davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

a chance presented Itself he did not
allow his sisters happiness or your
reputation TO hold his hand
Percy Phelps sank back in his chair.
My head whirls.' said he. 'Yaur
words have dazed me-
THE principal difficulty in your case, )"
remarked Holmes, in his didactic
fashion, '1ay in the fact of there being
too much evidence. What was vital was
overlaid and hidden py what was ire
levant. OF all the facts which were pre-
sented to US we had to pick just those
which We deemed to be essential. and
then piece them together in their order.
so as to reconstruct this very remark
able chain OF events. I had already
begun to suspect Joseph, from the fact
that you had intended TO travel home
with him that night, and that therefore
IL was q likely enough thing that he
should call for you, knowing the For
eign Office well, upon his way When
heard that some one had been so
anxious TO get into the bedroom, in
which no one but Joseph could have
concealed anything-you told US in your
narrative how you had turned Joseph
out when you arrived with the doctor
my suspicious all changed 10 certain
ties. especially as the attempt was made
on the first night upon which the nurse
was absent, showing that ths intruder
was well acquainted with the ways of
the house
How blind I have been"
THE facts OF the case, as far as l
have worked them out. are these: This
Joseph Harrison entered the office
through the Charles street door, and
knowing his way he walked straight
into your room the instant after you
left 1t. Finding no one there he prompt
ly rang the bell, and at the instant that
he did so his eyes caught the paper
upon tho table. A glance showed him
that chance had put in his way state
document OF immense value. and In an
instant he had thrust 1t into his pocket
and was gore. a few minutes elapsed
as you remember, before the sleepy
commissionnaire drew your attention to
the bell, and those were just enough to
give the thief time TO make his escape
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

took himself TO Pretoria, johannesburg.
and other places up country for several
weeks longer.
Not a trace was found Of the stolen
diamonds. Finally Worth returned to
Cape Town, secured assistance, recov-
cred his booty, and embarked for Lon
don.
According to his story. he brought
over an acquaintance from the United
States and they went into business as
diamond brokers in the Hatton district,
the great diamond center OF London
BY selling their jewels at g fraction less
than the market prices they. cleared out
the stock in hurry. Worth swore the
deal netted $3.50. 600, all told.
Worth was as clever as they make
them. He never served time but once,
and that was in Belgium. Police ali
over the world were practically certain
that he knew the location OF the por-
trait OF the Duchess of Devonshire, but
they could not bring 1t home to him.
In spite of all the big tricks be turned,
Worth died a wreck, physically and
financially
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
Mortgage Everything You own.u

Now, mortgage everything you own.
organize a company, buy as much OF
this township as possible and let me
have the balance will need every cent
I can get to grease the wheels. After
it goes through you will have money TO
burn I am putting all I can scrape to-
gether into the deal.''
The father objected and protested. I
left them arguing the question earn
estly. But later they were walking
through the corridor together and from
the facial expression Of the Western
member 1 judged that he had carried
his point.
Three weeks later the bill came up for
a final reading. was sitting IN the gal
lery just behind the old man. and when
the reading commenced I recalled the
discussion III the restaurant. He leaned
feFWa rd eagerly when the clerk droned
out the title. His intense interest at
tracted my attention and followed his
example and listened to the description
Oddly enough. I remembered the
numbers of the two townships. There
fore I was somewi,lt startled 10 hear
that the bill being read stated that the
township should be located in township
16-not II. MY surprise was nothing in
COMPARISON to the emotion exhibited by
my companion. 1t was the original bill
instead of the substitute that was about
to be passed by the House.
He rose from his seat and grasped
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
Diamond" Casey a Devil.

