American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-04-02

I Within a week we were secretly en-
gagged. l supposed that he was an
American army officer on special duty.
And after we we're betrothed. | told
him about our troubles and my wish to
help Juan My mind was made up by
that time-I would sell my jewels be-
fore my brother returned to prevent
me. | told this to Captain Hanska. He
offered to help. He said that he must
go to England the next week. and In
England he could sell them to much
better advantage than in Port Of Spain
I agreed trusted him absolutely, you
see. Then he told me that he could
dispose Of them more easily, and for
more money, II be appeared to be the
owner. So l made out and signed a
bill of sale, describing In detail every
piece to the last ring and pin, and
transferring them absolutely to him.
Now | know what a foolish thing 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 Wednes-
day morning. On Monday night he
visited me and took away the jewels
He said that he wanted to register
I them in advance with the purser. He
promised to come again on Tuesday
night. He did not appear. l learned
the next morning that he had left OF
Tuesday for New York. l started fol
the pier from which the Southampton
\ steamer sails, in order to see if there
. was any mistake. On the way, 1 met
A friend of the family who had beef
A waiting to warn me. He had found GU
\ about Captain Hanska's career in Cara
| cas-. He proved to me that the captain
! was an ~adventurer and almost a pre-
fessional gambler. Then | understood
4 l told no one about the jewels unit
n Juan came back; but l wrote a lette
U to Captain Hanska in care of tn
A steamship company. Somehow.
"A reached him. He answered it with
III cold letter, claiming the jewels abs
lutely and stating that he bought thel
from me.
THAT arrived just after Juan cam
W, back from Caracas. Juan had NJ
rs SuCCe6QGQ III IdloiuS mOnCJ. Inc pAd
tation went into bankruptcy. That
the matter with my eyes. They hs
always been troublesome. But now
gave them a real disease by weeping
(Here, as Miss Estrilla made h
te- statement. she spoke broken phrasl
about another loss. The police que
he toned her infinitely to discover VIII
I'd she meant. Upon finding that she
re ferred merely to the loss Of a who
hearts love, they dismissed this pa
re Of her statement as immaterial, al
I'll, did not enter it upon the record.)
to 81 told Juan, of course. He was We
kind to me. He did not reproach m
uI. But we could do nothing. he foun
be- Captain Hanska had landed in Ne
,th York-the passenger lists showed tn;
In II was certain that he had smuggl
ed the Jewels into the United States wit
de out paying duty; and we confirm
that afterward. We decided to go
he the United States and see If we cou
AN get them back-if not the jewels,
nd least the bill of sale-because IL t
diamonds were in our possession wi
the bill Of sale destroyed. we cot
ing prove by half the people in Port
Spain that they we're ours. We we
ice safe In stealing them from him-p
.es, fectly safe. For he would not da
complain to the New York poll
the since II he claimed them publicly,
could nave him arrested for sml
de- Cling.
Juan thought hat all out. We to
what little money we had left a
started for New York, telling c
ad. friends hat we were going to settle
req New Orleans. Juan wrote to c
ger uncles in Caracas and secured the N