The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1902-08-08
TIL E STOLEN
DIAMOND 4 4 &
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A 'hiMlNA who has any peculiar
n iiy about his person, such as a
, missing finger, a club foot, or any
mark made by his trade, such as the
mark on the hand Of a barber. where
the scissors had constantly pressed
against the root Of his thumb, should
be careful lest these means Of identi-
fication are not the means Of his down
fall. Most Of the cases which have
come under my notice have been cases
where the cuiprit has had some bod
lily deficiency which has left its mark
on something with which he had come
IN contact. The experience which l
am about TO relate embodies this
truth, and had not the criminal in the
case had the misfortune Of losing one
half OF his-but ! am anticipating
events.
had just return from the continent,
where ! had been sent i'm connection
with the duchess Of Mentone's stolen
jewels, and was prepared TO enjoy a
rest, when ] received a wire from my
chief asking me TO report at once.
Upon arriving at the Office he told me
that robbery had been committed at
the summer home Of Mr.. George Mid
dleton the millionaire oil magnate.
and that a detective had been wired
for As 10 the particulars only one
diamond had been stolen. a magnificent
stone Of great value intrinsically. and
Of incalculable worth TO the family as
an heirloom.
Mr.. Middleton's place was some /
where up the Hudson, and set out at I
once
When ! arrived was at once taken .
TO Mr.. Middleton. who appeared very
much upset over the aEair not so
much. as he assured me. ON account Of
the value Of the stone. but IL had been
so long in the family and had had so
much to do with the history Of the
family, having been passed down as
an heirloom from one generation to
another. that he viewed the loss as
great calamity. The points Of the
case were briefly as follows: On the
previous night ne had taken the dia-
mond from the safe 10 show IL TO
some of his guests. and Mrs Middle
ton, who was TO wear It at the ball
on the following night, had taken it
from him, and. not thinking il neccs-
sary 10 place IT in the safe for so
short a time, had taken it to her bed
room and put it in a small casket on
her dressing-table. I
The next morning before going a
downstairs She thought She would see
n it was all right. and was astonished +
to find the casket empty. There were +
many guests in the house. and at my r
request ! was 20 be introduced as D
friend Of Mr. Middleton. Before going q
into the drawing-room 7 asked II he v
would be good enough TO give me some a.
particulars about his guests. let me y
See" he said, "there are about 90 II
guests, mostly gentlemen. With the o.
exception Of three. they are old friends n
1f the family, and above suspicion. The ~
remaining three are gentlemen ofhigh n
character One Of them is a Russian +,
,ount. who came to me with letters nj
rom intimate friends abroad, and one
4 the others Is an Englishman whom Z,
met in New York, and our kindred =
astes led me 70 invite him here few n,
seeks; the other is a gentleman from m
own. greatly interested in dynamics. n.
nd whom l met II my club. These are le
he only acquaintances that are here W
Thom 1 have met during the last nc
ear" o.,
/ was then taken to the drawing
oom and introduced to most Of the at
uests. among them the three new ac- hi
uaintances. ! gained nothing that MI
ight, and noticed nothing suspicious an
bout any Of the guests. was rather 10
iclined to think that the robbery had fir
cen committed from the inside, by an
ther one of the servants or one Of co
Ie guests. as all the doors had been be
,und fastened on the morning after !
Ie robbery, and no one knew that the he
amond was in the house Gt was al fin
avs kept at the bank) but the men, bu
RS OF the household and the guests
whom It had been shown on the dis
ght o. the robbery. In the morning dri
asked the servant who brought me an,
y coffee and rolls TO come in, and the
estioned him as TO the guests, andi ne,
had noticed any Of the servants were sec
trouble over money matters. nat
'Now," I said to him, "have you pm
ticed anything peculiar about any poo
the guests? No matter how lev
fling it may appear TO you, it may enc
the means Of providing me with a the
w" sss res
he thought for a moment and then the
d that he had noticed nothing
{ of the common. lie had Just ligl
ne out of the room when he re- nif'
Deared and told me that he had mel
iced one thing about one Of the a
ests, but it could have nothing TO doc
with the robbery. lie had no. clar
ed that one of the men had al Of
vs. had his shoes cleaned while the
v were on his feet. lie always Mr..
lected all the shoes and took whi
IN down 20 be cleaned, but Mr.. ont
ne, "the man who always talks who
mt machinery and electricity 10 yard
Middleton, always came and had fuit
m cleaned on his feet" him.
D the evening | had another talk VI
h the man and asked him TO give lie''
an account of everything that dian