Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-09-22

robbed Of valuable negotiable securi
ties"
It was signed by his banker friend
of the day before M. Robert re-
sponued at once, and after reaching
the rural bank obtained complete de-
scription of the stolen bonds. He ex-
pressed confidence in his ability to re-
cover them within a reasonably short
time. He returned to Paris and began
the work of obtaining information con-
corning the securities. It was not a
difficult task; indeed, M. Robert
looked upon 1t as one Of the routine
features of his daily work. It did not
present any intricate phases; 1t was
simply a matter of tracing stolen
property, sort of property that could
not be offered for sale without excit-
ing suspicion. At the end of the third
day Robert learned that a well-known
thief, named Oscar Vialard, had been
in the financial quarter Of the city
offering to dispose of some Of the
stolen securities. He started out i'm
mediately to apprehend the fellow. He
knew the haunts of thieves well
enough to know just where to look for
such a person. The first two or three
places he visited yielded no results,
but finally, entering a cafe on the
Boulevard ST. German, he found the
person in whom he was interested,
seated at table with some compan-
ions, just in the act of topping of an
elaborate meal with a very green
looking cream de menthe. The officer
slipped in quietly. He noticed that
Vialard had a letter in front Of him.
1t was mere scrap Of paper. The of
ficer touched the thief on the Shout
der.
Come, my friend" he said, II would
like~to interview you at my Office"
To his surprise, the thief grabbed
the small scrap of paper and, crushing
it up into a little ball, put it in his
mouth and tried TO swallow it. The
detective determined to recover that
bit Of paper at all hazards. He Crap
pied with Vialard, threw him on his
back and then forced his jaws open
by brute force. The man struggled
like maniac, but finally yielded and
gave up the crumpled piece Of paper.
It was an undated and unsigned letter
written to a thief named Blum, who
was then in jail. The epistle was
commonplace and apparently had no
significance, but Robert had been a
thief taker for too many years to per-
NIT any trifle to look like tr1fie In
his eyes. Vialard was taken into Gus
tody and then Robert arranged his
plan of campaign. First, he recovered
the stolen securities; after that, which
was an easy task, they were returned
to the country banker, and the detec-
tive proceeded to see how much more
he could develop from the circum-
stances that confronted him.
One morning he sent for an officer
and had the prisoner Blum brought to
his office. He told him to take seat
in an armchair next to the window,
which overlooked courtyard leading
from one side of the police headquar-
tiers to the other He had placed the
fellow where the light fell squarely on
his face. M. Robert pretended to be
busily engaged at his work, but all
the while he was intently watching
Blum's countenance. At given sig
nal two uniformed men appeared in
the courtyard with Valiard handcuffed
between them. AS Blum saw his pal
under these significant circumstances
he Jumped from his chair and gave
cry of distress.
M. Robert noticed 1t and said to him
IN a tone of deem emnhaStS:
s'Well my friend, you see that the
game is up
Blum looked at him with terror in
his eyes. He moistened his dry lips
with his tongue and echoed in STAN
mering voice:
"The game-the game Is up?"
eyes" said the detective, blithely,
"and further concealment would be
folly"
eyes," finished M. Robert, with a
smile on his face, 'syour pal has con-
fessed everything"
Blum turned to him eagerly.
ut is not too late for me to tell the
truth, is it?"
NO." was the calm response. ut Is
never too late to be truthful"
Then, in an endeavor to set himself
straight and to prove that he was
more sinned against than SHINING, the
thief poured out his amazing confes-
sion.
M. Robert sat there and listened
with placid face and cool demeanor,,
but his heart beat little quicker
than usual and it was all that he could
do to remain passive. And no wonder:
For the thief before him was telling in
short, quick words, the story of the
murder Of Gilbert, the old shopkeeper
on the Rue Madame.
Blum had jumped to the conclusion
that he had been betrayed by Vialard,
and he confessed that he had accom-
panied Vialard to the house and had
guarded the door while his pal stran-
g1ed the old man to death. They did
not intend to commit murder, and
when they found that M. Gilbert was