon"
well, If you can convince the director of
that you will have all the assistance he can
give you. 1t wouldn't be bad tactics to let
him know that you are acting merely in an
amateur way. and that you have no desire
TO rob them Of their glory when it comes to
the solving of the problem"
Promptly at o'clock the director of the
police put in an appearance at the Palace
Steipheimer. He proved to be a most OBJ
seQuious. highly decorated old gentleman,
In very Respondent uniform, and he could
hardly conceal his surprise on learning that
the lady detective was a woman so young
and so pretty. Charmed as he was to find
himself in the company of one so engaging,
1t was nevertheless evident to Jennie that
he placed no very high estimate on the as
sistance she might be able to give in solving
the mystery of the treasury. This trend of
mind, she thought, had its advantages, for
the director would be less loath to give her
full particulars Of what had already 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 az doorway and here the director and
| his companion got out. He led the way into
| the building, then descended a stair, en-
| tered an arched corridor, at the door OF
which two soldiers stood on guard, who sa-
| luted as the chief passed them.
Does this lead to the room where the ex.
| plosion took placer" asked Jennie.
yes"
And is this the only entrance?'
THE only entrance, madam"
Were the men on guard in this doorway
| injured by the explosion
Yes They were not seriously injured
but were rendered incapable for a time OF
attending to their duties"
Then person could have ESCAPED with.
out their seeing him?"
"A whole regiment of persons might have
escaped. You will understand exactly the
situation If / compare this corridor to a
long cannon, the room at the end being the
Dreechloading chamber. Two guards were
| inside the room and two others outside the
door that communicated with this corridor
These four men were killed instantly. OF
the guards inside the room not a vestige has
been found. The door, one of the strongest
| that can be made. somewhat similar to the
| door Of a safe. was flung outward and
| crushed tic the floor the two guards who
stood outside it in the corridor. Between
the chamber in which the chest lay and
the outside entrance were sixteen men on
guard Everyone of those was thrown
down; for the blast. If l may. call 1t SO,
travelled along this straight corridor like the
charge along the inside of a gun barrel.
The guards nearest the treasure chamber
were, of course, the more seriously injured
those farther
shock. and the door by which we entered
tEis corridor, while not blown from its
| hinges, was nevertheless forced open, its
strong bolts swapping like matches So
when you see the great distance that IL
tervenes between the chamber and that
door you will have some idea of the force
| Of the explosion
There Is no exit, then. from the treasure
chamber except along this corridor?''
mo. madame. The walls Of the chamber
are of enormous strength, because, Of course
| II was expected that IL an attempt at rob-
berry were ever made 1t would be from the
outside. and II Is scarcely possible that ever
| the most expert of thieves could succeed In
passing the two guards at the door, sixteer
guards and officers along the corridor, two
| outside the treasury door and two in the
| chamber itself. Such a large number OF
| soldiers were kept here so that any attempt
| at bribery would be impossible. Among such
ruptibe, and the guards were constantly
| changed. Seldom was either officer or mar
twice on duty here during the month. With
a
| precaution was taken"
Are there any rooms at the right or left
or this corridor in which the thieves could
have concealed themselves while they fired
the mine?"
No; the corridor leads to the treasury
| chamber alone"
Then" said Jennie, 81 can't see how IL
| was possible for a number of men to have
made away with the treasure in such cir.
cumstances as exist here
Nevertheless, my dear young lady the
treasure is gone. We think that the mine
was laid with the connivance of one or more
officers on duty here You see, the amount
at stake was so large that a share of 1t
would tempt any nine human beings out of
ten. our theory Is that the train was laid,
possibly electric wires being used which
would be unnoticed along the edge of the
corridor, and that the bribed officer ex-
ploded the dynamite by bringing the ends
of the wire into contact. We think that
the explosion was great deal more severe
than was anticipated. Probably ii was ex-
pected that the shock would break a hole
from the treasure chamber to the street.
but so strong were the walls that no i'm
man who was driving past at the time
heard not sound of the explosion, al
though he felt tremble of the ground and
thought for moment there had been a
shock of earthquake"
You think, then, that the thieves were
outsider"
That seems the only possible solution"
me outside doors were locked and
bolted, of course?"
"Oh. certainly! But II they had con
federate or two in the large hallway VI
stairs they would see TO II that there was nc
trouble about getting in. Once inside the
large hallway, with the guards stunned by
the shock, the way 10 the treasure chamber
was absolutely clear"
There were sentries outside the building
! suppose?"