The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-19


some official looking blue papers wit
big red seals attached, and then a larg
-stoppered bottle, labeled with
fearful-looking, unintelligible word, an
filled with q coloress fluid. "When 81
Marmaduke was in town some time ag
he called at Scotland Yard and state
that the family diamonds-or the saf
CONTAINING them-had been tampere
with during his and Lady Edgecombe'
| absence from home. He declared tina
some one in the house must be guilty
but not wishing to discharge all his oil
and honest servants for the sake of tn
guilty one, he asked if there were an.
| infallible means of detecting the cul
prit without arousing any suspicious.
| Our laboratory chemist came to hi
aid and supplied Sir Marmaduke will
small quantity of powder to sprinkl
| over the safe handle as well as inside
| the next time he left home, This he o.
Lady Edgecombe did yesterday befor
leaving for town. This powder, which
Is almost invisible, has this peculiar
property; If any person has touched it
even so long as a month ago, blue
stain will Immediately show upon the
application of certain harmless fluid
which I have in this bottle. No matter
how much the culprlt may have washed
his Cor herr hands the stain VIII show
just the same when this liquid is ap-
piled, but not otherwise.
Nov, Sir Marmaduke called at Scot
land Yard early this morning, and said
he had put the powder on the safe as WE
instructed him, and asked that some Of
ficers might be sent down to investigate
the matter as he felt sure that If the
culprlt was in the house the safe would
be tempered with last night. if at all.
find out. Butler, take the sergeant to
the jewel safe, and, you, Sergeant Wick
cry, will thoroughly examine it with
this agnfying-glass and see if it
bears any signs Of being tempered
with
The safe was in Lady Edgecombe's
dressing-room. I examined it very
closely and then muttering, "Ah, just
IS we thought-careless bunglers" / re-
turned to the library saluted the in
spector. sand said: TIE SAFE certainly
has been tempered with by some un-
skillful person, Sir"
"Then, the culprit must be in this
room,' said the inspector gravely, 50
it remains for us to do our duty. But
Ter, I shall require you to bring me
hand-basin of some sort, and two or
three towels. That's right Gas they
were broughD. Now, all Of you, OBJ
serve the fluid which I have in this bot
tie. I will pour 1t into the basin so, and
each Of you must dip your hands into
it, one at a time. Butler, you shall be-
gin. You. three women and the foot
man, go into that ante-room. We need
only examine one person at time.
After dipping your hands each of you
can leave the ROOM and retire to your
apartment excepting this one who has
to accompany us, Of course"
With many protestations the four
passed the massive solid oak door,
which I had held open for them, into
the little room. Then, closing the
door, and putting down the keyhole
cover, / went TO our bag and made
many preparations. The butler had his
back toward me. and Charlie was pre-
tending to examine his hands, which
we're wet with pure. unadulterated wa
er, as supplied by the New River COM
1any.
Opening a small tin can, I took from
t cloth saturated with chloroform,
Ind swiftly stepping behind the butler,
tut it over his mouth. All the same In
tant Charlie wound one Of the towels
viii h hod In, 40
mans head That kept the cloth In
lace while I pinioned his arms. OF
curse he struggled and kicked terribly
or a few moments, but so effectually
i'd the thick folds of the towel gag him
hat no sound but faint gurgle es-
aped him. while his writings on the
hick Turkey carpet which covered the
Old oak floor made no noise whatever
loon his struggles ceased, and he hung
eavy and limp in my arms. To allay
he suspicious of the walters in the
nte-room Charlie commenced to talk
,udly, as If speaking to the butler.
All the time we were fixing a gag in
he mans mouth, and tying his hands
ehind him. That finished, Charlie
aid, loudly: Nov, sergeant, let the
utter out before the next person
ONES" and so saying we opened the
DOR leading into the hall, and laid the
utlers senseless form outside Then
a-entering the library, we closed the
COR and called in the footInan.
The same operation was gone through
18th him and the three women: all We're
rived in the same way without arous-
lg any suspicion, and we laid them
de by side, gagged, bound and sense
SIS, in the hall.
Now, for the diamonds, quick" cried
harlle, and we rushed to the jewell
lfe which the butler had so obligingly
lown me. For few minutes we were
lecked, as neither Of the skeleton keys
G had brought, nor our other 'persua-
ars" were Of any use in opening the
lfe, and it seemed as though our in
snious scheme was to be useless after
But in the corner of the room was a
nall cabinet with locked drawers,
Perhaps the blessed key is here"
i'd Charlie, and bursting open the
'awers We were delighted to find key S
it'll piece of blue ribbon attached to {