El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-09
By Mathew james.

- ~ NE Of the SmarteSt little
robberies that has ever come
~ under my notice." said de-
tectiYe Hunter. of Scotland Yard, as he
musingly lit his first cigar one night
recently at my rooms in Portman
Square, was that perpetrated in the
autumn of last year upon a Mr.. Silas
Jay, then residing in a pretty little
house known as COralbank,' and stu
ated about half mile beyond Wind
Sor."
I was on the alert in an instant. for
there were few things 1 like better
than listening to one of detective
hunters professional experiences.
Perhaps" he said, after a few mo-
ments' reflection, 4 had better give
You the particulars as they were mar
rated to me by Mr.. Silas Jay himself,
since l personally had nothing to do
with the case"
The ran as follows:
First must explain that Mr.. Jay,
who was bachelor, was a man of
many prejudices. He suspected every
body, and regarded all recognized and
established Institutions with Unquah-
fled diStruSt. Those that were nation
al were torpid and inert, and therefore
mere shams; while those that We're not
were established chiefly for the fatteu-
ing Of financiers by any process, hon
est or otherwise, but more generally
otherwise.
The existing police system held
prominent position in the category,
while banking houses figured no less
conspiciously 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 SPINDLE him out Of his money,
his fortune would not be very mater
tally impaired. Well, among these
banking houses was one situated in
Windsor. which for the sake of con-
venience, he always used when at
home and in this bank the sum Of
$4,000 was deposited.
How the rumOr reached him 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 lie
had heard it whispered they cOntem-
plated suspendlng payment and de-
handing an immediate surrender OF
his credit balance Of $4,000
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 a hun
dred $500 and two hundred $50 notes.
These, as he afterwards explained to
me, he intended depOsiting the follow
ing day in another of the local banks.
But this intention was frustrated.
Early the next morning il was dis
covered that during the night an en-
try had been effected into the house,
and the alarmed Mr.. Jay, descending
hastily 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 distracted
from the drawer in which he had
locked it The smaller, but more val
liable, parcel he had placed. for great
er security, in a secret compartment
Of his secretary, and this, to his in
tense relief, he found to be intact.
The righteousness Of the continuance
had baffled the thief, who had been
forced to retire without securing the
bulk Of the money.
Mr.. Jay dispatched a servant with
a telegram, which he had himself in
dited, requesting the authorities at
Scotland Yard to send down detect
i've at the earliest possible oppOr-
tunity"
Half an hour later the servant re-
turned without having dispatched the
telegram, and accompanied by a tall,
shreWd looking. business like man
Of about IS. He was Immediately con-
Quoted to the library, where without
loss of time he introduced both him
self and his errand to the astonished
Mr.. jay. He spoke with a quick in
telligent precision that was not with
out its effect on his listener.
Mr.. Silas Jay, I believer he said
briskly. Il CHANGED to be in the tele-
graph office when your servant en-
tered, and, observing the direction OF
the message she was about TO dispatch
took the liberty of interrupting it IN
til I had seen you But first allow
me to introduce myself"
He took a card from his pocket and
laid it on the table. Mr.. jay picked
it up and read the name, ''Mr. Walter
Craft, detective inspector, Scotland
Yard"
LAS you you see," resumed the
stranger in a matter of fact tone, Il
am connected with the establishment
to which your telegram was directed,
and. this being so. I took the fur
Their liberty of making myself ac-
quainted with its contents. The clos
ing wOrds-"earliest possible opportu-
nifty particularly appealed to my
professional recognition of the value
of time being on the spot, I have come
straight to you to offer my services
in discovering the perpetrator OF per-
petrators of the robbery which took
place here last night. the chief particU-
lars of which I have already elected
from your servant"
Mr. Jay rose from his chair.
Il am glad you came" he said.
The detective bowed, and then, re-
Stunning his brisk, business like air,
which appeared to afford his listener
no small satisfaction, said: Then
let us begin at once"
Had you any other money in the
house," His keen, gray eyes searched
MT Jay Idce.
The latter hesitated. He was at all
times a suspicious man.. But the de-
tective's keen insight into the position
of things had strongly preposseSsed
himself in his favor. while his char
alter was no doubt unimpeachable. So
after a moments consideration. he told
the story of the untouched parcel Of
bank notes, even going so far. in the
eXuberance of his spirits at the thiefs
failure, as to touch the secret spring
which opened the hidden compartment
and reveal to the detective the notes
within. As he did so, however he
to regret the action. for he
made movement as if to recIose the
compartment, but the detective stopped
him.
Pardon me-" he said quickly, but
did 1 understand you to say that you