Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-10
DAILY SHORT STORY
A WISE INSPECTOR.
[Original.l

q case with detectives, and at last luck
threw an opportunity in my way. Re
turning from &surney found small
satchel on a Eeak in the car I was lcav-
ing and picked II up. When passing
through the station gate. a couple of
men stared at me so intently that l
asked if they were looking for Il lost
satchel. They proved to be detectives
watching the train. There had been
a robbery of diamonds up the road, and
they We're looking for the thief. The
bag was opened and found 10 contain
the very property they We're looking
for.
The thief had doubtless become
frightened and left it on purpose.
There's a big reward offered for
this" said the inspector at the police
office where l was taken with the jew
els. which you will get, but l want
you 10 help me trap the thief"
He wrote an advertisement stating
that a bag containing diamonds had
been found on Il train and the owner
could have the same by applying to
the finder
1t didn't seem To me that the thief
would he likely to walk into such Il
palpaDle trap, and so l told the in
spector. He drew back haughtily and
asked me where l had been educated
in detective work. / confessed that
my knowledge of the subject had most
" come from reading detective stories,
and this modified him. When Il few
days after the insertion Il note signed
&c. L. E. written i'll an excellent
ls4H -
but extremely guarded. came for me,
| hung my head to the Inspector and
told him that it was plain he was much
more farSeeing than l had supposed.
Several notes passed. each stating
palmer than the last what was eN-
pected. and finally q. /. +. wrote Of
fering that if | would deliver the
Jewels | was to have half their value.
he agreeing 10 turn them into cash ut
his own risk. l accepted the terms,
STIMULATING that / should be paid cash
on delivery. | was to take the jewels
to Il certain number on certain street
ut an appointed hour.
The inspector. in order 10 win the
confidence of the thief. so that we
might make Il more certain and com
pletc job, borrowed the jewels, which
had been turned over To the owner,
and had facSimiieS made Of them,
which were handed to me in the very
SatcheI l had found on the train The
inspector gave me full instructions. /
was to go to the appointed place and
keep the thief dicliering as to the value
OF the Jewels for twenty minutes.
Meanwhile the police were to surround
utes enter and make the arrest. l told
III" Inspector that il would he better
for him to send one of bis own trained
men in my place, but he told me that
the thief doubtless had kept watch TO
see who had taken the Satchel and
such a plan wouldn't work ut all. l
thought | might be at some risk, but
my admiration for detectives and my
desire TO take part in their clever work
buoyed me up. and | consented to keep
the appointment.
l found the house to be a small. duGy
looking dwelling. standing on Il lot 10y
itself, not nearer than thirty feet 10
any other building. l rang the door
bell and was admitted by man
l asked if he was q. I. L. lie led
me to back room. and We at once
commenced negotiations. He asked
me what value l put upon the Jewels.
and named a sum double what it real
ly was. He examined them and ut
once agreed to my valuation.
That makes half their value $500"
he said, and counted out new crisp
bills, mostly of $500 each. making up
the amount l was quite taken aback
hn
action had gone through and began to
show signs of wanting more. where
upon the man told me that if was not
satisfied to take my jewels and go.
This would have spoiled the plan. so
to gain time / set about counting the
bills. While i was thus engaged l
heard n door latch click AMI. looking
up. found the man had gone with the
Jewels. | sprang for the door and en-
deavorcd to open it. 1t had been locked
by Il spring lock with no knob on my
side of it.
There was nothing to do but 20 out
the front door and notify the police
who We're 10 have surrounded the
house. Seeing one OF them in front Of
the door l called him in. and. followed
by several of the others. he darted into
the house and began to ransack il. Not
a person was to be found. The house
had been surrounded since ! entered
1t ana no one had gone out. After 4 con
siderable search Il tunnel was found
leading from the cellar Il deserted
| blacksmith shop ninety feet away. II.
too. was empty.
This didn't seem so sharp on the part
Of the police. after all. but l rcmem-
bercd that the man had false Jewels
and had $500 The bills We're taken
10 the police office. where the inspector
sat behind his desk in no good humor
AT the failure OF his plan. lie took one
OF the bills, held it up TO the light.
put a magnifying glass to it and
grunted:
Counterfeit"
formed my own conclusions. CoUn-