In the meantime sergeant, who was
with me, had tackled the second thief.
In spite OF the darkness the latter land
ed q bullet in the sergeants side and
he was down and out of the fight. The
patrolman was able to take hand In
the game. however, again and I turned
Casey over to him and jumped the
fence after the second thief, who seemed
to know how TO handle a gun pretty
well. l came up with him in a back
yard Of a house a bit farther down the
block. Most of the fight was gone out
OF him. however. and he surrendered.
This was the first time that Dia-
mond Casey had ever been captured in
the open. He had been come up with
before. but always in a room or den of
some kind. and had invariably made
his escape either by shooting the of
flcer after him or jumping from the
window or running out of q back door.
He was the devil Of man at this
time. One of the high and mighty aristo-
Gratis of the ancient order of thieves, he
never thought OF turning his hand TO
a small job. It was always som Shing
worth hundreds Of dollars that drew
him. His speciality was diamonds, how
ever. and he had committed several
robberes and hold-ups that aslon!shed
even the West Of those days. Thirty
-four years old. strong and quick, he
was. not q, pleasant man to be, after.
thing, and one of the squerest little
women that ever lived Her husband 5
crimes nearly killed her.
morning and he did not escape In
fact, he got seven years for that house
breaking. But whatever had been his
reason for throwing down his gun. 1t
tration of what can be accomplished by
merely shooting close
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
CONTINUED from Sixth Page.)

mantelpfece. and then he proceeded TO
turn back the corner Of the carpet in
the neighborhood of the door, Presently
he stopped and picked out a square
piece Of board. such as is usually left
TO enable plumbers to get at the Joints
Of the gas pipes. This one covered. as
a matter of fact, the t 5oint which
gives off the pipe which supplies the
kitchen underneath, Out OF this hiding
place he drew that little cylinder of
paper. pushed down the board re-
arranged the carpet, blew out the can
dies, and walked straight into my arms
as I stood waiting for him outside the
window.
We'll. he has rather more viciousness
than ] gave him credit for, has Master
Joseph. He flew at me with his knife.
and I had TO grasp him twice. and got
g cut over the knuckles, before I had
the upper hand OF him. He looked muir
der out of the only eye he could see
with when we had finished, but he lis
tened to reason and gave up the papers.
Having got them I let my man go. but
wired full particulars TO Forbes this
morning. II he is quick enough to catch
his bird. well and good. But If. as I
shrewdly suspect, he finds the nest
empty before he gets there. why. all the
better for the government I faney that
Lord Holdhurst for one. and Mr. Percy
Phelps for another. would very much
rather that the affair never got as far
as police court"
MY Cod" gasped our client. 'Do you
tell me that during these long ten weeks
OF agony the stolen papers were within
the very room with me all the time?"
$50 1t was"
And Joseph! Joseph a villain and a
thiefi'
Hum! ] am afraid Josephs char
acter is q rather deeper and more
dangerous one than one might Judge
from his appearance From what I have
heard from him this morning. [ gather
that he has lost heavily in dabbling with
stocks, and that he is ready to do any
thing on earth TO better his fortunes.
Being an absolutely selfish man. when
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
The Ruse.

II told him what I had discovered and
worked on him until 1 found out the
name of the town where Richmond
was staying. It was four hundred miles
or more away, and 1t takes a lot of
money to go all that distance after Il
thief-took more ia those days than it
does now So l cast about for scheme
TO avoid the trip and yet get the man.
Finally 1 persuaded Schlotmann that the
best thing he could do was to write
Richmond a letter telling him that he
was on to- dead easy Job in st.
Louis, and that all he needed was a
pail to help him carry ii through. In
the letter he told Richmond what train
to take and gave him the address of nv
own home In st. Louis as the meeting
place, and nan.ad the day he would
expect him.
I'VE hardly dared hope that an old
hand like Richmond would swallow such
a bait, but nevertheless made every
preparation 10 receive him IL he did
The time came for the trains arrival
the minutes necessary for him TO drive
from the station TO my house passed
and sure enough a hack drove uD1 IN
the door. ] could see Richmond get ont
sent the man / had with me out OF the
back door TO come up on Richmond from
behind. and then waited for the knock
at the front door which l knew must
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
His Biggest Haul.

