The Press., 1915-02-24

thusiastic at the discovery Of an 1fl- usual case, and was later willing to talk at length to a reporter, whose tip
 had come through the hotel. Next
 morning front page story with pic
 turesque headlines appeared in all the papers. giving exact details of the strange affair and a precise description of the forgetful man.
 In that august sanctuary known al headquarters, sitting at his roll top desk in his specific division of it, an | eminent detective official sat nex1 morning perusing official reports. daily | correspondence and his morning news papers.
 He observed the aphasia case ano skinned 1t lightly, for on only special occasions had such cases been of spe- cial professional interest He read however, the description of the man before his attention left the matter, and his eye sought out from the de tails of hundred other stories the one or two suggestive happenings which opened up for him a line ot speculation
 And then abruptly his attention be came riveted His eyes were fixed upon story emphasized by large dis play. That it was of robbery was ot itself unimportant to one who review ed robberies daily.
 That the victim was an eminent woman in society was fact familiar enough to be unexciting But that the case possessed marked fascination for him was apparent from the ex- treme absorption of his manner as he read the details of the theft. The affair itself was simple Mrs Malcolm Courtenay of the highest or der of society had obviously and un- intentionally provided the cue herself by giving an interview to reporter at the suit of her hotel. in full view of a disorder of her incidentally valned jewels. which lay carelessly scattered on the table of the anteroom in which they talked and by making some hu
 morOus comment on her tendency to
 leave them about-all of which the re
 porter faithfully reproduced.
 The result was obvious. It had pro
 vided the robber with an idea. He had clearly watched her rooms and discov cred favorable time of absence. both on her own part and on that of her servant: had entered her suit. the door of which was unimaginably left open had taken her incalculably valued necklace of pearls. which she had care lessly left loosely in an open Drawer of her dressing table. and had made good his retreat.
 Not without. however. being seen. for on inquiry it developed that at the time the suit was deserted another guest on the same corridor had seen a we'll dressed man, whom at the time the guest had taken for an ordinary caller, departing
 It was. however. the description of this robber that the eminent detectives whole attention was given and which caused the mask of his impassive face to be turned for once to undenia ble surprise
 'The man is declared by the guest who saw his departure from Mrs. Nal colm Courtenay's suit" the report de- clared, ito be slight He had q white puff necktie dark clothes and some peculiar variety of walking stick which appeared similar to but was not of itself bamboo"
 The detective whistled thoughtfully to himself and turned back to the loss of memory story upon the first page. which on this occasion. however. he read carefully.
 Particularly did he give attention to the description of the man who had lost himself. He. too. had white puff necktie; be- too. had dark clothes. and he possessed walking stick made from the polished backbone of shark "a walking stick which has distinct similarity to one of bamboo.
 Then he thought again. lit cigar and delivered some orders to subor dinate which took that official with a warrant for arrest in his pocket to the observation ward. where John Farrell received the scientist.
 The arrest of John Farrell precipi tated one of the most exciting news paper discussions which has appeared in the annals of inventive journalism.
 Columns of speculations were writ ten as to the moral responsibility of such a criminal. columns of theories leduced as to the relationship between aphasia and criminal instinct.
 And through it all, in the face of the third degree and all the ingenuities of prosecution. George Brandeis or ''J. F." presented an empty face and was able neither to affirm his innocence nor to deny the charge. He simply stated. shaking his head in puzzled way. that he could not remember.
 In the meantime everything was done to find the whereab bouts of the missing necklace. but without result, and the day of the trial dawned with a complication of prophecies and theo- ries as to the outcome.
 The district attorney himself appear ed to prosecute, being convinced that the aphasia was clever stimulation.
 For three days the experts testified. and then came the climax of a climatic case.
 ''Brandeis" had been called to give evidence as to his condition imme- diately after the hotel clerk and the spectators of the hotel vestibule had testified. He had answered the first questions with simple directness, pro- claiming the utter blank of his mind for six years of his life.
 And then suddenly in the midst of a question he started up iron, the wit