The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-18
WALLET or BANK NOTES
STOLEN FROM BEDROOM
Solicitor Marshall Robbed of $780,
600 in the Hotel Metropole
in London.

LONDON. Feb. 1.-THE mysterious and
sensational disappearance of bank notes TO
the value of e12,OO0 from the Hotel Metro
pole recently has set a. problem which some
of the keenest detectives of Scotland Yard,
with Chief Inspector Froest at their head,
are working night and day to solve.
The incidents present a criminal mystery
worthy the attentions of Sherlock Holmes.
Mr.. George Marshall, a w~ell-known solicit
tor of Retford. came TO London on Thurs
day with e1S,O0O in his possession. He
STAYED at the Hotel Metropole. On Fri
day he left the notes in his room, locked
in a leather wallet; when lie returned an
hour later h found that the wallet had
been cut open and notes to the value of
e12,Ol distracted. There is not the slight
est clew to the thief or thieves.
1t is an extraordinary circumstance that
the notes had been in the bedroom for only
a short time, Mr.. Marshall having OBJ
tanned them from the hotel cashier, with
whom he had deposited them during the
night.
The story begins as far back as Dee. 10,
when Mr.. Marshall came to London with
G12,O00 to complete a purchase Tor a cllent.
Some hitch arose, and Mr.. Marshall took
the notes back TO Retford and locked them
up i'm his safe there. They remained IN
the safe, when he took them out and placed
them in a large leather wallet preparatory
TO a visit to London. On the same day
he Grew e6,O0 i'm notes from a local bank
and placed these also in the wallet:
Mr.. Marshall, who had business in town,
telegraphed for a priavte omnibus TO meet
him at Kings Cross, and in company Will
his wife left for London shortly after D
o'clock. The omnibus was in waiting at
Kings Cross on their arrival ana They
night Mr.. Marshall left the wallet with the
hotel cashier, remarking that it contained
a large sum OF money. Next morning ne
received the wallet from the cashier and
carried Ii to his room. He removed some
papers from it, saw that the notes We're
all right, locked the wallet up and put 1t
into a portmanteau. Mr.. Marshall closed
the portmanteau without locking il and
then went downstairs to be shaved.
Mrs. Marshall meanwhile was in the
breakfast room, and Mr.. Marshall. on going
out, closed the door, which Fastened itself
with a spring lock.
During his absence a chambermaid found
the door of the room aJar. Nothing hap
Dened till Mr.. Marshall returned 10 the room
an hour later. the time being then about a
quarter past eleven. He went to the port
manteau, and took out the wallet, which, 10
his amazement, fell open as ne ilited IT,
The wallet had been cut open. Examina-
ton revealed the fact that fl2,OOO of the
elsOO0 was gone; $1,000 in a separate en-
velope in the wallet had apparently been
overlooked.
Experts who have since examined the
wallet say that IL was cut open by an ex-
ceedingly sharp knife, and probably by q
l~eft-handed person. The robbery is be-
lieved 10 be the work of an expert and dar-
ing gang. who may have been preparing
their plans for months. Mr.. Marshall is
frequently in London, and often brings
large sums of money with him on behalf of
clients. The suspicion is that he has been
tracked.
Mr.. Marshall stated that he suspects that
he was ''shadowed" to the hotel. He has
more than one reason for his suspicion. In
the corridor of the hotel on the night OF
his arrival a well-dressed man brushed
against him. saying Good evening" In
the morning on coming out of his room he
met the same man on the stairs as he went
down 10 be shaved. Had the man gone
straight on he would have come to nfr.
Marshalrs room, hut as IL was he turned
aside and went into an empty recess in
which there is a windOw-an apparently pur-
poseless act.
There was another significant incident.
Before Mr.. MARSHALL left his roo-a in the
morning the door was opened by someone
and quickly shut again.
The missing notes include ten of e1.OOl
and four of $500 each.
Mr.. Marshall. who Is greatly respected i'm
Retford. having been four times mayor OF
the town. has suffered in health as the re-
suit Of his unfortunate loss. He is solicitor
TO the Duke of Newcastle, and legal adviser
10 the Duke OF Portland, Lord Galway, and
Lord Manners