.4BIt that's another story. Harry
Worth vas a professional thief. He was
born somewhere near Boston. 1 knew
that he had cornered big sums Of money
at times, and out Of curiosity l asked
him at the time of the Gainsborough
portrait affair what was the largest
amount OF coin he had ever had at one
time The story he told me was this.
and have every reason TO believe every
detail of 1t correct:
He was stranded in Cape Town,
South Africa The night before the ship
sailed for England he ana his pal con-
ceiVed the idea of robbing the diamond
consignment that was on its way down
from the diamond fields for shipment
the following day. They needed a third
man, and found him In a stranded sea-
man IN port, They lay in ambush on
the trail, first having TIED rope across
the road from one tree to another. The
train came numbering down the trail.
The lead mules tripped on the rope,
according TO plans, and the tram and
harness were thrown into an mex
tricab mns5. The big Boer guards,
however. opened, fire with their Win
chesters and didn't give a foot OF
ground In the end Worth and his part
ners had TO run for it.
Worth was persistent fellow. how
ever. Ills two pals passed up the job
after the one failure, but the principal
waited for the next shipment. In the
meantime he made a friend or the assist
ant postmaster al Cape Town. He took
him 20 lunch, and. being well dressed.
he made d good impression. One night
he went up the country and mailed
three registered packages, addressed TO
himself at the Cape Town office. Know
ing that these, being registered, would
be deposited in the vault, he arrived at
the postoffice the next evening just as
his friend was locking up Under a pre-
text of being in Il great hurry for the
packages he persuaded the postmaster
10 unlock the safe. During the process
Worth got q wax impression of tho key.
There was $40 600 in the safe about that
time and ne could have got away with 1t
with Terfect ease, but he preferred to
walt for bigger game
s+rhe day before the next ship sailed
for England and when the diamond
sbfurnent was about one days distance
from Cape Town Worth made his way
up the trail TO n river crossing which
had 10 be made by ferry. The signal
Deefed TO bring the boat across the river
was a blast on q horn. Worth hid near
the ferry until he heard q horn across
the river. He Immediately cut the ferry
rope slipped away unseen and returned
10 Cape Town. The boat drifted down
the middle of the stream and the dia-
Inonds did not reach Cape Town until
the next day, several hours after the
ship had sailed
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
4 Keg Between His Legs.

Two men had come into q grocery
store-it was New Malley's principal
shop, and you could buy anything there
from pickles 10 tar paper-about sun
down, just as the proprietor was closing
up. They passed the time OF day pleas
antiy and finally asked for some crack
ers. The storekeeper had TO stoop down
back Of the counter to get them When
he raised his head again he found him
self looking into the muzzIes of d brace
Of reviewers held by one OF tie men
while the other was standing upon the
counter pointing third gun at him
from another angle. One of them told
him TO 'thr'up' Ills hands end he did
IL in q hurry. The thieves then bound
his hands with some stout cord whicn
they found ia the store, gagged him, put
Il keg OF nails between his legs and tied
his feet together. 1t was not q COM
Portable position. Then the crooks broke
into the safe, taking what cash they
could find, amounting TO several hun
dred dollars in all. After making q
square meal on the cakes and pies which
they took from the boxes and counters
and poking fun at the bound man all
the time they eat. they went away IeaV-
ing the stoTekeeper hound and gagged.
For hours he tried in vain 10 get
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
WILLIAM PINKERTON
How the Cape Town postof1ce Was
Successfully Looted of
S55o,ooo in Gems.
~ He stories of the early exploits
OF the Pinkertons are household


OF the Pinkertons are household
tales in this country. Hence,
when William A. Pinkerton, Of
the International Police Chiefs Associa-
ton now IN this city, was approached
by a Times representative to unfold q
real. thrilling story OF some of the
achievements of Allan Pinkerton and his
sons he did not offer one of those an
eient and familiar tales Of criminal his
tory. He declined to tell again how the
Reno gang was broken up or how the
Bidwell brothers We're run to earth.
What he did tell was a story Of an
$3.50, 0f0 robbery with which the Pinker-
tons had nothing whatever to do, which
never resulted in a conviction and which
was related to Mr. Pinkerton by the man
who "a did the job
In these days. said Mr.. Ptnkerton at
the Shoreham. ''men don't work frauds
on the Bank of England as the Bidweli
boys did. But IL was only a few years
ago that I heard the details OF one of
the biggest diamond steals on record told
by the man who planned and executed
.sYou remember when the Gainsbor-
ough portrait of the Duchess OF Devon
shire was returned to the owners after
il had been lost for twenty-five years.
That was only about four years ago,
but 1t is already an old story Harry
WORTH alias Harry Raymond. handed
the portrait over to me per arrange
menf, and l returned It 10 the Agnew
& Co. art gallery in London, where IL
was cut out of the frame one day and
mysteriously disappeared. 1t wasn't
worthy anything after It was stolen. for
!t couldn't be sold without somebody's
recognizing IT. So il was packed agsay
IN storehGuSes in this country, at one
time in Boston. again in New York, and
also in Baltimore and Washington. II
was afternard bought for S225,000 by j.
Pierpont Morgan.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
Schlotmann Caught.

