The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20
Gbe Consulting Detective.
BrooklYn Eagla.

Brooklyn Eagle.
Yes, L am detective"
Tom Oakley, leaning over the back OF
a large stuffed chair in the club parlor,
faced our little group with a cynical smile
playing over his lips. One or two of US
had suspected something OF the kind, but
all of US were astonished at his frank ad-
mission. He waited for some comment,
but none Of us spoke.
"a consulting detective, If you will, but
nevertheless a detective" he went on
Il regret the necessity Of the admission,
not for the reason that am ashamed of
my work, but because my usefulness Is
likely to be somewhat impaired by knowl>
edge Of it. I presume you have the preju-
dice against the work that is common.
Deal with the knowledge I have given
you here in the club as you see fit.
shall not defend myself, nor explain, no
matter how much may care for the loss
Of associations. However, detectives are
not held in the disrepute they once were
When the principle of setting a thief to
catch thief was in application a detec-
tive was not the sort Of person one In
vitcd tc dinner. That was the days OF
Jonathan Wild and Vidocq. After all, in
those days it was the man himself and
not his work that was in discredit. Now,
when plays are written to glorify spies
and detectives. it viii hardly do to hold
the latter In disrepute. However, l have
discovered an especial aptitude"
We all thought you were practicing
law" remarked one Of US
replied Tom. and nearly starved. Clients
were shy, having failed to perceive my
great legal abilities. Something more
than a year ago accident discovered ny
detective abilities, and in the year follow.
ing I made more Of an income three
times over than in the three preceding
years.
Give US tho accident, Tom" demanded
HarwoOd.
You know Weltwerter, the brewer?"
added Tom. We'll, something more than
a year ago an employee sought me to bring
a suit for damages against him for in
Juries received at the brewery. Weltwer-
ter is a good fellow, and 1 thought more
would result from his sympathies than
from a suit, especially as 1 wasn't alto
gether clear that contributory negligence
could not be proved against my client
The brewer was away at his country seat
at the time, but l wrote him and prompt
ly received a reply to the effect that he
would be at his city house on certain
night not far away, when, If 1 would
call, we would talk the matter over His
house was in Bedford avenue, @ double
house, occupying several lots, with his
stable on the rear street Arriving at the
appointed time l found Weltwerter and
his wife in great distress and undue ex-
element.
Their house had been robbed How
much time had elapsed since the burglary
they could not tell, but it was with
in 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 a substantial loss,
but these things, however much value in
money they represented, were nothing
compared with the loss of certain papers,
over which Weltwerter made q great
moan, declaring that in It the guiding pur-
pose of his life was gone
Immediately on the discovery of the
robbery the brewer had sent for the pc
lice detectives, and was waiting for them
when l arrived. At my suggestion all
went over the house. We found a base
ment window, at the back of the house.
broken and the rear door open. Evident
Iy the thief or thieves had m1le their en-
trance through the window and had open
ed 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 the carriage house led us to
follow IN that direction, and on the floor
OF that house found several unlmportant
articles, apparently thrown away 1t
seemed TO me that all the booty had been
transported TO the stable and removed at
leisure from there, because more was
taken than two men could have carried
al once. Going back TO the house, all IN
dications to me were that whoever the
person was, he was familiar with the in
terror Of the house, knew the location of
the valuableS and had gone about his
work With q precision born of that knowl
edge. The Valuabies-plate and papers
had been locked in q large safe in the
dining room. The safe doors were open,
and the lock uninjured, so that 1t was
clear the thief knew the combination. /
pointed out all three things to the brewer.
But he was COMPOUNDED. He could fix on
no person, for only himself, his wife and
his daughter Leila knew the combination.
His servants, including his cOachman, had
accompanied him to his country place and
had not been absent a day or night.
In the course of our examination W.
reached the large music room, On the 9TH
ef side OF the nah ana IN the rear OL TN
parlor. As the Weltwerters were all mu
steal, it was the principal gathering place
Of the family when at home. There was
q piano here a violoncelo In q frame, a
rack for violins and a closet in the rack.
in fact. there were instruments about
sufficient TO supply a good sized orches ira.
The brewer who had been looking over
these instruments, and had attempted to
unlock the closet in the violin rack, sud
denly made an cutlery. 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 valuable violin had b Ell
stolen, that 1t was an Amau, for which he
had paid a vast sum, and that 1t was his
own pet instrument.
While the brewer was lamenting his
loss observed on the plano sever al
sheets of music. Though I know abso-
lutely nothing about music, I took them
up, and saw that it was not printed, but
manuscript music, and that on the bot
tom of one sheet, but partially covered
with notes, was written these words:
1.-The gentleman relieving you Of some Of
your valuables begs 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
a photograph in the house, he Indifferent
" pointed to a corner where saw ar in