The daily Alaskan., 1904-05-12
Leaves From a
 Detectives Notebook
tOrIginaLl


 the family for years and thus far had been perfectly honest. There was no evidence of the house having been en- tered from without. Everything point ed to a suspicion that some one of the guests was the thief.
 As had a fancy for amateur de tective work, asked the host to put the case in my hands. He did so, and commenced my observations at once. All asked of Colonel Peterson was to prevent any guest from leaving if he eould possibly do so without making a Bcene. This he promised, but none of the guests would leave until the thief was discovered.
 It Is well known that detectives usu- ally get their clews from observing minutlR. I began a systematic entry h a notebook. a copy of which give:
 1. Saw Miss Ives come out of Miss Benton's room. When she discovered me looking at her she started.
 9. Wilkins Is fleeing the servants more lavishly than is proper in the house of a host. Saw him hand the butler a silver dollar today.
 8. Another gem missing.
 {. Hovey keeps the tip end of the toredugcr of his right hand covered with kid, Keeps his nails well pared and says he cut the nail of this finger too closely.
 $. Wilson Is the man. have just heard that his money was made in or ganlziug schemes, getting in other peO- ples funds and selling out. So says Barker, but l am not sure that Barker Is not preJudlced against Wilson.
 G. Miss Ives is very conscious every time look at her. Caught her whis- boring with Miss Martin, and when they saw me they stopped and walked away from each other. Wouldn't have Miss Ives turn out to be the thief for the world I am half in love with her.
 !. Another gem missing today. The colonel insists on all the jewels of his guests being placed in his safe. He alone knows the combination. The jew els were put in the safe this morning, each in a box marked by the name of its owner.
 s. Have been approached by several persons today saying they suspect Miss Ives. They declare she has been acting uueerly, but they have not caught her doing anything peculiar.
 O. Miss Ives came to me this evening, with tears in her eyes, to say that the guests all act as if they suspected her. She explains it all in this wise: She says that she left a hat pin in Miss Burton's room and went for it. When she came out and saw me looking at her. remembering that any one of us is liable to suspicion, she felt embarrass- ed. She consulted Miss Martin to know what she ought to do, and Miss Martin has been talking to the others, who have caught a false impression. Poor Miss Ives Is heartbroken over the mat ter am thoroughly convinced that she is innocent. I would give my head to prove her so.
 10. Am watching Wilson like a hawk. He has a passion for jewelry and wears a great deal of 1t. The thefts having usually been committed at night, l am going to watch Wilson's bedroom door. Fortunately 1t is directly opposite mine.
 il. Last night revealed the thief. Sin gIllarly enough, 1t was Miss Ives who led the way to the discovery.
 About l2 midnight Wilson's door opened cautiously, and I heard him leave his room in his slippers. Slipping on a dressing gown, I followed him. He went to the dining room and straight for a drawer in the buffet where the silverware is kept. He open ed the drawer and took out a spoon. He then opened a door below and took out a bottle. He poured some liquor Into a glass, put in some sugar with the spoon he had taken, poured in wa ter. stirred the mixture and drank it. He then went back to his room. re- mained below till I heard his door shut
 was greatly disappointed.
 Starting back to my chamber I felt a touch on my shoulder. The gas, turned down, Is kept burning in the dining room, and by its dim light saw Miss Ives in loose gown and slip pers. looked at her astonished.
 "One of the guests Is at work at the safe" she said.
 You don't mean itp'
 q heard a fOOtstep and followed it. Come"
 We both stole softly to a rear part of the house on the floor above. At the end of a hall opposite where a stair case goes to the floor above the safe Is kept. I led the way up a front stair case, and. going along the upper hall. we took position at the head of the back staircase, where we could watch the safe. SoGhe one was working at it "a man. He had a light, which was shut of by a screen. We could see him distinctly.
 He was Hovey.
 Holding the tip of his forefnger tthe finger he had kept covered) against the lock, be was turning the knob back and forth. He worked half an hour. Finally there was a click, and he open ed the safe door. Taking out the boxes of jewelry, he shut the safe and re- turned to his room. I sent Miss Ives to bed and awakened the colonel. To