The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-12-08
CHAPTER III

SiASASc, tuc TeCeut DdFdSTdpuS Ill the
London newspapers make very clear
CHAPTER III.
Fan FABOS TELLS HIS STORY.
SO might my task begin.
| am to prove that there is con.
spfracy of crime so well organized, sc
widespread, SO amazing in its daring
that the police of all the civilized coun-
| tries are at present unable either tc
imagine or to defeat It.
cannot tell you when first II was
| that some suspicion of the existence
OF this great republic Of thieves and
assassins first came to me. Years age
i asked myself IL 1t were not possible
There has been no great jewel rob-
berry for a decade past which has not
found me more jealous than the po-
lice themselves in study OF its meth
DDS and judgment OF its men. / can
tell you the weight and size almost
of every great jewel stolen. either in
Europe or America, during the past
! five years. know the life history OF
the men who are paying the penalty
for some Of those crimes. can tell
you whence they came and what was
their intention should they have car
riea their booty away. / know the
houses In London and Paris and Wen
ma and Berlin where you may change
stolen diamond for money as read
lily as men cash a banknote across a
counter. But there my knowledge has
begun and ended feel like a child
before a book whose print it cannot
read. There is a great world of crime
unexplored and its very cities are un-
named How, then, should a man be-
| gin his studies? answer that he can
not begin them unless his destiny opens
the book.
! Let me set down my beliefs a little
palmer. II ever the story be read,
| 1t will not be by those who have my
grammar Of crime at their call, or have
studied as have studied the gospel
OF robbery as long years expound 1t.
1t would be idle to maintain at great
length my belief that the leading jewel
robberies Of the world are directed by
one brain and organized by one su-
preme intelligence. Let me be content
in this place to relate but single
circumstance. 1t is that of the discov-
cry OF dead body just three years
ago on .he lonely seashore by the lit
tie fishing village of Failing in Nor
folk.
Now witness this occurrence. The
coast guard--for rarely does any but
coast guardsman tramp that lonely
shore-a coast guard. patroling his
sandy beat at o'clock of a spring
morning, comes suddenly upon the
body of ships officer, lying stark
upon the golden beach. cast there by
the flood tide. No name upon the pr
lot boat betrayed the vessel which this
young man had served. He wore jack
boots such as an officer of merchant
man would wear his clothes were of
navy serge.
Such q fatality naturally deserved no
more than a brief paragraph In any
daily paper. should have heard moth
of Scotland Yard, who telegraphed for
me upon the afternoon Of the following
day; and upon my arrival at his Office,
astonished me very much by first show
ing me an account of the circumstances
in the Eastern Daily Press and then
passing for my examination a roll of
cotton wool such as diamond brokers
carry
IT want your opinion" he said with.
out preface. "Do you know anything
Of the Jewels in that parcel?"
There were four stones lying q gilt
ter upon the WOOL One of them. a
great gem of some 120 carats, rose col
ored and altogether magnificent, rec
ognized at single glance
THAT" said. is the red diamond
Of Ford valley. Ask Baron Louis de
property 1t was"
would you be very surprised to
know that 1t was found upon the body
of the young sailor?'
Murray I said, "you have known
me too long to expect me to be sur
prised by anything"
But 1t is somewhat out OF the way,
isn't It? That's why ! sent for you.
The other stones don't appear to be
Of the same class But they're val
liable should think"
This pure white is Brazilian" said
I; ut may be worth ESQ. The other
two are jewelers. common stun. They
would make pretty pair of earrings
for your daughter. Murray. You should
make the treasury an offer for them.
Say, so for the pair"
THE police haven't much money to
waste on the ladies' ears" he said
rather hardly. I'VE prefer 'em without
ornament-they GO closer to the doors.
thought you would like to hear about
this. We can't make much Of II here,
and / don't suppose you'll make more.
A ships officer like that--you don't
expect him to be fence in COM
mon way and he's about the last you'd
name for professional hand in Paris
for IL this is Baron Louis stone, as
you say, it must have been stolen in
Paris"
mo reason at all, Murray. His wife
wore II In her tiara. She was at the
princes, I believe. no more than q
month ago. Does that occur to your"
I'VE haven't begun to think about it,"
he said, "how can we? No ship has
reported hts loss. He carried a pipe,
a tobacco box, gold watch and this
Where's your clew start? Tell me that
and I'll go on II"
There are no papers, them"
'None-that is. this paper. And IL
you can make head or tail of It, I'll
give 9100 to a hospital"
He passed across the table worn
and tattered letter case. It contained
a plain gold wedding ring and a slip
of paper with these words upon 1t:
Captain Three Flngers-Tuesday."
where did he carry the diamonds ?"
Inside his waistcoat"
mo arms upon him p
mot toothpick"