Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-03-13
TheGibSon
Robbery
A Smart Piece of
Detective Work
By cLARIssA r1AcKIH

"Mr. HarleyT" Inquired the white
haired. elderly man, stepping Into the
private Office Of the junior member Of
the law 6rm.
81 am Rogers" said that young man
e%ourteously. my partner. Mr.. Harley,
has not yet returned from lunch. Did
you wish to see him particularly
mo. Either one will do" returned
the other hastily. ~ was directed here
by my friend DR.. Brown. He gave me
to understand that your hrm did a lit
tie detective work now and then"
Hardly that" returned Rogers, plac-
ing a chair for his client and regaining
his own seat, "but In the course OF our
practice we have CHANGED upon a mum
Der Of curious cases that we were for.
tunate enough to unravel. As a matter
Of fact. we are rather fond OF that sort
Of thing. although it is not q branch Of
our business"
The visitor frowned thoughtfully for
a moment and then looked sharply at
the young lawyer.
'In spite Of what you say perhaps !
can prevail upon you to undertake a
delicate matter for me. 1t is in the
line Of detective work, but it requires
unusual tact, something that the aver
age detective does not possess. This Is
not the mere shadowing of a suspected
party. 1t is an endeavor to hnd a thief
among a group Of people none Of
whom could possibly be guilty OF
theft" He leaned back and smiled at
Rogers look Of dismay.
Tough proposition, chr
Rather. 1t sounds interesting. With.
out consulting my partner I'll say that
we will take 1t up as a recreation after
business hours"
"DOneT' returned the visitor heartily.
Drawing a cardcase from his pocket,
be laid a bit Of pasteboard on Rogers
desk and leaned back in his chair.
my name is Gibson-James Addison
Gibson" he said. noddlng toward the
card, land my house was robbed last
evening Of $4,000 worth Of Jewels"
Rogers sat up in his chair and lis.
tened intently.
ut happened at my country home al
ShorecliRe. My wife and 1 were enter
taining six friends from Manhattan
all people Of refinement and impecca
BILE honesty.
During the evening Mrs. Gibson
mentioned that she had just received q
necklace Of diamonds as n birthday
~lRk R-or, ~ ana she hrouOhf nntf fhn
Jewel case and displayed the necklace
to her friends. It was greatly admired,
and l was about to close the case and
replace It In my safe In the library
when both my wife and myself were
summoned to the telephone by an
urgent message"
"was the message really IN urgent
One2"
at proved to be an error. There
was some mistake about the number
and the MT. and Mrs. Gibson called FOL
were really my brother and his wife
who lived over on the East road"
80 your absence from the room wal
really unnecessarily"
$50 It appears"
add any one enter or leave the room
during your absencer'
81 cannot find that any one remem.
bers. ! have questioned the servants
and all are unanimous in the protest
that they had not entered the room
that evening"
"whO brought the message from thu
telephoneT'
"Pun Shah. my Hindu butler"
Rogers was silent for a long time
and then be asked one more question
add Pun Shah enter the room wheI
he called you and Mrs. Gibson outside
or did he stand in the doorway"
HE merely stood in the doorway ant
gave the message"
May / have the names OF the ST.
guests who were present that even
mgr
Mr.. Gibson nodded.
Rogers drew forth a pencil ana note
book. "Please give a brief description
Of each one as you mention the name
not forgetting TO give me the chile
CHARACTERISTICS that mark each ind
viduaL"
First. there was Rodney Stone. th
poet a dreamy young chap. with hi
lovely wife. who Is quite content I
shine In the reflection OF his glory.
Then came DIR. Latimer. a brillian
physician. now driven to death wit
an immense practice. II he keep
on his present pace without cessatio
from work he will end In a madhousC
Besides DIR. Latimer, there was Nine
Finelll. the Drlma donna, who. a
you no doubt have heard. posscsse
an emotional temperament as wei
as n wonderful voice. Last OF a
we're the Huxfords. father aud soI
busy Wall street men. almost to
tagged out to ~recollect what the mech
lace looked like ave minutes after m
wife had displayed IT,"
Those were the six who were alOn
with the iewelsT'
"Yes.'
"And they are all unanimous In say
ing that not one person entered th
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