Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-08-01
THE STOLEN
| DIAM MOND q q q
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mark made by his trade, such as the
mark on the hand of barber, where
the scissors had constantly pressed
against the root of his thumb, should
be careful lest these means of identi-
fcation are not the means of his down.
fall. Most of the cases which have
come under my notice have been cases
where the culprit has had some bod
ily 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 inst return fronfthe continent,
where / had been sent in connection
with the duchess of Mentone's stolen
jewels, and was prepared to enjoy
rest, when received wire from my
chief asking me to report at once.
Upon arriving at the Office he told me
that a robbery had been committed at
the summer home of Mr.. George Mid
dleton the millionaire oil magnate,
and that detective had been wired
for. AS to the particulars only one
diamond had been stolen, magnificent
stone of great value intrinsically, and
OF inca lculable worth to the family as
an heirloom.
Mr.. Middleton's place was some
where up the Hudson, and / set out at
once.
When I arrived I was at once taken
to Mr.. Middleton, who appeared very
much upset over the affair, not so
much, as he assured me, on account OF
the value of the stone, but it 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 a
great calamity. The points of the
case were briefly as follows: On the
previous night he had taken the dia-
mond from the safe to show it to
some of his guests, and Mrs. Middle
ton, who was to wear it at the ball
on the following night, had taken 1t
from him, and, not thinking it neces-
sary to place it in the safe for so
short time, had taken it to her bed
room and put it in n small casket on
her dressing-table.
The next morning before going
downstairs she thought she would see
if it was all right, and was astonished
to find the caslset empty. There were
many guests in the house, and at my
request l was TO be introduced as a
friend of Mr.. Middleton. Before going
into the drawing-room i asked if he
would be good enough TO give me some
particulars about his guests. Let me
see" he said, "there are about &c
guests, mostly gentlemen. With the
exception of three, they are old friends
of the family, and above suspicion. The
remaining three are gentlemen of high
character. One of them is a Russian
count, who came to me with letters
from intimate friends abroad, and one
of the others is an Englishman whom
met in New York, and our kindred
tastes led me to invite him here a few
weeks; the other is gentleman from
town, greatly interested in dynamics
and whom met at my club. These are
the only acquaintances that are here
whom l have met during the last
year"
| was then taken to the drawing
room and introduced to most of the
guests, among them the three new ac
auaintances. l gained nothing thai
night, and noticed nothing suspicion.
about any of the guests. was rathel
inclined to think that the robbery hat
been committed from the inside, b,
either one of the servants or one o
the guests, as all the doors had beer
found fastened on the morning afte,
the robbery, and no one knew that tn,
diamond was in the house lit was al
ways kept at the bank) but the mem
bers of the household and the guest
to whom it had been shown on tn
night of the robbery. In the morning
j asked the servant who brought m
my coffee and rolls to come in, and
questioned him as to the guests, and j
he had noticed any OF the servants wer
in trouble over money matters.
"Now," l said to him, ''have yo
noticed anything peculiar about an
of the guests? No matter hoy
trifing it may appear to you, it ma
be the means of providing me with
clew."
said that he had noticed nothin
out of the common. He had jus
gone out of the room when he T.,
appeared and told me that he ha
noticed one thing about one of tn
guests, but it could have nothing I
do with the robbery. He had NJ
ticed that one of the men had a
ways had his shoes cleaned viii
they were on his feet. He alway
collected all the shoes and too
them down to be cleaned, but NJ
sSane, "the man who always tall
about machinery and electricity I
Mr.. Middleton, always came and Ina
them cleaned on his feet"
In the evening / had another tai
with the man and asked him to gi,
me an account of everything tn,
happened on the night of the ro