The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-08-05
THE HOLSTER
JEWEL ROBBERY
The Story of a Mysterious Theft

the Burns Detective Agency and re-
quested that an operative be sent to
their Offices at once.
Cornell" said the manager to me.
you haven't had any experience In
the burglary insurance line. but /
guess you can handle the work. Go
over and see what's up. And, say
Cornell. remember this: this agency
is retained by the year by this insu~-
ance company One OF our big Gus
toners. Treat their work accord
ingly."
found the Offices OF the ludepen-
dent Company In Forty-second
street building not TAR from Fifth ave-
nue.. On presenting my card l was
ushered at once into the private Of
fee of the vice president, Mr. Blaney
All! The man from the Burns
Agency" said Mr. Blaney. Cornell
is the name? All, yes; glad they sent
you, Mr.. Cornell. We've heard some
thing of your work You've never
handled an yof our cases have your"
Not any" I said.
well, fortunately this isn't a COM
I plicated case, or at least we don't
think 1t is. It's merely a case of In
vestigation to assure ourselves of the
| propriety of policy holders claim.
! A mere matter Of form, almost We
\ always investigate all claims for pay
ments, you know Sometimes we are
| convinced that something Is wrong;
/ then we instruct your agency to find
! something for us to start n fight on.
! In this case, 1t isn't anything like that
! In brief, Col. Malcolm y. HOLSTERS
! home up on Long Island sound was
| entered by burglars Saturday night
and Mrs HOLSTERS diamonds and
! pearls, valued a $4,000, and insured
! With us for $4,000, were stolen. There
is scarcely the slightest possibility
! that there is anything wrong in the
/ case. Col. HOLSTER is a fine, high
! minded man, a gentleman OF the old
/ school. He has paid this company
| thousands of dollars in premiums for
the last ten years and never presented
| a claim before this We are all Of
/ the opinion that we Will pay his claim
| in full, in due time. But--as q matter
/ of form, you understand--We're send
| ing you down to look the thing over.
/ BE careful, Mr.. Cornell, but be care
/ full of our interests as we'll as the
/ feelings of Col. HOLSTER and his fam
/ ily. Assure yourself that the burglary
was committed, that Mrs HOLSTERS
/ jewels were stolen, and report. That
is the case"
That was enough, for before / had
/ got through with it the HOLSTER case
/ had developed into case so sensa-
/ tional. so full OF strange features that
/ the Independent Burglary Insurance
/ Company never dreamed Of. that even
/ today it is spoken OF IN the Office OF
/ the agency as THE HOLSTER job"
Being new to tho work of investi-
/ eating burglarics for the insurance
/ company / went about the task in Il
/ way considerably different from that
| employed Dy the experienced investi-
/ gator ] did not 90 To the scene of
/ the robbery. The HOLSTER nome lay
| up among the hills of Long Island on
/ TIC sound. / had heard OF it as a
! good example of what taste and mod
! crate northumberland for New York
could do I'm making complete a
/ home ] had heard OF Col. HOLSTER,
too, in the same indirect way. lie
was a retired bond broker. apDroxi.
Z wately SO years old. Ills first wife
y
| years ago $40 had married again, this
time taking FOR bis bride Margaret
/ wandering, the Margaret wandering
: qhp for a brief space had won sseh
distinction in Bernard Shaw's plays.
, There had been some opposition to
the match at the time on the part of
Mr.. HOLSTERS two grown sons by his
first marriage After the wedding THIS
opposition was said 90 nave simmered
down until now report had 4 that Col
onel and Mrs. HOLSTER were happily
no peace with all the world, especially
including HOLSTERS two grown sons.
had seen pictures of both the Coz
onel and his young Wife I'm tho so
ciety sections Of the papers. The
Colonel was an ardent member VI the
Nassau Hunt Club. and Mrs. Hollistsr
was credited with having developed
great interest in aviation. This
served to keep them both I'm print
often enough 20 make them oOmpar-
atvcly well known.
Instead OF repairing at once to this
reputed ideal home Of wealth and cul-
ture, ] won't down town. AT the end
OF three hours work / entered the of
fees Of the broker with whom Col
HOLSTER had been associated I'm bust
ness. and who now handled tho old
geutlcman's Investments was
equipped with letters of introduction.
The news of the burglary had not
been made public SO. after Introducing
myself ae "a real est1te man whom
Col HOLSTER had approached with q
view of making extensive Investments,