The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-09-24
A Man of Nerve.

: A Man OF Nerve.
copyright, 1908. by T. c. McClure.l
On the P. and D. steamer Bonny
Castle, bound for Calcutta, we had
Lord Monson, lord high commissioner
for British Burma.
He had little baggage. He was ac-
companied by only two servants in
stead Of by ten or twelve. He didn't
put on the pompousness and the "side"
expected of him. Instead of the icy re-
serve looked for and expected he
showed an inclination to mingle with
the other passengers. For this some
praised and some criticised him.
We found Lord Monson dignifed, but
at the same time pleasant. 1t proved
to be easy to obtain an introduction to
him, and he was by no means cad or
snob. Among the lesser magnates
were an Indian judge, civil service
commissioner and several military off,
tie more attention by my lord than the
ordinary passengers. There was much
chagrin over this fact, but it had to be
endured. Taken altogether, we were a
pretty jolly lot, and we became quite
proud of the fact that we had live
lord among u.s. and it would have been
one of the pleasantest of voyages but
for what l am now about to relate.
On all long voyages by steamer the
first class passengers are supposed to
hand over their money and jewelry to
the care of the purser. A few men
who are carrying large amounts of
cash do this, and few ladies may put
a portion of their diamonds in security,
but it is a rule observed more in the
breach than the observance. The men
feel safe in retaining at least a few
hundred dollars each, and the women
must keep out enough jewelry to make
an appearance at the dinner table.
AS soon as the second day out we
had robbery on board. A passenger
who had a stateroom to himself was
robbed by some one who entered it.
The robber got $500 in cash and about
a thousand dollars worth of dia-
monds. The loss was at once reported
to the captain, but as there was not
the slightest clew to the perpetrator
nothing could be done about it except
to advise the victim to keep quiet and
wait and watch This was done, and
the robbery was known to only two or
three persons for day. Then came a
second.
During the dinner hour q second
stateroom was robbed. This was occu-
pied by two men who sat side by side
at the table and who had been warm
friends long before embarking While
this robbery, which yielded over a
thousand dollars. was pretty well hush
ed up, the captain took steps to try
to find out the guilty party. 1t was
laid to some of the servants Of the
ship, just as it would have been laid
to some of the servants of house
ashore. There were $50 Of us, and yet
the captain went on the principle that
we must all be honest because we were
aboard Of his craft.
Nothing is more uncomfortable among
large number of passengers than
mystery of this kind. They know that
a thief is among them, and each one
feels that he has a right to suspect an
other. 1t was reported that my lord
was very much perturbed that he said
this and said that; that he was doing
his best to help the captain solve the
mystery. Meanwhile two more state
rooms were robbed The trick was
done while their occupants were on
deck in the afternoon looking at
wreck. We now became one of the
surliest, suspicious and most uncom-
Portable lot of people ever housed in
together.
So far as 1 was individually con-
cerned, l solved the mystery next day
after the double robbery. I was sitting
in the music room when young lady
came in with a package in her hand
which she was going to give the purs-
er. 1t contained money and jewelry.
AS she was about to pass the piano
she stopped and sat down to play and
sing. l was some distance away, but
l saw her lay the package on top Of
the instrument. After a moment my
lord came in and stood at her side a
moment to compliment her. During
this interval I saw him pocket the
: package. There were eleven other
passengers in the room, but If any one
else saw what l did he kept silent for
the same reason.
By and by the young lady left the
piano, looked for her package and,
finding it gone, ran back to her state
room. Within ten minutes there was
an outcry. In the midst of it it was
suggested that each and every passen-
ger go on deck and remain there until
his baggage was searched. The cap.
tain vetoed this. To search the bag
gage of my lord. to say nothing OF
others, would cost him his place. There
was just one more robbery, as mys
FERROUS as the others, before we
reached Cape Town. There my lord lef
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