Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-03


with whom he on terms of pretty
regular. and indeed friendly, acquaint-
anceship. He has told me many an anec-
dote of singular happenings to Scotland
Yard officials with whom he has exchang-
ed experiences. OF Inspector Meetings.. for
instance. who spent many weary months
in search for a man wanted by the
American government, and In the end
found by tie merest accident Ia misdirect.
ed calD that the man had been lodging
next door tc himself the whole of the time,
just as ignorant, of course, was the in
spector himself to the enemy at the
other side of The party-wall. Also of an
other inspector whose name 1 cannot re-
call, who having been given rather meager
and insufficient details of a man whom he
anticipated having great difficulty in find
ing, went straight down the stairs of the
Office where he had received instructions,
and actually fell over the man near the
door, where he had stopped down to tie his
shoe-lace, There were cases, too, in which,
when great and notorious crime had been
committed and various persons had been
arrested on suspicion, some were found
among them who had long been badly
wanted for some other crime altogether.
Many criminals had met their deserts by
ventuiing ont of their own particular line
of crime into another; often a man who
got into trouble over something compare
lively small found himself in for a start
lingly larger trouble, the result of some
previous uisoeed that otherwise would
have gomez unpublished. The ruble note
forger Mirsky might never have been hand
ed over to-: The Russian authorities had he
confined his genius to forgery alone. 1t
was generally supposed at the time of his
extradition that he had communicated with
the Russian embassy, with view to CIV
ing himself up---a foolish proceeding on his
part. it wohld seem, since his whereabouts,
indeed even his identity as the forger, had
not been suspected He had commune
Gated with the Russian embassy, it is true,
but for quite a different purpose. as Mar
tin well understood at the time. What
that purpose is now for the first time
published.
The time was half-past one in the after
noon and Hewitt sat in his inner office
examining and comparing the handwriting
of two letters by the aid of large lens.
He put down the lens and glanced at the
clock on the mantelpiece with a Fremont
ton of lunch: and he did so his clerk
quietly entered the room with one OF those
printed slips which were kept for the ali
nouncement of unknown visitors 1t was
filled up in a hasty and almost illegibio
hand thus:
Name of visitor: F. Graham Dixon.
Address: Chancery lane.
Business: Private and urgent.
'Show Mr.. Dixon in, said Martin
Hewitt.
Mr.. Dixon was a gaunt. worn-look1ns
man of fifty or so, WELL although rather
carelessly dressed. and carrying in his
strong though drawn, face and dulllsh eyes
the look that characterizes the lifelong
strenuous brain-worker. He leaned Tor
ward anxiously in the chair which Hewitt
offered him, and told his story with great
deal of very natural agitation.
You may possibly have heard, Mr.. Hew-
it'll know there are rumors-of the new
locomotive torpedo which the government
is about adopting; it is, in fact, the DIXON
torpedo. my own invention. and In every
respect-not merely in my own opinion, put
in that of the government experts-by
far the most efficient and certain yet
produced. 1t will travel at least 400 yards
farther than any torpedo now made, with
perfect accuracy of aim Ga very great de-
sideritum, let me tell YOU, and Will carry
an unprecedentedly heavy charge. There
are other advantages-speed, simple dIs-
charge and so forth-that l needn't bother
YOU about The machine is the result OF
many years of work and disappointment
and Its design has only been arrived at by
a careful balancing OF principles ann
means which are expressed on the only
four existing sets of drawings. The Whole
thing / need hardly tell you, Is profound
secret. and you may judge OF my present
state of mind when tell you that one set
of drawings has been stolen
From your house,"
From my office. in Chancery lane, this
morning The four sets of drawings were
distributed thus: Two We're at the ad-
mralty Office, one being finished set on
thick paper. and the other a set OF trae-
ings therefrom; and the other two were at
my own Office, one being penclled set, I'M
colored-a sort of finished draft, you un-
derstand-and the other set of tracings
similar TO those at the admiralty. 1t is
this last SET that has gone. The two sets
were kept together in one drawer in my
room. Both were there at 10 this morning;
of that l am sure. for ! had to go to that
very drawer for something else when |
first arrived. But at II the tracngs had
vanished"
You suspect somebody, probably?'
Il cannot 1t is most extraordinary
thing Nobody has left the office Except
myself. and then only to come to YOU since
10 this morning, and there has been no
visitor. And yet the drawings are gone!
But have you searched the place.?
"Of course L havei 1t was u O'Clock
when first discovered my loss, and have
been turning the place upside down ever
since-I and my assistants. Every drawer
has been emptied, every desk and table
turned over, the very carpet and 1inoleum
have been taken up. but there is not sign
of the drawings. My men even insisted on
turning all their pockets inside out al
though l never for moment suspected
either of them, and 1t would take pretty
big pocket to hold the drawings doubled
up as small they might be-"
You say your men-there are two. 1 I'M
derstand-had neither left the Officer"
Neither; and they are both staying in
now Worsfold suggested that 1t would be
more satisfactory If they did not leave till
something was done toward clearing up the
my Stery, ana, although, as L nave SAID, L
don't suspect either in the least acqui-
eSced."
Just so. Now-I am assuming that you
wish me TO undertake the recovery of these
drawings?"
The engineer nodded hastily.
Very good; l will go round to your Of
flee. But first perhaps you can tell me
something about your assistants--sonle-
thing it might be awkward 10 tell me in
their presence, you know. Mr.. Worsfold.
for instance?'
He is my draughtsman--a very excellent
and Intelligent man. a very smart man, in
deed. and / feel sure, quite beyond sus-
picion. He has prepared many important
drawings for me The has been with me
nearly ten years now, and l have always
found him trustworthy. But, of course
the temptation in this case would be enor-
nous. Still, 1 cannot suspect Worsfold.
Indeed. how can l suspect anybody in the
circumstances?
"The 9TH, now?''
His names Ritter. He is merely
tracer. not fully skilled draughtsman. He
is quite a decent young fellow, and have
had him two years. | don't consider him
particularly smart, or be would have
learned little more of his bus ness by this
time. But 1 don't see the least reason to
suspect him AS I said before, l can't rea-
sCnah iv slsnect ANYBODY"