The Raymer enterprise., 1911-08-17
Copyright By ". G. ChApmAu)

but they were used only by the en-.
ployes and ohicials. General Kuntsler.
bis lieutenant. Maximoff, and four Of
the subordinates. resided on tho
premises. They had rooms In dill.
ferent parts Of the building.
A careful study OF the building, its
approaches and exits, led Danevitch
to the conclusion that the thief or
thieves must have reached the hall
from one Of the numerous government
ofices on the ground floor OF the block.
or from the direction OF Kuntzlers
apartments. He found that one of the
ofiices referred to was used as a dc.
posltory for documents relating to
treasury business. and beneath It. In
the basement, was an arched cellar,
also used for storing documents. This
cellar was one Of many others. all con.
nected with concreted subway,
which In turn was connected with the
upper stories by narrow staircase,
considered strictly private and sup.
posed to be used only by employees.
The office was officially known as
Bureau I. Exit from 1t could be had
by door. which opened into a cul.
de.sac, and was not public thorough.
fare. 1t was, In fact, narrow alley.
formed by the treasury buildings and
church. Danevitch was not slow to
perceive that Bureau and the Guide.
sac offered the best, II not the only.
means OF egress to anyone, who being
on the premises Illegally. wished to
escape without being seen. II was true
that one OF the sentries always on
duty patrolled the cul.de-sac at inter.
vals, but that. to the mind OF the de.
tective. was not an insuperabe OBJ.
stacle to the escape Of any one from
the building. He ascertained that the
door into the cul-de-sac was very rare.
ly used, and had not been opened for
long time, as the office itself was
only storeroom for documents, and
days often passed without anyone 20.
Ing into 1t. Critical examination, how.
ever, revealed to Danevltch that the
outer door had been opened very re.
Gently. This was determined by sew.
eral minute signs which were mani.
Test to the practlsed eyes OF the
famous sleuth. But something more
was forthcoming to confirm his theory.
On the floor OF Bureau I he found two
or three diamonds, and in the passage
OF the cul-de.sac he picked up some
more. Here was clear proof that the
thief or thieves had made exit that
way. Owing TO rough handling or to
the jarrlng OF the stolen treasures
some OF the precious stones had be.
come detached and few OF them
had fallen unperceived to the ground.
II seemed tolerably certain that the
criminals must have been well &C.
quain,ed with the premises. The fact
OF the robbery having been committed
on the Wednesday, which was gov.
eminent holiday. showed that 1t had
been well planned. The Importance
OF the discovery OF the way by which
the intruders had effected their es.
cape could not be overrated, and yet
1t was OF still greater Importance that
the way they had entered should be
determined. The probability was that
those concerned had lain hidden In
the building from the closing time on
Tuesday night until the business was
completed. which must have been
during the hours OF darkness from
Tuesday night TO Wednesday morning
or Wednesday night and Thursday
morning. In the latter case, however,
the enterprising exploiters must have
remained on the premises the whole
OF Wednesday, and that was scarcely
likely. They could not have entered
on Wednesday. because as II was a
nonbusiness day a stranger or stran.
gers seeking admission would have
been challenged by the sentries and
not allowed to pass without a special
permit. At night password was al.
ways sent around to the people re.
siding In the building. and II they went
out they could not gain entrance
again without the password.
Altogether something like sixty
persons had lodgings In the treasury
building, but only fourteen OF these
persons. Including Kuntzler himself,
were attached to the museum portion.
The generals apartments were lust
above the hall In which the crown
jewels were kept. He had a suite OF
rooms, six In number, including
kitchen and servants sleeping room.
He was a widower, but his sister lived
with him as his housekeeper. She
was a widow and her name was Anna
lvanorna. The general also had an
adopted daughter. pretty girl OF
about twenty years OF age. named
Lydia. She was the child OF one OF
the generals former comrades. who
had been killed on the field OF battle.
For obvious reasons Danevitch made
close study OF the generals house.
hold and 80 learned the above par.
ticulars.
As may be imagined. the generals
death was a terrible blow TO his family
and Lydia, In particular. grieyed so
hat hA