The Press., 1915-08-04
Diamond Cut Diamond
 -s A Story of the Police Ver- sus Crime.
By ESTHER yANDEvEER

 I was travelling on a train between New York and Albany when, at Pough- keepsie, man carrying satchel entered the car in which l was and took the vacant seat beside me- He soon opened conversation with me, and found him quite agreeable, though afterward remembered that the way he obtained my admiration was by drawing out my conversational pow CTS.
 During the ride to Albany my trav- cling companion handed me his card. saying that he resided in that city and would be happy to have me drop in at his office during my stay there, for I had told him that I would be there several days. Naturally I gave him one of my own cards, on which wrote my office address in New York in pen cil. fAs : Shortly before reaching Albany the man said he would go to the smoking | car to enjoy a cigar and, leaving his satchel beside me, asked me if would oblige him by keeping an eye on it for him during his absence. I assented, and he left the car. On crossing the bridge at Albany I began to fear we might reach the station before his re- turn. When the train stopped in AL bany he had not appeared. l waited till every one except myself had left the car, expecting each moment to see h hSvro I,,,v fay ,p1 l1xv when the train began to fill up with new load left it myself, carrying the strangers bag with me.
 Stepping out on to the platform, looked about for my travelling com panion. A man stepped up to me and asked if I were looking for any one. I told him my story as I have told it here, and, snatching the satchel from me, he opened it and, thrusting in his hand, drew from among it's con- tents a pearl necklace which, it struck me immediately, must be worth for tune.
 "Pve got 'em," he remarked, "'but I haven't got him?'
 I pulled out the strangers card and was looking at it when he took it from me and, after nasty glance, put it in his pocket, remarking that there was no such street and number in Albany. He then told me that a wealthy lady of New York had lost the necklace and a detective agency with which he was connected had been employed to run down the thief and recapture the goods. The agency had obtained q clew and learned that the man proposed to take the train by which l had come from New York. My informant had been deputed to follow him, but had been misled, doubtless by confederate of the thief who carried the property. The confederate had acted suspicious ly, carrying a satchel that he kept un- der his own eye constantly, every now and again glancing uneasily at the de tective. On reaching Albany the detec- tive had arrested the decoy and turned him over to an associate, but nasty examination of his satchel had reveal ed no booty. It was evident that the man carrying the necklace knew he was in danger and, after taking my address, had left his satchel in my hands that he might not be caught with the stolen property in his posses sion.
 1 accompanied the detective to po lice station, where I turned over the satchel with its contents to the depart ment.
 Having transacted in Albany the busi- ness for which had come, returned to New York in company with the de tective, and after a conference among the parties concerned it was agreed that I should wait reasonable length of time for some communication from the man who had left the satchel in my keeping, and if did not hear from him I would put an advertisement in the newspapers.
 I had no confidence in the plan, and to tell the truth, considered that the detective had bungled the case in being called off on false scent and that my advertisement would not help matters. They argued that had doubtless i'm pressed the thief as being gentleman, and no refined person would be likely to examine the contents of bag left in his keeping by stranger. They
 
 plantations might be made for the mans failure to return for his property. considered these arguments very thin and did not believe any thief fool enough to walk into such trap as they were laying for him. The man had my name and address and would choose his own way of recovering the neck lace, if, indeed, he intended to try to recover 1t, which I very much doubt ed, for I saw no way by which he could do so.
 However, the detectives had a faint hope that their theory was correct, and was quite willing to do anything they asked me to do. They waited week for some communication from the thief. Then, since none had come, they inserted an advertisement. Some time was spent on it's wording, and after many writings it read as follows:
 The gentleman who recently left in the Keeping of another on a train from New York to Albany a satchel containing val uable property will receive reward for | The name and address of the owner of | v&id property and no questions asked.
 The detectives supposed that the cnleI might bite at this bait, but l did | not. It seemed to me that had been the thief l would prefer to steal some | other property than to attempt to make 1 money by owning myself the thief of | property stolen and recovered. But, as have said, the professionals were working the case, and I was simply acting for them. When, however, one l received the following note by mail confess was surprised:
 Dear Sir-I have seen your advertise nent. I am not fool enough to walk into } trap If $10,0O0 will tempt you to re- lurn me the necklace the money will be yours. It Is worth $20,000 In other words, I'll go halves with you. If you agree to these terms put an ad in next Sundays personal column of any first class New York newspaper and I will write you when, how and where to deliver the goods