'I was put on the case, and finally I
thought that / had located one of the
men in a suburb Of st. Louis. The store
keeper was sure that he could identify
the men Therefore we took him with
us when we made the haul. The man we
We're looking for was not at home when
we arrived. 1 talked to his brother and
mother for time and pretty soon we
saw the man himself coming toward the
house He noticed there was some
thing wrong and instead of coming in
he went 10 an clubhouse. / notioned to
the man l was with, and we went down
to the little shed and brought him out
in short order, AID the storekeeper rec
ognized him as one OF the thieves. He
saw that the jig was up and came along
quietly enough
1T was Sch1otmann. After that it
was not hard to discover thai the other
man was Richmond. ] put it UP TO
Schlotmann quite frankly told him just
how matters stood and advised him to
tell us what he knew about the where
abouts of his partner. AT first he would
not give up. but later he reconsidered
and told me where TO find some of
Richmond's relatives. 1t appears that
Richmond had told his family that dur
ing the ten years he had been in Jail
he had been IN a circus IN England
His family lived in a small town IN
Missouri, fifty miles or more from st.
Louis. ] went down to see them, rep
resenting myself to be a circus man and
anxious to see John Richmond on busi-
ness. The gag worked well and his uncle
admitted that John was in Dakota.
remarked that Dakota was rather a
large territory, and intimated that a
hint as to mis- postoffice address would be
convenient. But they could not or would
not tell me il. So 1 went back to
Schlotmann.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

Is up to you. I'll show you how am
going TO pay for It,"
He pulled an envelope out OF his
pocket
Here is the bill for that Government
reservation in our county. was just
about TO hand this IN when I heard how
the boss stood. This bill says the res
ervation shall be located in township
is. Now. hnre Is another bill which is
a duplicate of the first. with the excep-
ton that it applies to township IL.
shall back the second one.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
COL. MATHEW KELLY
Desperate Outlaw Who Surrendered
Through Fear Caused by
Scientific Gun-Play.
& 4 GUN is to a policeman or de-
~ tective what pair Of bright

~ eyes is to the demurest
maiden that ever walked
Broadway, or what his foreIegs are to
grfzzly-handy in a pinch" said Col.
Mathew KieIy, chief Of police in ST.
Louis. and Colonel <ieIy ought to know,
For he has the reputation of being one
OF the best marksmen with q revolver
that ever donned a policeman's uniform
has taken part IN enough gun parties
to turn an ordinary mans hair gray.
The efficiency of the st. Louis police
force with the revolver Is well known.
and talked of wherever policemen con-
gregate. 1t is due largely TO Colonel
Kiely's energy and feudness for good
shooting that this Is so.
1t is not always ne eessary for the
thief taker to shoot to kiIl-thcre would
be no use for courts If that were the
ease-but he must shoot close. An in
stance CT what close shooting will do
to danlpen tie ardor Of the boidest
criminals occurred III st. Louis way
back in rs. / captured John Casey, one
OF the most desperate thieves and high
Waynen that ever operated in the West
ana never drew a drop af blood.
.,,.fy f-afiy ~ the morning. about o'clock,
diamond Casey and a paFTbroke into
q house in the fashionable part of the
elty and got away with q barreIfuI OF
sli*er and plate, with some cash thrown
IN. Got away, but not clear a xyav for
he patrolrnan on the beat noticed an
open window In the house and saw two
dark figures crossing the wide lawn that
lay in front OF the house. He was after
them In a second. but before he could
get his gun out Casey had him covered
and the other man was not far behind.
There was nothing 10 do but throw up
his hands with two guns pointing his
way and not more than six feet from
his head.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

loose. All last he worked himself close
to the place where q new ak lay. and
rubbed the cords which bound his hands
across the sharp edge. The blade cut
far into his hands, but he kept on new
er mindng the blood, and finally he was
free. He was terribly exhausted. but
as soon as he was able he aroused the
neighbors and a posse was formed and
the country secured to find the thieves
who had committed tits outrage. But
ii was impossible. Then it was that
we were called into the case. New
MaIley was wrought up to a fever heat
and a thousand dollars was offered as a
reward to the man that should capture
the thieves.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

