Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-09-02
CHAPTER xvI-contlnued.

Is
well. the only Russian who ap-
peared to have any connection with
them was Baron Oberg. the governor
general of Finland. whose habit it
was to spend part Of the winter in
the Mediterranean. From Elma
Heath's conversation at dinner that
evening at Nice l gathered that she
and her uncle had been guests on the
Iris on several occasions, although |
must say that Muriel was extremely
reticent regarding all that concerned
the yacht"
"0f course" she said quickly. Nov
that | have told you the truth, Jack,
don't you think it was only natural?'
Most certainly, dear" he answered,
still holding her hand. Yours was
not a secret that you could very well
tell to me until you could thoroughly
trust me, especially as your father
had been implicated in the theft of
those documents from Malta. The
truth u.s." he said, turning to me,
Philip Leithcourt has all along been
the catspaw of Baron Oberg. A few
years ago he was a ~well-known money
lender in the city, and in that capacity
met the baron, who, being in disgrace,
required a loan. He was also in the
habit of having certain shady trans
actions with that daring gang of con-
tinental thieves of whom Dick Archer
and Hylton Chatter we're leaders. For
this reason he purchased a yacht for
their use, so that they might not only
use 1t for the purpose of storing the
stolen goods, but for the purpose of
sailing from place to place under the
guise of wealthy Englishmen travel
ing for pleasure. Upon that vessel,
indeed, was stored thousands and
thousands of pounds worth of jewels
and objects of value, the proceeds of
many great robberies in England,
France and Belgium. Sometimes they
travelled for the purpose of disposing
of the jewels in various inland towns
where the gems, having been recut
were not recognized, while at other
times, Chatter and Archer, assisted
by Macintosh, the captain, and Olintf
Santini, the steward, sailed for a port
landed, committed a robbery, and Their
sailed away again, quite unsupported
as rich Englishmen."
And the crew." l asked, after {
pause.
They we're, of course, we'll paid
and were kept in ignorance of wha'
the supposed owner and his friends
did ashore"
But Oberg's connection with it?'
l asked, surprised at those revela
lions.
"Ah!" exclaimed Muriel. "The in
genuity Of that crafty villain is fend
ish. Before he got into the car
favor he owed my father a large sum
and then sought how to evade repay
ment. BY means of his spies he dis
covered the real purpose of tn
cruises of the Iris-for | was oftel
taken on board with a maid in orde
to allay any suspicion that nigh
arise If only men were cruising. The
he not only compelled my father t
cancel the debt, but he impressed tn
vessel and those who owned and nav
gated it into the secret service c
Russia. A dozen times did we max
attempts to obtain secret papers fror
Italian, French and English docl
yards, but only once in the last (
Malta and once at Toulon did we SUI
coed. All! Mr., Gregg" she addet
you do not know all the anxiety
suffered, how at every hour we wer
in danger of betrayal or capture, an
of the hundred narrow escapes W
have had of customhouse officer
rummaging the yacht for contrabant
You will no doubt recollect the SCI
sation caused by the theft of tn
jewels of the Princess Wilhelmine
Schaumbourg-Lippe from the lady
maid in the rapide between Came
and Les Arcs, the robbery from til
Marseilles branch of the Credit Lyo,
nais, and the great haul of plate frol
the chateau of Bardon, the Paris mi
lionaire, close to Arcachon."
yes" / said, for they were all 70
berries of which l had read in Il
newspapers a couple Of years befor
WELL" she said, they were a
committed by Archer or Woodrof
and his gang with accomplish
ashore, Of course-and never once d
it seem that any suspicion fell upc
us. While the police we're frantical
searching hither and thither, we use
to weigh anchor and calmly stea
away with our booty on board. v
had with US an old Dutch lapidar
and one Of the cabins was fitted as
workshop, where he altered the a
pearance of the stones. and prepar'
them ready for sale while the go