Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-09-06

q minute or two serernr- CONSTITUTES
were on the scene, and little later an
inspector arrived, who lost no time in
despatching q special messenger to
~;Blumefeeldas private residence in
Pembridgesquare.4 =! -! ~ !. !
On the diamond merchants arriya!
thoron gh sexamiuationrof. the premG
ises was made, disclosing the fact
that his safe had been opened with a
duplicate key, which, in fact, was
still iu the lock, and that, while every.
/, thing else, had lbeen left untouched,
the most valuable contents, namely,
tue blue diamonds, had been ab-
stracted. The thief, of course, was
then conveyed, without de'ay, to the
nearest police station and duly
charged by Blumefesld, who now, rec;
ognized him as man who had called
upon him at his Office few. days pre-;
viously in reference to q proposed
spurehaseof gers; which had fallen
through. He recollected, also, that
he had had OCCASION to leave the
stranger alone in his Office for min
ute or two, when, probably, the latter
= had managed. to- get an. impression. OF
the lock of his safe. The prisoner
did not, deny this. Nor, in spite.:-oafS
the usual caution, did he make any
secret .of. the fact that lie had broken
into the Office fot.the purpose of steal
ing the; blue diamonds. But'that he
had stolen them he stubbornly denle1.'
&, Someone e.se had foresta!lelSme, "
he said. ''I found the safe open and
key already in the lock. I'd got my
own duplicate, but I didn't have to
use it, If you search me you'll find 1t
in my waistooat pocket. -
In confessing he had entered the
office with felonious intent he, was, of
course, onlysadmitting~as much ,as1the
circumstances of his capture rendered
obvious saud inconuovertible and,e so
far as thatwent, was doing himself
neither harm nor good. But his state
ment that he had been forestalled was
so clearly Of the cock-and-bull type
that no credence whatever was nat
urally attached to it. He was subjected
to the usual rigorous search. The'etTr-
plicate key, as he had said, was in his
waistcoat pocket, and in his coat pock-
cts there were one or two other felo-
nious instruments. Yet not sign Of
q blue diamond, nor any other jewel
or valuable, was found upon him. His
clothes, his boots, his hat, his person,
even. to.the inside of his mouth, were
again and again examined. Not a
trace of the missing stones! And this
was the more Remarkable because he
had been collayed ed-handed, and from
= that moment had mo chances whatever
allowed him of throwing away OF other
wise disposing of the stones.
81 tell you 1 haven't got them, he
kept persisting. "I'd haye prigged
'em if I'd dhadthe chance, I don't deny,
and it would te mouse if Isdid. But
I was forestalled, I tell you. Some
other chap must have got in just be-
fore me and, lifted'em. You're only
wasting timesand trouble inssearching
me. You are, indeed" q
= Of course, mo attention was paidto
this ridiculous assertion, and after tue
process Of search had been repeated
again and again, Blume:eeld returned
with two OF the police to his Office in
Hatton Garden, whereSt was thought
possible that the thief might have
managed to drop the stones, But the
careful ~scrutinF-o rg-neok,
Granny and corner failed to discover
them. Blumefeeil, very naturally, fell
into q fine state Of mind.
Tu.ths interrali lietween the ARREST
and his trial Blnmeeeelq obtained leare
to see the prisoner in Ne&gate. .,ae..g
-.....ssii4ssfl COX here. he said to him q an