The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-06-20


There was a piano here, harp, q vio-
ioncello in frame, rack for violins
and closet In the rack. In fact, there
were instruments about sufficient to
supply a good sized orchestra. The
brewer, who had been looking over
these instruments and had attempted
to unlock the closet In the violin rack,
suddenly made an outcry. The lock OF
this closet had been broken. He flung
open the door excitedly to find that 1t
was empty. From his outcries and the
words passing rapidly between him
and his wife gathered that n valuable
violin had been stolen, that 1t was IN
Amati for which he had paid vast
sum End that it was his own pet in
struiuent.
"While the brewer was lamenting his
loss / observed on the piano several
sheets Of music. Though I know abso-
lutely nothing about music, took
them up and saw that 1t was not print
cd, but manuscript music and that OH
the bottom of one sheet, but partially
covered with notes, was written these
words
"'The gentleman relieving you Of
some of your valuables bcgs to submit
that there are here grave errors Of
composition. Go TO your graphophone
and listen to how it ought to be-
Abruptly asking the brewer If he
had phonograph in the house, lie In
differently pointed to corner where 1
saw an instrument. Going to 1t,
found one with recording appliance
81,
ord. Removing 1t, brushed of the
dust and, replacing 1t, set the machine
in motion, when an agreeable air was
ground out In what thought rather q
good baritone voice, to be suddenly
changed to spoken words-these:
"'Compare the version have sung
into the phone with your manuscript,
and you will see that you are wrong In
your sixths and can detect your error
"Weltwerter was quite evidently an
noyed by my manipulation Of the pho
nograpb, and so when I showed him
the sheets OF music he replied impa-
tiently:
"tYes, yes; it is my daughter Leila's
work. She composes music. This was
done the day before we left for the
country. 1t is not complete
"But the words written at the bottom
of the page, to which directed his at
tention, awakened him to interest. In
fact, he was nstounded, and he de-
manded that should again put the
machine in motion while he compared
the written music with it. In this he
was joined bS his wife, an accomplish
ed pianist, rs I afterward learned.
Again aud again the record was played,
until the voice was strongly impressed
on my memory.
"The brewer could not recognize the
voice, but Mrs. Weltwerter seemed to
find something familiar in it, though
she could not fix it into association
with any person. The brewer evidently
believed that the person who had writ
ten the words and sang to the machine
were one and the same and that he
was musician. His Indignation that
musician should be thief and that
that thief should be enough Of musi-
clan to detect errors in his daughters
composition and be impudent enough
to prove it was ludicrous.
while Weltwerter was mixing his
Indignation ut the critic with laments
over the theft of his Amati by the crit
It clearly indicated to me familiarity
with the use of the pen together with
the spoken words Of the record, a habit
of grammatical expression. Gaining
the attention of the brewer, said that
these things indicated that the burglar
was man OF education. trained sing
er, Of q baritone voice, familiar to de-
gree at least, with the technical side Of
music, and that other indications show
ed that he was familiar with the inte-
rior Of the house and it's habits and
customs. Said 1:
This is no ordinary burglar, Mr..
Weltwerter. The points I have made
should be clews to his detection and
should enable you to settle on some one
or more persons to be suspected. In
fact said under sudden Inspiration,
Il should not be surprised if at the end
You would find that the man coveted
your Amau and that he entered the
house for the purpose of securing that
in the first place
"Mrs. Wsltwerter was Impressed and
asked if were detective. Eefors
could reply her husband broke &: with
the explanation that was a lawyer
and 1t seemed to me In tone implying
that therefore there was no reason for
giving consequence to my words. Be
fore could sustain myself by argu.
ment the police detectives summoned
by Mr.. Weltwerter made their appear
sance. After learning all the brewer
could tell them they went about an ex-
animation Of the premises after their
methods and concluded that the bur-
glary was the work Of professionals,
though they differed among them
selves as to what professionals they
were. I took Issue with them and air
ed the theories had advanced to Mr..
Weltwert-r. I showed them the writ
Ing on the music sheet and ground out
the tune for them and wound up with
suggesting that this man, avowing
himself to be the one who Had. taken