The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-02-07
THE RADCLIFFE
DIAMOND
[orlginaLl

[Original.l
am a detective. Among the queer
cases have had, the case of the Rad
clffe diamond was. | think. on the
whole, the queerest. call 1t the Rad
cliffe to distinguish II, for Mr.. Rad.
cliffe was It's owner. One morning on
reporting at the Office the chief toh me
that the gentleman had lost very val
liable diamond, not much smaller than
some Of the famous diamonds Of the
world, and wished a detective to try to
recover II. / called ON Mr.. Radcliffe,
who took me into his study and said
to me;
you have nothing to do In finding
out who stole the diamond. ! know
that already. What | want is Its re-
turn. A diamond is so easily put away
where 1t cannot be found that the
greatest care must be taken TO trap the
person who possesses 1t. The chief
clerk at my office Is the thief. l took
the diamond there and put 1t In my
safe. The cIerk-hls name Is Cole
MAINLAND myself alone knew the com
bination. Coleman deliberately took
the diamond, knowing that | could not
prove him the thief and IL l did ]
could not recover the property. | have
offered him $4,000 to return 1t, but he
will not admit that he stole 1t till /
offer him the price he has fixed for Its
tv.H ID
cution. l wish you to trap him with
the diamond on his person"
got an assistant to play detective
with Coleman, while ] was to be his
real shadower. My object was to
drive him from his room and, indeed,
out Of town, expecting that he would
take the diamond with him. My stool
pigeon found him the same evening In
billiard room and made 1t appear
that he was watching him. Coleman
went at once, not to his home. but to
the house of relative. From there be
went to railway station. OF course !
was watching him from a distance and
made up my mind that he had taken
the diamond from the house he had
visited and was going to try to get out
of the country with It.
Coleman went to the ticket Office and
bought ticket to New York. | was
In line behind him and bought ticket
for the same place. telephoned to
the office FOR assistants to keep him
in view till the train, which was not
due to start for an hour, should be Off,
I Keeping out Of his way. One Of them
signaled me when he got on the train,
and as II pulled out / got on myself, |
had Fefrained from having him arrest
ed while in bis own town, fearing that
he might have confederate keep the
gem till the train started or to hand
It to In case of arrest. preferred to
take my chances with him In a region
strange to him.
took along an assistant and when
we had been on the road a couple of
hours told him to let Coleman see that
he was watching him. Then went to
another car. My object was to drive
him from the train. l also instructed
the assistant not TO get of the train II
Coleman did. / wished the fugitive to
| think that he had eluded the detective
At every station looked out for my
man, and II was not long before l saw
him. when the train stopped, Rlight
and stand. on the platform. When the
train went on, he remained. Having
fancled he would get on before the
train started. l remained on the car
Seeing that he would remain. l jumped
on. He cast a glance at me that told
me my game OF secrecy was up and
heneefOrth l must follow him as a sus
pected detective.
But II did not matter. The station
was at a small village, which was al
good a place as any to try to recover
the diamond. Coleman went to a no
tel. He did not enter his name on the
register, but sat down In the office.
sat down opposite him. He knew. ant
was willing that he should know
that ! was after him.
Presently he got up. walked out and
through the village and beyond, wher,
the road ran through a wood follow
cd him, keeping my hand ON my re
volver. Coming to place where tn,
road turned through a cut. was walk
lng with bank behind me when Cole