Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-13
Martin Hewitt,
investigator
BY ARTHUR MORRISON.
The Lenton Croft Robberies.

will remember, at least, the utie Oh lha'
extraordinary will case. BARLEY against
BARLEY and Others, which occupied the
probate court for some weeks on end. and
caused an amount of public interest rarely
accorded to any but the cases considered
in the other division of the same court. The
case Itself was noted for the large guam
tity of remarkable and unusual evidence
presented by the plaintiffs side-evidence
that took the other party completely by
surprise, and overthrow their case like a
house of cards The affair will, perhaps,
be more readily recalled as the occasion or
the sudden rise to menence In their profess
sion of Messrs. Crellan, Hunt < Crel!an, So
licitors for the plaintiff-a result due en-
tirely to the wonderful ability shown in
this case of building up. apparently out of
nothing. Il smashing weight of Irresistible
evidence. That the firm has since MAIN
tained-indeed, enhanced-the position 1t
then won for itself need scarcely be said
here: it's name is familiar to everybody.
But there are not many of the outside pub
lie who know that the credit of the whole
performance was primarily due to a young
clerk in the employ of Messrs. Crellan. who
had been given charge of the seemingly
desperate task of collecting evidence in the
This Mr. Martin Hewitt had. however,
full credit and reward for his exploit from
his firm and from their client, and more
contentious work made good offers to en-
tice Hewitt to change his employers. In
stead of this, however. he determined to
work independently for the future, having
conceived the IDEA of making a regular
business of doing. on behalf of such clients
as might retain him, similar work to that
he had just done with such conspicuous
success FOR Messrs. trcllan, Hunt u Crei-
Ian. This the beginning of the private
detective business of Martin Hewitt, and
his action at that time has been completely
justified by the brilliant professional sue
Cesses he has since achieved.
His business has always been conducted
in the most private manner, and he has al
ways declined the help of professional as
sistants, preferring to carry out himself
such of the many Investigations offered him
as he could manage. He has always MAIN
tanned that he has never lost by this policy.
since the chance of his refusing a case be
gets competition for his services, and his
fees rise y a natbural process. At the same
time. no man could know better how to en-
pioy casual assistance at the right time.
Some curiosity has been expressed to
Mr.. Martin Hewitt's system. and. he
himself always consistently maintains that
he has no system beyond a judicious use
of ordinary faculties, l intend setting forth
in detail a few of the more interesting of
his cases in order that the public may judge
for Itself If l right in estimating Mr.
Hewitt's ordinary faculties as faculties
very extraordinary indeed. He Is not man
who has made many friendships (thLs, prob
ably, for professional reasons), notwith-
standing his genial and companionable
manners. l myself first made his acquaint
ance as a result of an accident resulting
in a fire at the old house in which Hewitt's
Office was situated. and in an upper floor
OF which l occupied bachelor chambers. l
was able to help in saving a quantity of
extremely important papers relating to his
business. and. while repairs were being
made. allowed him to lock them in an old
wall safe in one of my rooms which the fire
had scarcely damaged.
The acquaintance thus begun has lasted
many years, and has become rather close
friendship. l have even accompanied Hew-
lit on some of his expeditions, and, in a
humble way. helped him. Such of the cases.
however. as | personally nothing of l
have put into narrative form from the par
ticulars given me.
Il consider you, Brett" he said address
ing me- THE most remarkable journalist
alive. Not because you're particularly clev-
er. you know. because, between ourselves
hope youn admit you're not; but because
you have known something of me and my
GOtngS for some years, and have never yet
been guilty of giving away any of my lit
tie business secrets you may have become
acquainted with. I'm afraid you're not so
enterprising q journalist as some, Brett.
But now. since you ask, you Shall write
sonnet hing-if you think it worth while"
This he said, as he said most things, with
CHEEKY. chatting good-nature that would
have been, perhaps, surprising to a strang
er who thought of him only grim and
mysterious discoverer OF secrets and crimes
Indeed the man had always as little of
the aspect Of the conventional detective as
may be ina sined. Nobody could appear
more cordial or less observant In manner
although there was to be seen certain
sharpness OF the eye-which might. after
all. only be the twinkle Of good humor.
/ did think II worth while tC write some
thing of Martin Hewitt's Investigations.
and a description of one OF his adventures
follows
10 10 pj,yJ,.
staircase leading up from an ever-open
portal in a street by the Strand stood a
door, the dusty ground glass upper panel
Of which carried in its center the single
word Hewitt" while at its right-hand
lower corner. in smaller letters, Clerks
Office" appeared. on morning when the
clerks in the ground floor offices had barely
hung up their hats. short. well-dressed
young man, wearing spectacles, Fastening
To open the dusty door ran into the arms
of another man who suddenly issued from it.
Il beg pardon" the first said rs this
Hewitts Detective Agency otfice?'
Yes, believe you will find 1t So the
other replied He was a stoutish clean
shaver man of middle height and of a
cheerful. round countenance. You'd bet
ter speak 10 the clerk
In the little outer office the visitor was
met by sharp lad with inky fingers. who
presented him with a zen and printed
slip. The printed slip having been filled with
the visitors name and present business and
conveyed through inner door. the lad
reappeared with an invitation to the pri-
waite Office. There. behind writing table.
sat the stoutish man himself. who had only
just advised appeal to the clerk.
Good morning. Mr.. Lloyd-Mr. Vernon
Lloyd he said, ahably. looking again at
The slip. You'll excuse my care TO start
even with my visitors-I must you know.
You come from Sir James Norris. / see"
Yes; / am his secretary. l have only to
ask you 10 go straight TO Lenton Croft at
once, II you can, on very important bust
ness. Sir James would have wired, but had
not your precise address. Can you go by
the next train? Eleven-thirty Is the first
available from Paddington."
"&uite possibly. Do You know anything
OF the business"
1T Is a case OF robbery In the house
or. rather / fancy, of several robberes.
JewelTy has been stolen from rooms occu-
pied by. visitors to the Croft. The first case
occurred some months ago-nearly year
ago IN fact Last night there was another
But / think you had better get the details
on the spot. Sir James has told me to tele-
graph il you are coming, so that he may
meet you Himself al the station; and /
must hurry. his drive to the station will
be rather long one. Then take 1t you