The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-05-29
THE MASTER CRACKSMAN''
Daring Robbery Of the Raahs Jewels by the Notorious Adventures

ICCI!
Superintendent Richards of the con-
vict supervision office, looked keenly
at the woman in black facing him as
the question left his lips.
Marie Stone, ex-convict, recently
released from a long term of i'm
prisonment, drew herself proudly up
and met the officers searching glance
without finchlng.
81 have no reason. to tell lie. "
The flash in the eye and curl of the
lip accompanying the quiet reply
plainly betokened that prison discip-
line had failed to break the spirit of
''Handsome Jack" the soubriquet by
which Marie Stone was known
throughout the whole criminal world
"And you guarantee placing me in
Craftsman redhanded in his next
hau1?"
Eyes. - -
For a moment Richards hesitated.
He knew he was dealing with the
most notorious adventures in En-
rope--a woman whose record filed in
the fabitual criminal registry branded
her a convicted thief, b1ackmai1er and
swlndler of the worst type, woman
who with. daring and hitherto I'M
paralleled effrontery had carried off
coup upon coup with startling sue
cess.
Yet here she had come .coolly sail
ing into the sombre precincts Of the
"Yard" with valuable information Of
momentous Importance to all con-
cerned. For weeks past the country
had been ringing with the exploits Of
a certain criminal who had earned,
by virtue of his expert methods. the
title of "The Master Craftsman"
Never before had the whole police
force been so hopelessly outwitted
as they were over the doings of this
mysterious and clever scoundrel.
Raid upon raid upon wealthy hous-
es was made with such scientific skill
and mathematical precision that
nothing was left behind as a clue to
the culprit of his whereabouts. 1t
was only the entire completeness
each separate case presented after
wards that clearly proved the same
pair of hands had been employed.
Locks proved to be picked, doors
forced by formidable tools, entrances
gained from seemingly inaccessible
sources, safes blown open, all occur
ring with bewildering pertinacity.
Yet never once was there as much as
a picklock, jimmy, Or even finger
print left behind in silent accusation
against the ma gic touch of the mys-
terious criminal.
That this woman, Marie Stone, held
the key to the solution of the Master
Cracksman's identity Superintendent
Richards never doubted for an in
slant, for during her brief interview
she told the officer a good many de:
tails concerning the late series Of
"raids" which considerably opened his.
eyes, convincing him his informant
was inspired by special knowledge.
On one point, however, she wa;
adamant She absolutely refused to
give her man away unless the police
helped in encompassing his death red
handed
The astute superintendent deduced
from this that she had acted as. she
did in a spirit of revenge, wisely de-
termining to strike the blow with an
escort behind her.
"Wel1," recommended Richards.
breaking long pause, 1--WE under
stand one another perfectly You on
your part promise to shadow our
quarry, get in touch with him, learn
all that's in the wind, and when the
time comes duly advise us SO that we
can be on hand and stop his little
game at this 18th hour?"
"For which you, on your part, agree
to furnish me with the wherewithal
from the secret service fund?'