Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-06-16

HI W ed In his MES under
In M the dual initials "R.
IN c."
~ Back Of this cabal-
istic designation the
preliminary facts
.-.rs these: For perhaps a year and
sslf one of New York's many smart
..,s--since the days Of Ward McAllis-
g, me four hundred has grown to con-
.,asrably more than four thousand
~ been mystified and annoyed by
-sriss of totally inexplicable robberies.
s,,aeutly perpetrated by some person
:, ,ersons who either had the entree
a. who knew perfectly the habits Of
those forming the coterie in question.
ne trouble began with a notable
.rel robbery at Mrs. Ayers cotillon
"a dance, the thief getting away with
hundred thousand dollars worth of
esms. Next, while Mrs. Kendig's din
rsr euests were at table "some one"
,ooted the upstairs apartments to the
,,re of half as much. Then came the
las Of priceless balas ruby at the
MINOR mansion. said rrby having
80 passtd around among the guests
ar admiration, but which never came
bsck to IFS owners hands. These cases
occurred In town. But neither were
csrtain country places immune; the
jerdsn place at Wheatley and the
rsdrsn "camp" in the Adirondacks
hang noble instances where the loot
ras almost fabulous in value owing to
he plessalt habit peculiar to Ameri-
can women of carrying around with
hem al their portable wealth in dia-
nonds, pearls, and rubies, even to
nch fnadmissible places as a so-called
bungalow" in the woods.
Although the losses must haves to-
tiled nearly q cool million, the pluto
cnts most concerned had been con-
isrt to pocket their losses without
-sque&ling" TO the regular police or
It the cost OF national notoriety
through appealing to the Pinkertons.
However. patience ceases to be a
,irtue even among those delectable
onez who possess more money than
hoy can possibly spend--or squander.1
50 when, after some months of bliss
nj quiet, during which period the
guilty gang OF the equally culpable
Individual had been fattening on the
rs. haul. the Batterman cottage" at
Newport was entered and its fair
guests despoiIed OF gauds appraised at
quarter million, the masculine APP
perdsges Of these fair ones resolved
hat "the thing had gone far enough"
Above al they dreaded that vulgar
R-lg called "publicity"-to occupy the
public eye In that way savors too
much Of Reno. But rigid and judi
t'ous probing was determined upon;
% he discreet but none the less mer-
c|ess Investigator, Finney Valentine.
his Inspector Of police. the task Of
''Teting out the guilty was COM
uii.ed
After pocke.ing fat retainer. lis
tplng to the accounts of the various
'otberics. and securing a fairly accu-
rate description Of the chief articles
stolen jevelry. Valentines next
move was to call for lists of the house
guests who had been present at the
'srious functions in both town and
country.
AAny-indeed most-of these names
was able TO blue pencil' at a
<anee a. being, like Caesars wife,
's>ond suspicion. although sleuth-like
g made ample allowance for a we'll
~oNn fact In criminal annals,-that
even ne wealtmest sometimes have
4ange obsessions and a queer indif-
ference to the rights of meum and
nn Naturally, also. he found the
ns people appearing again and
Gam Ct dance, or dinner, or house
pEv' AID In one way that fact help
= y narrow the scope of his inyesti-
5u' after some days and nights of
's'ui winnowiRg and elimination, by
~ Of reverse process of natural
'eeuon, the master-detectiye was i'm
Pressed By the fact that one mans
ne was invariably present on every
reaslon where the robberies had oc-
a name Of almost nstional
pe1uon In old Knickerbocker so
ana afhliations,-thats of Roslyn
'snns. Other men and women came
vent; some were guests on two
1'ee occasions yet missing on
But the name Of young Ca
49,. was never wanting at those
-'eiul tines.
Y course. the fact might be ascrib.
~. " pure accident or the merest CO
- oe, and yet-obviously Il were
/" look into the anteceden.s of
Hosiyn cavanna. son of sire now
a born to considerable wealth.
80 roller" from his college days.
,a-< cross-country rider, polo
'. ,,s'. and yachtsman.-some said a
g. SAMPLER on the race-track or
n, Green tables, and a daring 4
--..s. ..ueky SPECTATOR on the street."
49, sea 70 have long since dissi- |
n,,s. nan million inheritance and |
AZ ~, % be on the lookout for a |
ian.. " 70 recoup his bankrupt for |
1.,,-,,,.s ao some ether things Finney
ae ,otted down in his casebook. |