Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-12

After the adventure Of the Box OF
Borneos, which / have already de-
scribed, and which Peter Crewe was
enabled to solve by his peculiar op-
teal powers, We struck up a warm
II was arranged that we
should work together In the future for
the solution Of any similar difficulties
which might come to me in the course
of my professional career. We had
to catch the next steamship
for America. but on the day before
she sailed there occurred in London
robbery OF such a mysterious charac-
ter that neither OF us could resist the
temptation 70 remain and lend our
aid 20 the discovery OF the criminal.
Everybody remembers how the IA
nous Gwyn jewels we're stolen from
The Tower Of London. These emer-
AIDS, which had a historic rather
than any especial intrinsic value. had
been presented by Charles ii. to his
famous favorite, and we're preserved
in a small chamber In the Tower.
where were stored miscellaneous
treasures OF secondary importance
not usually placed on public exhibi-
ton. They were kept in an isolated
building, a round turret which ran
straight up to a height OF seventy
feet, and was absolutely inaccessible
from the outside. the brick walls af-
fording not the slightest foothold. In
fact there was no direct access to
this tower at all, since It connected
With the main building by a series or
passagewuys. intricate. and entirely
unapproachable except from the GEN.
ira building. 200 yards away. which
was guarded by a file OF soldiers.
This turret had a small barred win
dow overlooking the road. GO feet up.
II was too high for any thief to throw
up a graphing hook; in short moth
ing but a freman's ladder could have
gained access to It from the outside.
Yet in spite OF this the window was
entered from the outside. a bar was
removed from the mortar setting. and
the thief gained entrance, obtained
possession OF the emeralds and calm
ly descended. unobserved. The rob-
berry was not discovered until the fol-
lowing day. by which time the perpe-
traitor of the crime had got safely
away.
The daring nature OF the crime ex.
cited all London. It was certain that
no ladder had been used to gain ad-
vnittanCe While the tower was un.
.-arded. persons were continually
passing and repassing in the road be
meath. and any such device would
have been speedily detected. the
more so inasmuch as any ladder
placed against the wall would have
been set at such an angle that II
would have blocked the sidewalk I'M
ierneath.
On the third day after the robbery
he amCraids were discovered in the
rawushop ~ q notorious fence" II
'Vhitechepel region. They had beer
eft there by an Italian, the man con
fessed, when threatened with prose
-u.ion. Neighbors OF the pawubrokeI
rorhrmod this statement An timer
ant organ grinder. accompanied by 1
1awnshop or the day after the rob
berry HIS monkey seemed 20 b,
sick. one neighbor added. II wa
wrapped in blankets and lay listlessl.
On the top of the organ. II was al
extremely large animal and those VIII
saw ~ had received the impression
that It was a chimpanzee. but nothing
I OF it could be seen. since II wa
swRthed from head to foot
Ofhnr
statement II was furthermor,
( known that an Italian organ-g rinde
/ had been seen in the vicinity OF tn
{ tower for several days before the rol
/. berry. Although he had chosen tn
worst place for the plying Of hi
|, trade. and had taken in PRACTICAL
\ nothing he had cheerfully ground OF
bis tunes day after day at the base {
the turret. His monkey. howeve
lay on the top Of the organ. just a
II Jbe other witnesses had described
ard never stirred a muscle Som
children. who had tried TO pet 1
we're angrily "shooed" away by tn
organ-grinder. who asserted that III
1. animal was sick.
That was all that could be learuet
&. All the itinerant organ-grinders 1
& London were promptly investigate
81 b. the police. but no man with sue
1 an animal was found. Although ii
Jewels had been recovered fear {
4 other daring robberies Of a simils
Il kind impelled the authorities to pros
/ cute their search in the most vigoror
II, manner
The first thing to do" said Crew
70 me. when we had agreed to do oil
!. best TO unravel the mystery. lis I
'ii look at the turret."
NJ. We went thither accordingly an
III found curious crowd standing in
solid phalanx az the base of II
tower. gazing up at the trick wall
/. while a couple of policemen stolid
moved them on whenever their nur
bers became too great for sire
traffic 70 pass. II seemed impossib
that anyone could have scaled thol
walls without a ladder
Hi DO you suppose the man sent b
III monkey up?" hazarded.
Ill Crewe smiled and shook his head
X! "A monkey might possibly be alb
lil TO find a foothold in the bricks" |
Nl said. Put how could Il have saw
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