The Raymer enterprise., 1911-05-18


preliminary - 'lfactk
were these: For perhaps a year and
half one Of New York's many smart
sets-since the days OF Ward McAllis.
ter the four hundred has grown to con.
siderably more than four thousand
had been mystified and annoyed by
series Of totally inexplicable robberies,
evidently perpetrated by some person
or persons who either had the entree
or who knew perfectly the habits OF
those forming the coterIe In question.
The trouble began with notable
Jewel robbery at Mrs. Alger's cotillon
and dance. the thief getting away with
hundred thousand dollars worth OF
gems. Next. while Mrs. Kendig's din.
ner guests were at table some one"
looted the upstairs apartments to the
tune Of half as much. Then came the
loss OF priceless balas ruby at the
Minor mansion. said rcby having
been passed around among the guests
for admiration, but which never came
back to Its owners hands These cases
occurred In town. But neither were
certain country places immune the
Jerdan place at Wheatley and the
Madren camp" In the Adirondacks
being noble Instances where the loot
was almost fabulous In value owing to
the pleasant habit peculiar to Ameri.
nf rarrytpn I'll
them all their portable wealth In dia-
monds. pearls. and rubles. even to
such inadmissible places as a so.called
bungalow" In the woods.
Although the losses must have to.
tailed nearly a cool million. the pluto.
Gratis most concerned had been con.
tent to pocket their losses without
"squealing" to the regular police or
nt the cost OF national notoriety
through appealing to the pinkertons.
However. patience ceases to be a
virtue even among those delectable
ones who possess more money than
they can possibly spend-or squander.
SO when. after some months OF bliss.
fui quiet, during which period the
guilty gang or the equally culpable
individual had been fattenlng on the
last haul, the BattermaD cottage" at
Newport was entered and It's fair
guests despoiled Of gauds appraised at
a quarter million. the masculine ap.
perdages OF these fair ones resolved
that the thing had gone far enough"
Above all they dreaded that vulgar
thing called "publicity"-to occupy the
public eye In that way savofs too
much OF Reno. But rigid and Judi.
cious probing was determined upon:
TO the discreet but none the less mer-
ciless Investigator. F!nney Valentine,
late inspector Of police. the task OF
fcrreting out the guilty was com.
mitted
After pocketing a fat retainer. lis.
'enirg to the accounts of the various
rohberies. and securing fairly accu.
rate description OF the chief articles
Of stolen jewelry, Valentines next
move was to call for lists OF the house.
guests who had been present at the
various functions In both town and
country
Many-indeed most-of these names
he was able to blue pencil" at n
glance as being. like Caesars wife,
beyond suspicion. although sleuth.like
he made ample allowance for a well.
known fact In criminal annals,-that
oven the wealthiest sometimes have
strange obsessions and a queer indif
ference to the rights OF meum and
tuum Naturally. also, he found the
same people appearing again and
?gnin. at dance. or dinner. or house
party. and In one way that fact help
cd to narrow the scope OF his investi.
cation.
But after some days and nights OF
careful winnowlng and elimination, by
sort OF reverse process OF natural
selection. the master.detectiye was i'm.
pressed by the fact that one mans
name was invariably present on every
occasion where the robberies had oc.
curred.-a name OF almost national
reputation In old Knickerbocker so
clety and afillations,-that OF Roslyn
Cayanna. Other men and women came
!nd went; some were guests on two
or three occasions yet missing on
others. But the name OF young Ca.
wanna was never wanting at those
iateful times.
or course. the fact might be ascrib.
Cd to pure accident or the merest co.
Incidence. and yet-obviously II were
Wise to look into the antccedents OF
MIR. Roslyn Cavanna, son of a sire now
deceased. born to considerable wealth,
high roller from his college days,
daring crosscountry rider. polo.
player, and yachtsman.- some said
reckless gambler on the race.track or
over the green tables, and daring
but unlucky speculator on the street"
--reputed to have long since dissI.
pated a half million inheritance and
reported to be on the lookout for n
rich wife to recoup his bankrupt for.
tunes.
These and some other thngs Finney
Valentine jotted down In his casebook.