Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-06-02
He Left aClew a
Behind Him
BY GROVER J. GRIFFIN

l was down on my luck and alto
gether discouraged. | had come to the
city six months before with $400 in
my pocket to look for a position. All
but 81 was gone, and had not found
the position. Besides, owed a board
bill which l couldn't pay. l decided
to go home, but didn't like to remove
my baggage without paying my in
debtedness, SO left my trunk and all
my clothes except what l absolutely
needed. These rolled in a bundle
and carried out under my arm. |
would write my landlady from home
that l had left and was not coming
back.
On my way to the station, passing
trunk store, thought l would go in
and buy a cheap bag in which to car
ry my belongings. My ticket to my
home would be $3.50, so hadn't much
to spare for the luxury of a satchel.
| found a man in the store looking at
some suit cases. He bought one and
transferred some clothing and a pack
age to it from suit case that l thought
as good as the one he purchased and
asked the storekeeper to throw the
latter away. AS soon as he was gone
I asked the storekeeper what he would
take for the case that had been left,
and when he said 30 cents l bought 1t.
| did not notice till was boarding
the train that it was marked on one
end with the letters "E. R. NJ" and
then my attention was called to them
by a man standing near the car steps
looking at them with considerable at
tention. He followed me in, took a
seat directly behind me and, pulling
out a newspaper, began to read. 1t
was not till we had left the city limits
that he leaned forward and said:
"How are you. Nayler?"
"My name is not Nayler," I said.
"You are mistaken in your man."
"You are Edward Nayler, alias Bill
Shanks. alias Pete Devon, and you
don't want to deny 1t with your initials
on the end of your suit case. The only
thing that puzzles me Is that you
should attempt to get away with the
swag with such dead give away about
you"
l told the man how / had come to
buy the suit case and, opening it, show
ed him that it contained nothing but
clothes He believed my story and at
once asked me If l would know the
man to whom the case had belonged.
told him would. Then he said that
the fellow had been a valet in an i'm
mensely wealthy family and had walk
ed Off with some $4,000 worth of jew
els. A maid in the same service who
was implicated in the theft had con-
fessed to my informant that Nayler
was to leave the city on that train, but
he would doubtless be disguised. HE
will probably wear the same clothes
and make up as when you saw him in
the trunk store" added the man behind
me, "for he wouldn't have had time to
make change. l wish you would go
through the train and spot him."
"What is there in 1t for me?" asked.
The man who was working for re-
ward Of $4,000 offered for the recov.
cry Of the jewels dickered with me for
| some time, offering me amounts rang
Ing between tenth and half of all
he was to get out Of It. / closed with
him on half, and. going rapidly
through the train to the baggage car, I
turned and walked back slowly, look
ing carefully at every one 1 recog-
nized my man in the next car ahead of
the one l had been riding In.
My friend-Dawson was his name
was delighted. and, taking some paper
and fountain pen from his pocket, he
wrote an agreement to pay me what
he had verbally agreed to pay in case
of success. Then we changed our seats
into the next car forward, where we
could keep an eve on Mr.. Nayler.
Dawson wrote a telegram to the chief
of pelice at the first large place on our
route to have force Gs the station to
arrest man, and at aAr first stop |
| got out and sent 1t, having first arrang-
ed with the conductor to hold the train
for me.
On approaching the place where the
arrest was to be made | stood at the
front door and Dawson at the rear, so
that from whichever door he went out
we could keep track of him. That he
would leave the train at that point we
felt confident, for the conductor had
Informed us that his ticket would car
! ~ him no farther. II he did not we