Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-27

L ut
one night recently at my rooms In
Portman Square, was that perpetra-
ted in the autumn of last year upon a
Mr.. Silas Jay, then residing in a pretty
little house known as 'Coralbank,' and
situated about half a mile beyond
Windsor"
I was on the alert in an instant, for
there are few things I like better than
listening to one of Detective Hunters
professional experiences.
Perhaps" he said, after a few mo-
ments' reflection, Il had better give
you the particulars as they were mar
rated to me by Mr.. Silas Jay himself,
since 1 personally had nothing to do
with the case"
The story ran as follows:
First, must explain that Mr.. Jay,
who was a bachelor, was a man OF
many prejudices. He suspected every
body and regarded all recognized and
established institutions with unqualifi-
ed distrust. Those that were national
were torpid and inert and therefore
mere shams, while those that were not
were established chiefly for fattening
of financiers by any process, honest or
otherwise, but more generally other
wise
The existing police system held
prominent position in the former cate
CORY, while banking houses figured no
less conspicuously in the latter. This
last opinion induced him to distribute
his capital among six or seven banks
in order that, should any one Of them
fail and swindle him out Of his money,
his fortune would not be very material
" impaired. Well, among these bank
ing houses was one situated in Wind
sor. which, for the sake of convenience.
he always used when at home, and IN
this bank the sum Of $6O,O00 was de-
posted.
How the rumor reached him I was
never able to discover but one day In
October he presented himself in great
excitement at the offices of the bank in
question, declaring that he had heard 1t
whispered they contemplated suspend
ing payment and demanding an imme-
diate surrender of his credit balance OF
100000.
The manager Indignantly repudiated
the suspicion, but the old gentleman
was thoroughly frightened, and finally
the money was handed to him over the
counter in the shape Of hundred $500
and two hundred $50 notes. These, as
he afterward explained to me, he in
tended depositing the following day In
another of the local banks. But this
intention was frustrated.
Early the next morning 1t was dis
covered that during the night an entry
had been effected into the house, and
the alarmed Mr.. Jay, descending has
tily to the library, discovered, to his
modification, that the larger OF the
two parcels Of bank notes, of the value
of $4,000, had been abstracted from
the drawer in which he had locked 1t.
The smaller, but more valuable parcel
he had placed for greater security, In
a secret compartment Of his secretaire,
and this, to his intense relief, he found
to be intact. The ingeniousness OF the
contrivance had baff1ed the thief, who
had been forced to retire without Sc
curing the bulk of the money.
Mr.. Jay dispatched a servant with
telegram, which he had himself indit-
ed, requesting the authorities at Scot
land Yard to send down a detective at
the earliest possible opportunity"
Half an hour later the servant re-
turned without having dispatched the
telegram, and accompanied by tail'
shrewd- looking, business-like man OF
about thirty five. He was Immediately
conducted to the library, where with
out loss of time he introduced both
himself and his errand to the astonish-
ed Mr. Jay He spoke with quick
intelligent precision that was not with
out its effect on his listener.
Mr. Silas Jay, 1 believer he said
briskly. 81 chanced to be in the tele-
graph office when your servant enter
ed, and, observing the direction OF the
message she was about to dispatch
took the liberty of interrupting it un-
til had seen you. But first allow me
to introduce myself"
He took a card from his pocket and
laid in on the table. Mr. Jay picked II
up and read the name, Mr.. Walter
Craft, detective inspector, Scotland
Yard"
"As you see," resumed the stranger
in a matter Of fact tone, Il am con-
nected with the establishment to which
your telegram was directed, and, this
being so, 1 took the further liberty OF
making myself acquainted with Its
contents. The closing words-'earliest
possible neutrality-suspicious. ap'
pealed to my professional recognition
of the value of time, so, being on the
spot, l have come straight to you to or
fer nv services in discovering the per-
petrator or perpetrators of the robbery
which took place last night, the CHIEF
particulars Of which l have already
elicted from your servant"
Mr.. Jay rose from his chair.
IT am glad you came" he said.
The detective bowed, and then, re-
suming his brisk, busness-like air
which appeared to afford his listener M
small satisfaction, said: Then let u:
begin at once"
Had you any other money in th'
house?" His keen, gray eyes searched
Mr.. Jays face.
The latter hesitated. He was at al
times a suspicious man. But the de-
tective's keen insight into the position
of things had strongly prepossesse;
himself in his favor, while his charac
ter was no doubt unimpeachable. 80
after a moments consideration, ne toi'
sthe story of the untouched parcel D
bank notes, even going so far, in IN
exuberance of his spirits at the thief'
failure, as to touch the secret sprin:
which opened the hidden compartment
and reveal to the detective the not"
within. AS he did so, however, he ap
peared to regret the action, for h