The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-29

tsSlHE the latter part or the year lb 1892 MT. Clarence White, ks1es,sssssS manager for the firm of John tSsg.zl Bolland & Go. of St. Louis, who owned a large iewelry store in that city, called upon me in my office in the Chemical building.
 We are in trouble, MT. Furlong," he began, "and want to have your as- sitance. You know that our firm does a large business in this city A quan- titay of valuable goods has disappeared in mystrious manner. and is still disappearing, and we cannot lay our hands upon the culprit. Mr Bolland has asked me to call and put the case be- fore you, and tommorw he will come in person for a conference"
 On the following day, when MT. Bal land called, he stated that it was more than two years since goods began to disappear from the store, and that these losses were growing to alarming pro- portions. In the endeavor to clear up the mystery he had secured the ser vices of another local private detective agency, at a considerable expense, but without being able to fasten the guilt upoIs anyone. He added that he would like to have me make an investigation and apprehend the guilty person or per- sons, if it could be done.
 "1n view of the large amount that I have already spent in order to detect the thief, l do not feel like spending a large sum-" continued MT. Bolland, but see what you can do without in- curing any heavy expenses. It is nec- essary to me to have this matter cleared up but the police department is unable to help me, and l do not know where tb turn"
 Tt is evident to me. MT. Bolland," l said that you believe all your en- ployes to be honest or else you would not have them in your employment"
 You need not spend any time in looking after Clarence White, Fred Erfert, or myself" answered MT. Bol- land but you may use your judgment as to the other employees, although l want you to understand that 1 have the utmost confidence in all of them"
 The employe named Erfert was well known to me. He had been in the ser vice of the company since his boy hood. He was then about 22 or 23 years of age. had become a trusted employe, and carried the keys of the establish ment He was the first man to open the store in the morning and the last man out at night, closing and locking the store himself. Clarence White was an older man, and of blameless reputa- ton.
 A short time before this interview took place, according to MT Hollands further statement, the company had purchased a large stock of jewelry at a bankrupt sale. The most desirable parts of the stock had been sorted out and removed to the company's store, from which they had culled out stock of their own which was growing stale, and this they had placed with the residue of their purchase. They then started to auction off the surplus stock. Erfert was placed in charge of this store with a professional auctioneer and a number of clerks. This auction was running at the time of the interview between myself and the store owner.
 Goods are sso being missed from the auction store," MT. Bolland continued. Evidently the thief has access to both places"
 l instructed one of my operatives to ob- serve carefully all that he could about the auction store, from the time 1t opened in the morning until it was closed at night which was duly done At the end of the first days watch the operative re- ported that he had noticed a number of what appeared to be irregularities on the part of Erfert the manager. He report ed that on the evening before he had seen