The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-06-20
!: The Consulting Detective
A STORY OF a VOCAL cLEw.
BY SEACOAL.

1sesesoS@eo@oe@o@o@o@0@o@S
"Yes; am detective"
Tom Oakley, lenning over the back Of
q large stuffed chair in the club parlor,
faced our little group with d cynical
smilo playing over his lips. One or two
of liz had suspected something Of the
kind. but oil Of us were astonished at
his frank admission. He waited for
some comment, but none Of us spoke.
"a consulting detective, IL you will.
but nevertheless detective" he went
on. II regret the necessity Of the ad-
mission, not for the reason that am
ashamed Of my work, but because my
usefulness Is likely to be somewhat Inn
paired by knowledge Of it. I presume
YOU have the prejudice against the
work that is common. Deal with the
knowledge I have given you here In
the club as you see fit. shall not de-
fcpd myself nor explain, no matter how
much may care for the loss Of associ-
atons. However, detectives are not
held in the dlsrepute they once were.
When the principle of setting thief to
catch a thief. was in application, de-
tcctivc was not the sort Of person one
invited to dinner. That was the days
cf Jonathan Wild and vidocq. After
all, in those days 1t was the man him.
self and not his work that was in dis
credit. Now, when plays are written
to glorify spies and detectives, it will
hardly do to hold the latter in disre
putc. However, have discovered an
especial aptitude"
I'VE all thought you were practicing
law" remarked one Of us.
Il faithfully tried to for three
years." replied Tom, "and nearly starv-
ed Clients we're shy, having FAILED to
perceive my great legal q ilities. Some
thing more than year ago accident
discovered my detective abilities. and
in the year following made more Of
an income three times over than in the
three preceding years"
"Give us the accident, Tom," de-
manded Harwood.
You know Weltwerter, the brewer?"
added Tom. 'tWell. something more
than year ago an employee sought me
to bring suit for damages against
him for injuries received at the brew
cry. Weltwerter Is good fellow, and
l thought more would result from an
appeal to his sympathies than from q
suit, especially as wasn't altogether
clear that contributory negligence
could not be proved against my client.
The brewer was away Mt his country
seat at the time, but I wrote him and
promptly received reply to tho effect
that he would be at his city house on q
certain night not far away, when If /
would call we would talk the matter
over. His house was in Bedford ave-
nue., double house, occupying several
lots. with his stable on the rear street.
Arriving at the appointed time, found
Weltwerter and his wife In great dis
tress and excitement
Their house had been robbed. How
much time had elapsed since the bur
glary they oulu not tell. bnt It wac
some time within two weeks, since the
brewer had visited the house two
weeks previously, and there were no
signs of robbery then. All Of their
plate was gone, which, together with
other valuables, made substantial
loss, but these things, however much
value In money they represented, were
nothing compared with the loss Of GER
tain papers, over which Weltwerter
made great moan, declaring that in it
the guiding purpose of his life was
gone. g
Immediately on the discovery OF the
robbery the brewer had sent for the
police detectives and was waiting for
them when I arrived. AT my sugges-
lion all went over the house. We found
basement window at the back Of the
house broken md the rear door open.
Evidently the thief or. thieves had
made their entrance through the win
dow and had opened the door from the
inside. a spoon on the floor near the
door, an article Of little value outside
OF 1t, another on the walk leading to
tne carriage house led us to follow In s
that direction and on the floor OF that
mouse found several unimportant arti-
cles apparently thrown away. 1t seemed
10 me TINT al The booty had been trims.
ported 80 the stable and removed at
leisure from there because more was
taken than two mon nc..ls 2 s.. - varrirS ai
away at once Going back to the house 1
all the indications to me were that
Whoever the persen wab heEwas famil-
"r ".sns i tlIs Iayer1oriS of Sthe hosBa,
knew the location o. the yaluabIes and
had gone aDont his work with preci-
sion born OF that knowledge. TEse vat
oables- plate and; papeFs..Shad been
locked ina slargs safe in tie dining
room: The snfe door's ygese SpDen and
the lock isf1IisF Fsfnd IL, tsa& ~ russ