LkT ONCE caught a thief 400 miles
from my station and all I used
to get him-he was q clever
thief, too-was a common, ordi-
nary 2-cent stamp said Mai William
Desmond chief OF detectives of St
Louis, well known throughout the Mid
die West, in fact. all over the country.
as one OF the foremost takers of high
class thieves. High class means pos
sessed OF unusual intelligence and edu-
cation. Major Desmond is quiet,
modest man. Perhaps his most striking
characteristic in his frankness. Eyea
a thisf would pe convinced that he was
to get a square deal from this man
1T was years ago that 1t happened,
while l was on the street. Two criml-
mails, John Richmond and Theodore
Schlotnann, had just been released from
prison. They were side partners. The
hrst had served ten years and the sec
ond seven. You would have thought
that for q time at least they would keep
straight. Instead. however a wire came
to the central office saying that an
unusually bold robbery had occurred In
New MalIey. q little town In st. Charles
county, which adjoips that of st. Louis.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
Cleans Out the Vault.

THAT night" said Worth. he en-
tered the postoffice, unlocked the vault,
and cleaned 1t of cash and contents, He
cached the stuff somewhere in the vi
cinity and hung about town for three
weeks. Knowing that detectives from
London would arrive by that time and
would probably recognize him. he be-
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
The Old Man Dazed.

AS he looked down on the House
again. to find the bill going through the
fern of a second and third reading, he
made a movement as though he in
tended calling aloud. He motioned
frantically TO the Representative VINO
had the measure in charge, but his sig
railing WAS unnotieed. In a moment
more the bill had passed and the IoEse
was rushing on to other business.
TIE old man stood for several minutes.
apparently dazed by the swift turn OF
events. Then he walked slowly out Of
the gallery like one in a dream
I descended to the restaurant toward
the end of tlleS days session and found
the Western member and a boon COM
panion discussing an elaborate repast-
They were laughing and evidently in thG
best spirits. AS I came in L heard ths
former call for a quart bottle OF extra
dry"
Just a little bit early in the day 10
begin cutting in on the grape, he OBJ
served to his companion, tossing the
wine list on the table and tipping his
ctair back with a look of intense self
satisfaction. but have just made :.
very good thing out Of that bill cover
ing township l6.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

the railing before him. It was apparent
his first thought was that some mis-
take had been made. and the proceed
tngs should be stayed. He looked wildly
tt ward the seat where his son should
be. but that worthy was not on the
floor.
He started for the door-then stopped
short,
Evidently he remembered how quickly
sEch bills are passed, once theg are
called up.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28

come in a moment When it did I threw
1t wide open and covered Richmond
with my gun NV man was just be-
hind him holding a gun at his back,
AS quick as lightning Richmond .reach-
ed toward mis- hip pocket but he thought
better of 1t and dropped his hands. II
was just as well fer him.
For five hours we couldn't get a word
out Of him He was quiet enough, but
seemed disgusted at the case with which
he had been taken in. AT last he re-
marked:
If I had thought there was any
trick about this deal You would have
been dead some time ago.
81 told him that L wasn't taking any
chances along that line.
Richmond was a short. broad little
man. He had been a school teacher at
one time. Always he wore a black
mustache, which he said he wouldn't
have cut off for anything. No. there
was no mystery about that mustache.
He was merely proud of it.
Both Schlotmann and Richmond were
convicted. Schlotmann was sentenced to
fifteen years, and Rfenmond 10 twenty.
/ got five years off Soh1atmann,s sem
tence because he had helped me to land
the other Both men are out now.
Finished their terms years ago. But ]
often think of catching that thief with
a 2~cent stamp.
The Washington times., 1905-05-28
MAJ. VIZ. DESMOND
Apprehends a Clever Thief With the
Help of an Ordinary
Postage Stamp.

+ ONCE caught a thief 400 miles
from my station and all I used
to get hfm-he was q clever