Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-25

lieved him. It was all very quick.
Within . week we were secretly en-
gagged. supposed that he was IN
American army officer on special duty.
And after we were betrothed, told
him about our troubles and my wish
to help Juan. My mind was made up
by that tme--I would sell my jewels
before my brother returned to prevent
me. told this to Captain Hanska.
He offered to help. He said that he
must 60 to England the next week, and
In England he could sell them to much
better advantage than In Port Of
Spain. Agreed trusted him abso-
lutely, you see. Then he told me that
he could dispose OF them more easily.
and for more money, II he appeared to
be the owner So made out and
signed a bill Of sale, describing In de-
tail every piece to the last ring and
pin, and transferring them absolutely
to him. Now know what a foolish
thing I;did.. For that made the jewels
his property In law, as surely as
though he had bought them from me.
The steamer on which he planned
to sail for England-he told me-was
due to leave Port of Spain on We'd
nesday morning. On Monday night he
visited mo and took away the jewels.
He said that he wanted to register
them In advance with the purser. He
promised to como again ON Tuesday
night. He did not appear. learned
the next morning that he had left on
Tuesday for New York. started for
the pier from which the Southampton
steamer sails, in order to see II there
was sny mistake. On the way, met
q, friend Of the family who had been
waiting to warn me. He had found
ont about Captain Hanska's career In
Caracas. He proved to mo that the
professional gambler. Then I'M
derstood. told no one about the
jewels until Juan came back; but Il
wrote letter to Captain Hanska In
care Of the steamship company.
Somehow, 1t reached him. He answer
ed 1t with cold letter, claiming the
jewels absolutely and stating that he
bought them from me.
THAT arrived Just after Juan came
back from Caracas. Juan had not sue
ceeded In raising money. The planta-
ton went into bankruptcy. That is the
matter with my eyes. They had al.
ways Oeen troublesome. But now
gave them real disease by weeping
over the loss of our property"
(Here, as Miss Estrilla made her
statement, she spoke broken phrases
about another loss. The police ques-
toned her infinitely to discover what
she meant. Upon finding that she re-
ferred merely to the loss OF q whole
hearts love they dismissed this part
of her statement as immaterial, and
did rot enter 1t upon the record.)
81 told Juan, of course. He was
very kind to me. He did not reproach
me. But we could do nothing, he
found. Captain Hanska had landed In
New York-the passenger lists showed
that. 1t was certain that he had SNUG
gled the jewels into the United States
without paying duty; and We confirmed
that afterward. Juan has found out
10 great deal since then about Jewel
smuggling. The agents Of your gov
eminent watch the big purchases In
Europe, and notify the custom house
to look out for them. But an irregu-
lar purchase at Q remote point like
Port OF Spain--it IL easy for an ex-
pert to smuggle such jewels through
the customs. We decided at last to
go to the United states and see II we
could get them back-if not the Jewels,
at least the bill Of sale because II the
diamonds were in our possession with
the bill OF sale destroyed, we could
prove BY half the people In Port OF
Spain that they were ours. We were
safe in stealing them from him-per-
fectly safe For he would not dare com.
plain to the New York police, since
II he claimed them publicly, we could
have hem arrested for smuggling. K
/ Juan thought that all out. We took
what little motley we had left and
started for New York, telling our
friends that we we're going to settle In
New Orleans. Juan wrote to our uncles
IN Caracas and secured the New York
agency for small asphalt company
Of theirs. That was done to conceal
out real reason for being here. On
the voyage, my eyes grew worse. l
cried so much. I was very Ill with
them when ! landed.
Juan and took rooms apart. We
had learned enough about Captain
Hanska to know where we might look
for him. Juan traced him to Mrs.
Moore's clearinghouse. It seemed
certain that Captain Hanska had not
sold the Jewels yet. else he would not
be living so cheaply. The first thing
was to find where they were. Finally
Juan and formed a plan and acted
upon It..
tJuan had discovered that the back
room on the top floor Of Mrs. Moore's
house was vacant. Captain Hanska
Lived below; there was no good reason
for him ever to come up on that floor.
II took the vacant room, calling myself
Miss Estrilla, as You know. Juan had
been watching Captain Hanska like a
detective. He moved me in one day
when the Captain had gone to Staten
Island. MY presence In the house was
safer than 1t may seem to you. did
not leave my room even for meals,
since my eyes were really in very bad
condition. Then, i wore dark glasses,
an eye-shade and heavy scarf about
my head do not believe my own
mother would have known me. Cap
tain Hanska had never seen Juan or
his picture 1t just happened that
there were no photographs OF him IN
o,,r I, o,,so az Dnrt ~ Cnain