The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-06-13
How the Jewels
Were Carried
Off
By EDNA c. WHITNEY

well, reckon I've done my share
Of it," he replied. The crooks study
to Eeat us and we study to beat them.
It's to be expected that well get the
wprst Of it sometimes It's like other
things one has TO learn. matter of eX
perience When began ! got fooled
lots o times The trouble with me was
that was too smart"
Tell me about one Of your curious
cases"
Zone had only few years ago had
some points Of interest in it. We got
an anonymous letter stating that the
butler and lady's maid ut swell house
in a suburban town would run away
on certain night carrying 10, of
plumber in jewels with them. We were
cautioned. however. against giving
away the information. All we were eX
pected TO do was to be on hand and
take 'em in when they started out.
well. | concluded to go by the let
ter | received. It's best not to take
matter of that kind into your own
hands lest you spoil it all. We went
to the place an hour before the expect
ed exit and waited till an hour after
the time. was getting pretty tired
and was about to give it up. thinking
the case was one of those bits of false
information detective agents get so
much of. when | saw a figure moving
along the side Of the house staggering
under something. | couldn't tell what.
Getting nearer, | saw him put ladder
up to one of the back windows, then
throw a handful of gravel against the
panes.
81 waited and In few minutes saw
something white waving in the win
dow. The sash had been put up, but
so carefully that / hadn't heard any
noise. The next thing | could distin-
guish was something dark coming
down the ladder, but 1t was so dark !
couldn't see things continuously. /
heard slight sound, which judged to
be the ladder removed from under the
window, then saw or heard nothing
more till two figures passed within
few yards of where | was standing be-
hind tree. followed in their wake.
and when they got out in the road ]
could see that they were man and
woman, the man carrying a suit case.
''They took the direction of the rail
way station, and when they reached
the street leading down to it they di-
verged, and / knew just what they
were going to do. There was only one
train leading into the'city at that hour
Of the night, and they had timed their
exit to take it.
'They reached the station ten min
utes before the schedule time for the
train, and I went up on to the plat
form as though intending to take the
train myself. I made up my mind as
soon as looked at them that / had
slick pair to deal with. They were
made up first class. No one would
ever have taken the butler for any
thing, but a gentleman, and the maid
must have been prettier than her mis-
tress. They were both in travelling rig.
and, though they probably had on their
masters and mistress clothes. their
costumes fitted perfectly.
II thought 1t best to take them in
before the train came along, so walk
ed up to them and said to the man,
I'll trouble you for that suit case
There was a scene, Of course, but
had an assistant ready and called him.
took the suit case from the hands Of
the butler and demanded the key. He
gave it to me at once, and, opening the
case, there. sure enough, were the jew
els mixed in with women's lingerie.
"'See here, said the fellow, this is
robbery at an unfrequented railway
station at midnight. Now, I'll make
you an offer. We are clipping. and I've
got a hundred dollars in my pocket
I'll give you rather than be exposed
Let us go with our property and the
money is yours
II laughed at him. telling him that
had been informed of the 'elopement'
and was not to be fooled by his story.
The lady's maid was about to go into
Mysteries when two girls and two fel-
lows rushed out from a dark corner.
one Of the girls shouting: It's all right.
Mr.. Detective. l put up a joke on
them. wrote that letter, knowing
they were going to elope, but didn't
know, Kit, you'd take 1t so hard
"She put her arms around the elop-
ing girl and tried to quiet her, which
was no easy job. The groom looked
as though he would like to kill this
joking friend who had brought her
friends with her to see the fun.
"As soon as ! saw that it was q
genuine elopement, with a frolic Of
\ youngsters added, took the matter
In good part, pronounced 1t a capital
joke and interceded with the bride and
groom for the joker's forgiveness. She
was the brides sister, and it was all
In the family. But there wasn't much
time to make up. for the train whis-
tied and I'm few moments pulled up
to the station. The clippers got aboard.
and the young scamps who had played
the joke fred a volley of rice and old
shoes at them as the train pulled out
That's the biggest sell on me ever
had In this detective business"
ut was pretty serious joke to play.
wasn't ity'
Serious! Did you ever hear Of a
young madcap like that taking any.
thing seriously? That girl wouldn't