The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-02-19
TlG Face on The Curtain. F.;
BY G. CURTz HAHN.

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How did l manage to solve the
mystery of the great diamond robbery
at Senator Morgan's reception? l as
sure you it was all an accident and
received far more praise than was due
me-"
The speaker was Randolph Lyman,
the great detective, who had, seeming
ly with the greatest ease, and certainly
with great speed run down the robber
and secured the diamonds within
week after they had been stolen from
Senator Morgan's house out on West
Farnam street, Omaha.
YES" he repeated, sit was all
chance, or luck"
"Alighting from the train at the
and, hailing cab, directed the driver
to take me to the Her Grand. After
supper-apd it was dark by that time
Il started out for a stroll around the
city. At Sixteenth | turned down
Farnam and passed by the Paxton
Hotel. Accidentally my eyes glancsd
upward to the barroom window which
faced on Farnam. 1he curtain was
down. The glance was only momen-
tary. But in that moment shadow
appeared on the barroom curtain, the
shadow Of face in profile, peculiar
face with projecting eyebrows, prom
inent nose and very retreating chin.
And what was more, it appeared very
familiar to me, although | could not
place it. The man was evidently
standing close to the window and the
strong brilliant arc light cast his
shadow upon the curtain clear cut as
a Silhouette.
1.-The first thing l saw in the pa
pers next morni 8 was an account of
Mrs. Morgan's reception, and in the
afternoon, when the evening papers
came out, there, with double column
scare heads, was an account of the
theft of her diamonds.
"As soon as | read the account my
mind, for some unaccountable reason,
few back to the evening before and to
that shadow upon the curtain of the
Paxton bar. And as it did So in a fash
/ recalled whose face It was-Jim KEEL
ly's, the most expert diamond thief in
the whole country. No amount of dis
guise could hide that face.
There was my clew and it did not
take me long to decide who had COM 1
nitted the robbery. Jim Kelley was
noted for just this kind of work, and
he was in Omaha, or, at least, | was
convinced in my own mind that he
was. | was so certain now of the face
upon the curtain that instead of con-
tinuing my journey to Colorado l took
the first train back to Chicago, after
investigating the guest book at the
Paxton Hotel.
"As it happened, the only man regis
tered whom the clerk did not know
was Norman Whiting, San Francisco, |
and he had departed tat very morning |
for St. Louis. Or, at least so he in
formed the clerk his destination would |
be. Anyway he was gone. After trav-
cling a hundred or more miles south |
ward he doubled on his tracks and
made straight for Chicago.
ut was a foolish move, but the most
expert thief will give himself away
some time or other.
Once in Chicago, set the police force
on the lookout for Jim, and within
two days they hau found him, easy
going and self-contained as ever.
''Now, | had not a particle of evil
dence that would hold in court against
him. SO a game OF bluff was the only
thing to play. l was safe in such a
move, for Jim's life was too shady for
him to make trouble over false ar
rest. If my diagnosis CT the case was
wrong. SO secured q warrant and
went to the place where the police had
him. did not waste any words