New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-04-21
HOW THE THIEF
GOT IN AND OUT.
% . 900 . 10000 OoOoo
BY r. ANTHONY TWINlNG.

copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
c1atiOn.
I was telegraphed to come at once to
the country residence of Hugo Van
Vliet, and, being a detective, I knew
1t meant that my professional services
would be required. Mr.. Van Vliet met
me at the station and while taking me
to his house in his runabout motor car
told me what had happened. He had
number of guests in his house, near
~ all Of whom were, like himself, very
wealthy. 1t was his first season there.
the house having been recently finish
ed, and he had opened 1t with what he
considered distinguished circle of
friends. They were all high class So
ciety people with British lord thrown
In to give the party eclat.
Nearly every night some one of his
guests had been robbed of either mon
ey or jewels or both. After the first
disappearance he had enjoined all Of
them to be careful to lock their doors
and had bolts put on every door. For
a few nights after this there were no
robberies, but then they commenced
again. The Britisher's Nord Manner
leigh lady had been robbed. of some
superb jewels. The singular part Of it
was that after the yaluables were tax
en-, though the thief could only have es-
capped by the door, it remained locked.
While all were at dinner l was
shown the rooms, examining the ap-
proaches, the connections with other
rooms, the windows and lastly the
locks and bolts. This done, I sent for
the host.
"Mr. Van Vliet," l said, 81 presume
there are times when your guests are
out of doors amusing themselves"
'Yes, both morning and afternoon"
The maids get through putting the
rooms in order in the morning, l sup
pose, and in the afternoon the upstairs
is deserted?"
eyes"
"Some one at such time has fixed the
rooms to be entered
'Then it must be one of the serv-
ants
1.-The thief is not one of the servants
I suspect one Of your guests"
"You are mistaken
every well. / will accuse no one. l
must either catch the rogue in the act
or the case goes by default No one
has yet seen me. Tonight will sleep
in the village, and tomorrow 1 will ar
rive as one of your guests. have my
evening dress with me and can make
presentable appearance. shall be
triae brusque in manner, for | shall
hail from the far west. My wealth
will be my principal claim to your
friendship. l will be John Rogers,
mine owner"
AS Mr.. Rogers | arrived the next
afternoon, went to my room and
moved the bed SO that by putting out
my hand could switch on the electric
lights. Then I dressed and went down
to dinner. At table talked a good
deal Of my mines and my taste for
that | had a great fancy for sapphires
and was making up a lot Of them to
have made into necklace to take
back west to my wife for an anniyer-
sary wedding present. | said kept
those / had collected with me and
would be happy to show them after
dinner. At this Mr.. Van Vliet frowned.
the conversation was changed, and the
jewels We're not produced
That night when all the others had
retired went to my room, locked and
bolted my door, put small box under
my pillow, then went to bed and lay
awake waiting. About in the morn
ing heard a slight nouselike sound
so slight that it was scarcely distin-
guishahle-at the door. Then l heard
indications of some one fumbling about
the room | had left no yaIuables on
the dresser or in my pockets, SO the
thief must come nearer. Presently i
fancied hand slipping under the mat
tress, but this might be fancy. What
was not fancy was grasp on the box
under my pillow. caught the arm