The daily Alaskan., 1905-04-10
A DEFECTIVE CASE
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plenI, lutlt cohs ANNhty -NNNf e.N NNN'A daughter, twenty years old. There was also visiting the son Mark Brainerd, oi the same age. They were all sitting 10 the library after dinner except Brain erd. who had gone to his room fo' something. Suddenly the maid entered all In a fiutter and said that her mls tress' room window was Cpvh and ladder standing against it- Mrs. Ap pleby immediately ran to her room opened a drawer where she kept hel Jewels and found they were gone. Sh' returned tn a few mint tes to the h brary followed soon after by bTatn' erD and reported her loss, Brainero at once started outside, followed by uns others, including the maid and Jamtl Cronan, a manserV ant. All rushed n the foot of the ladder, then started U different directions toward the rcncn Cronan suddenly went sprawiing or his face, and it was discovered that he had ripped on a wire. This indieateo that the thieves had prepared to gt' away with the booty by retarding pur'
 
 suit
 "As soon as I had learned these fact I made the usual examinations. Te, ladder had been kept In a wood shed back of the house. The wire was trolu a rusty coil that hsd long lain In tht cellar. These circumstances assured me that the robbery had been coJn mitted from within. l was questioning young Appleby about the ladder and the wire, hIs friend Brsinerd standing by at the time
 "'Your theory is,' said Brainerd, thai some one in the house knowing all about the ladder and the wire, simply put up the one and laid the other Co make us think that the robbery wal committed by outsidersT
 "I have no theory as yet I replied not caring to give any Information.
 ".All have to say he continued, .s that any one Inside who was fool enough to take wire from tho cellar for that purpose can't be an expert In the business. Was the cellar UcccSSihls from wlthoutT he asSed or young Alp pleby.
 "Oh, yea. The bunkECad was wide open, and the wire lay on 8 tod tabU beside It.
 That alters the case saIu Brain erd.
 "Os course 1 investigated Mr. Brain erd. Young Applehy had kuswI GiS for several years, and lac had buCu con Ing to the house occasionally dGrirS that time. Nevertheless his having been separated from tbC rest of th' family when the robbery was commit ted looked suSpicioUS and his rvlarE about the ladder and ,Ec v!y% Cspe cially the latter, pointed 10 pG.rUsc- that purpose being, first tN divert sus piclon from himself, sCgouA Co bring out the fact that thc wire hgd bees noticed and picked up by Ibo tsicycN
 "Ouc thing l learned, Not by direCs question. but by observation. Ths friendship between young ApplCOy and Rranepl, which had been tho oCcasiOt of Bralnerd first coming 70 tue houst was no longer the prime reason, H. was paying attention to Miss Appleby and his attentions were not RENcaha to any of her family, Including be brother. The parents and brother wsis throwing out hints derogSJcry 10 Brain erd, and thls was making Miss Appleol very unhappy. This might be Indirect y an interference who n,9 work ans might ruin my chances tcS Voccess.
 "The very morning after the roSbets was committed I had Found the clge to the thlef-that is was thcrcvghe satisfied in my own uind, but ! couA prove nothing. asked Mr. Apples senior If | might take up my quRrt~et in the house and he assented toi several days watched and waited while wider grew the division In thS family, father, mother and SOD being arrayed against the daughter and hei lover. What | was aftey was the prlS erty, and the thief vGo had stolen ? was too sharp to give me any cleW ~ to what had been done with it Whef a ucltNINt IN NulN At IN AAhAf NNt NeA@ prove his case, he may often do ~ by . sudden and vehement accusation. Thf I resolved upon. asked Mir, Appleny to assemble the household, every pof son living under tho roof, In the library
 When all were present I noted th' expressions on their faces. My symrs thles went out to Miss Appleby, II eould understand how, though she had Implicit confidence In Braiueri, ther was a dread lest she might bc as seived. At any rate, since she and al the rest were expecting disclosure the suspense was Intense.
 "James Cronan,' I said, you mad, one bad blunder. After laying th, wire you should have noticed mory carefully where you had placed it You fell two yards before you reached the line on which 1t was stretched and fully yard to the left of its end
 q had my eye fixed steadily on him ss spoke and saw him turn pale.
 "'You havc the jewels, and 1t shah bs optional with you to return them oi serve term in state prison. Which do you chcoser
 'The man was not a very formidable aa. s. A-A.H A.x-,. .a htn ,,,.,,. e-,,,,.,,.s