Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-02

The respectable agent Of rather eminent
Freuch house arrived one morning in great
haste and apparent distress at Scotland
Yard, and informed the superintendent that
he had just sustained a great. almost ruin.
Gus loss, ia notes of the Bank of England
and commercial bills of exchange, besides
considerable sum In gold He had, il an.
peared been absent in Paris about ten DAYS
and on his return but few hours previ.
ously, discovered that his iron chest had
been completely rded during his absence.
False keys must have been used, as the
empty chest was found locked. aud no sign
of violence could be observed He handed
in full written details of the property car.
ried Oft, the numbers of the notes and every
other essential particular. The first step
taken was to ascertain if any of the notes
had been rendered at the bank Not one
had beeu presented payment was of course
stopped, and advertisements descriptive Of
the bills Of exchange, as well as Of the
notes, we're inserted in the evening and fol.
lowing morning papers. A day or two after.
ward a considerable reward was offered for
such information as might lead to the ap-
prehension of the offenders. No results
followed in spite Of the active exertions of
the officers employed not the slightest clew
could be obtained to the perpetrators of the
robbery The junior partner in the firm.
M. Bellebon, in the meantime arrived in
England to assist in the investigation. and
was naturally extremely urgent in his in
quiries; but the mystery which erveloped
the affair renamed impenetrable At last
a letter, bearing the st. Martin-le- Grand
pOst-mark was received BY the agent NJ
Alexandra lie Breton which contained an
offer to surrender the whole of the pluuder
with the exception of the gold, for the sum
of one thousand pounds. The property
which had been distracted was more than
ten times that sum, and had been destined
by the French house TO meet some heavy
liabilities falling due in London very
shortly. lie Breton had been ordered TO
pay the whole amount into Hoare's to the
account of the frm and had indeed been
severely blamed for not having done so az
he received the different notes aud bills;
and It was on going to the chest Immediately
on his return from Paris for the purpose of
fulfilling the peremptory instructions he
had received, NJ. lie Breton discovered the
robbery.
The letter went on to state that should the
offer be acceded to, a mystically-w ad.
vertisemeut-of which a copy was inclosed
was TO be inserted in the Times and then
a mode would be suggested for safety--iu
the interest of the thieves of course-car,
rying the agreement into effect NJ Belle
bon was half inclined TO close with this
proposal in order to save the credit Of the
house, which would be destroyed unless its
acceptances, now due in about fourteen
days could be met and without the stolen
moneys and bills of exchange this was, he
feared impossible The superintendent, to
whom NJ. Bellebon showed the letters,
would not hear of compliance with such
demand and threatened prosecution for
composition of felony if NJ Bellebon per
sisted in doing so. The advertisement was,
however inserted, and an immediate reply
directed that lie Breton, the agent, should
present himself at the Old Manor House
Green Lanes. Newington unattended. at
4 O'Clock on the following afternoon, bring
ing with him, of course, the stipulated sum
in gold. It was added that to prevent any
possible treason (fTahfSON, the letter was
written in French, lie Breton would 6nd
a note for him at the tavern informing him
of the spOt-a solitary one and far away
from any place where an ambush could be
coucealed-where the business would be
concluded, and to which he must proceed
unaccompanied and on footl This proposal
was certainly quite as ingenious as it was
cool, and the chance of outwittiug such
cunning rascals seemed exceedingly doubt
full. A very tolerable scheme was, however,
hit upon and M. lie Breton proceeded at
the appointed hour to the Old Manor House.
No letter or message had been left for him,
and nobody obnoxious to the slightest sus-
picion could be seen near or about the
favarm Or, The eo1tovwrrtnr Iarr oroflr.~ tct
ter arrived, which stated that the writer was
quite aware of the trick which the police
had intended playing him, and he assured
NJ. Bellebon that such line of coud uct was
unwise as it would be unfruitful, inasmuch
as If good faith" was not observed the
securities and notes would be inexorably
destroyed or otherwise disposed Of and the
house Of Bellebon & Company be. conse-
auently exposed to The shame and ruin of
bankruptcy.
Just at this crisis of the affair | arrived in
town from an unsuccessful hunt after some
fugitives who had slipped through my
fingers at Plymouth The superintendent
laughed heartily, not SO much at the trick
| by which had been duped, as at the angry
modification did not affect to conceal He
/ presently added. I have been wishing for
/ your return, in order to entrust you with
tangled affair, in which success will amply
compensate for such a disappointment.
| You know French, too, which is fortunate;
for the gentleman who has been plundered
understands little OF no English" He then
related the foregoing particulars, With other
apparently slight circumstances, and after
long conversation with him 1 retired to
think the matter over aud decide upon the
hkeliest mode Of action. After much cogi-
tation / determined to see NJ Bellebon
alone, and for this purpose L dispatched
the waiter Of the tavern adjacent to his
lodgings with a note expressive Of my wish
to see him instantly on pressing business
He was at home and Immediately acceded
to my request easily introduced myself,
and after about quarter of an hours CON
ference said carelessly-for I saw he was
too needless Of speech, too quick and frank,