The Washington herald., 1913-12-07

shall come" So I told him again, and
he wrote 1t down. "Bantock, 1s. Harwood
Street. Oxford Street"
II 1 had seen what said I saw. We
went four in a cab-the two detectives,
Mr.. Collegiate and I. We had gone some
distance before the cab stopped. The
London detective said:
This Is Harwood Street; I told the
driver to stop at the corner-we will
walk the rest OF the way. A cab might
arouse suspicion; you never know.
1t was a street full OF shops. Nc. Il
proved to be a sort of curiosity shop
and jewelers. combined; quite a respect
able-looking place, and sure enough over
the top OF the window was the name
"Bantock."
That looks as II, at any rate, there
were Bantock." the big man said; IT
was quite a weight on my own mind
when 1 saw the name
Just as We reached the shop a cab
drew up and five men got out, whom the
London detective seemed to recognize
with mingled feelings.
That's queered the show" he ex-
claimed. did not know what he meant.
They rouse suspicion, II they do moth
ing else-so in we co.
And in we went-the detective first, and
close on his heels. There were two
young men standing close together be-
] hind the counter. The instant we ap-
peared saw one whisper to the other:
Give them the office-ring the alarm
beIl-they're 'tecs"'
I did not quite know what he meant
either. but guessed enough to make
me cry out:
Don't let him move-he's going to ring
the alarm bell and give them the office"
Those young men were SO startled
they must have-been quite sure that
could not have heard-that they both
stood still and stared; before they had
got over their surprise a detective-they
were detectives who had come in the
second cab-had each by the shoulder
There was q door at the end Of the
/
There's a staircase here; we'd better
go up and see who's above. You chaps
keep yourselves handy. you may be
wanted-when I call you come"
He mounted the stairs-as before, I
was as close to him as I could very
well get. On the top Of the staircase
was landing. on to which two doors
opened. We paused to listen: could
distinctly hear voices coming through
one OF them.
II think this is ours" the London de-
tective said.
He opened the one through which the
voices were coming. He marched in-I
was still as close to him as I could get.
In 1t were several men, 1 did not know
how many, and did not care; I had
eyes for only one. 1 walked right past
the detective up to the table round
which some o. them were sitting. some
standing, and stretching out an accusa-
tory arm I pointed at one.
That's the man who cut OF my hair
It was, and well he knew 1t. He
caught hold. with both hands, of the
side OF the table; he glared at me as If
were some dreadful apparition-and no
doubt to him was. 1t was only with
a. effort that he seemed able to use his
voice.
Good nightr' he exclaimed. TITS that
internal kid!'
On the table, right in front Of me-
saw something with which was only
too familiar. snatched 1t up.
And this is the knife" cried, with
which he did it!'
I held 1t out toward the gaping man.
You know that this is the knife with
which you cut OF my hair" said. you
know it is.
by the living Jingo" he shouted. 81
wish had cut your throat with 1t as
WE'LL"
That was the greatest capture the po-
lice had made for years. In one haul
they captured practically every member
of a gang Of cosmopolitan thieves who
were wanted by the police all over the
world. The robbery OF Mr.. colegats's
collection Of OIL silver shrank into insig
nihcance before the rest OF their mis-
deeds. And not only were the thieves
taken themselves, but the proceeds Of
no end Of robberies.
The man-who called himself Bantock.
and who owned the premises at Ii, Har-
wood Street, proved to be a well-known
dealer in precious stones and jewelry
and bric-a-brac and all sorts Of valu-
ables. He was immensely rich; II was
shown that q great deal Of his money
had been made by buying and selling
valuable stolen property Of every sort
and kind. He was sentenced to long
term Of penal servitude- 1 am not quite
sure, but I believe that he died in jail
All the men who were in that room
were sent to prison for different terms.
including the man who cut my hair-to
say nothing Of his companion.
Every time looked at my scanty
locks, which took years to grow to any
thing like q decent length-they had
reached to my knees, but they never did
that again-each time stood before
looking glass and saw what curious
spectacle 1 presented with my closely
clipped poll. something Of that old rage
came back to me which had been during