Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-02-01
A Wise Inspector
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threw an opportunity III my way. he
turning from journey l found a small
satchel on seat in the car l was leav
ing and picked it up. When passing
through the station gate couple Of
men stared at me so intently that l
asked if they were looking for a lost
satchel. They proved to be detectives
watching the train. There had been
a robbery of diamonds up the road, and
they were looking for the thief. The
bag was opened and found to contain
the very property they were looking
for.
The thief had doubtless become
frightened and left it on purpose.
There's a big reward offered for
this said the inspector at the police
Office where l was taken with the jew
els, which you will get, but l want
you to help me trap the thief"
He wrote an advertisement stating
that bag containing diamonds had
been found on train and the owner
could have the same by applying to
the finder.
would be likely to walk into such a
palpable trap, and so l told the in
spector. He drew back haughtily and
asked me where I had been educated
in detective work. / confessed that
my knowledge of the subject had most
ly come from reading detective stories,
and this Modified him. When few
days after the insertion note signed
&c. U. E." written in an excellent
hand, well spelled and well expressed,
but extremely guarded, came for me,
/ hung my head to the inspector and
told him that it was plain he was much
more farseeing than had supposed.
Several notes passed, each stating
palmer than the last what was ex-
pected, and finally G. U. E. wrote Of
fering that if I would deliver the
jewels l was to have half their value,
he agreeing to turn them into cash at
his own risk. l accepted the terms,
STIMULATING that l should be paid cash
on delivery. l was to take the jewels
to a certain number on certain street
at an appointed hour.
The inspector, in order to win the
confidence of the thief, so that we
might make a more certain and COM
plete job, borrowed the jewels, which
had been turned over to the owner,
and had facsimiles made of them,
which were handed to me in the very
satchel I had found on the train. The
inspector gave me full instructions. l
was to go to the appointed place and
keep the thief dickering as to the value
Of the jewels for twenty minutes.
Meanwhile the police were to surround
the house and within the twenty min
utes enter and make the arrest. told
the inspector that it would be better
for him to send one Of his own trained
men in my place, but he told me that
the thief doubtless had kept watch to
see who had taken the satchel and
such plan wouldn't work at al. l
thought l might be at some risk, but
my admiration for detectives and my
desire to take part in their clever work
buoyed me up, and consented to keep
the appointment.
found the house to be small, dingy
looking dwelling, standing on lot by
itself, not nearer than thirty feet to
any other building. l rang the door
bell and was admitted by a man.
I asked if he was G. U. e. He led
me to back room, and we at once
commenced negotiations. He asked
me what value l put upon the jewels,
and named u sum double what it real
ly was. He examined them and at
once agreed to my valuation.
THAT makes half their value $780,"
he said, and counted out new crisp
bills, mostly of $500 each, making up
the amount. was quite taken aback
at the rapidity with which the trans
action had gone through and began to
show signs Of wanting more, where
upon the man told me that if l was not
satisfied to take my jewels and go.
This would have spoiled the plan, so
to gain time l set about counting the
bills. While / was thus engaged
heard door latch click and, looking
up, found the man had gone with the
Jewels. / sprang for the door and en-
deavored to open 1t. 1t had been locked
by a spring lock with no knob on my
side Of 1t.
There was nothing to do but so out
the front door and notify the police
who were to have surrounded the
house. Seeing one Of them in front Of
the door called him in, and, followed
by several of the others, he darted into
the house and began to ransack it. Not
a person was to be found. The house
had been surrounded since / entered
1t and no one had gone out. After con-
siderable search tunnel was found
leading from the cellar to a deserted
blacksmith shop ninety feet away. 1t,
too, was empty.
This didn't seem 80 sharp on the part
Of the police. after all, but I remem-
bered that the man had false jewels
and 1 had $500. The bills were taken
to the. police Office. where the, inspector
sat behind his desk in no good humor
at the failure Of his plan. He took one
Of the bills, held it up to the light,
put a magnifying glass to 1t and