The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1916-08-04

Erfert closed and locked the store
and with the other clerks, apparently
started for home. He accompanied
the others, as he had done the night
before, to Sixth and Olive streets, and
then left them, afterward making a
circutous route and returning to the
store, into which he disappeared. He
emerged almost Immediately, carrying
two packages rather heavier than
those which he had taken the night
| before. and fastened with the shawl
straps. After he had locked the door
and picked up the packages, which
seemed to be very heavy, the opera
tive, who had approached him unob-
served, touched him on the shoulder
Mr.. Furlong is at his office in the
| Chemical building and wants you to
come over and see him at once he
! said.
What does he want to see me for?"
asked Erfert.
Il don't know" answered the opera.
tive. "He will explain that when he
sees you"
81 am in a hurry and haven't time"
said Erfert. Il am late anyway and
will call and see him tomorrow"
you can either go with me right
now," returned the other, cor l will
call that policeman across the street
and have him take you to police head
quarters, and probably Mr.. Furlong
will go there and see you. Now it is
up to you. If take you to police
headquarters your name and picture
will appear in the papers in the morn.
ing and you will probably get lot
of undesirable notoriety."
Il don't want any notriety," an
swered Erfert, but can't understand
what Mr. Furlong wants to see me for
tonight However, / will go with you,
but I will put these packages in the
store"
What is in them?' asked the opera
tive.
Il have two fine clocks which were
sent over to my store by mistake and
are too expensive to sell at auction"
answered Erfert, "and intend to take
them back to the main store, where
they belong"
Well" said the operative, you
take them up to Mr., Furlongs Office,
and after you have seen him he will
probably allow you to take them to
the main store
The operative brought the man to
my Office. l was already acquainted
with all that had passed, because, I'm,
known to the operative, I bad put a
second operative to watch him and
bring back a report of all that oc,
Cured. Th9 second man reached my
Office a few minutes before the first
arrived.
When Erfert and the detective were
seated together in the private room
turned to the young man and asked {:
Fred, what have you in those
two packages?"
They are two clocks" answered
Erfert, which were sent over to the
auction store by mistake. They are
expensive clocks and l will not sell
them at auction, and intended to take
them home tonight and return them
to the main store in the morning, be-
fore I opened the auction store"
What other stock have you on
your person which was sent over to
the auction store by mistaken" IN
quired.
II have only few stick pins and
few other small articles Of iewelry,'
said Erfert.
Put them on my desk" I said.
Erfert compiled, and the articles
that he had concealed in his pockets
were worth, according to the prices
marked on them, nearly four hundred
dollars. There were stick pins, gold
rings, and other small pieces Of good
jewelry. Thinking that possibly he
had not emptied his pockets, I in
spected them myself and found 8
) memorandum book, in which Erfert
had kept an accurate account of all the
) articles which he had stolen from the
: jewelry firm, the cost price of eact
: article to the company, and the price
he had received for large lot O
articles Of which he had already dis
posed. This book was written il
cipher. also found key to safe
deposit vault
Fred l said to him, "you have
; stolen thousands of dollars worth O
jewelry from your employers. Yol
were practically raised by them, hav
ing been in their service nearly al
your life, and the company has al
} ways treated you we'll and justly
Now that you have been caught red
handed l think it will be to your in
terest to tell the whole truth abou
what you have taken, and to do alAil
your power to return as much of thu
plumber as possible"
The office was on Sae fourteenth
floor of the Chemical building Erfer
, turned suddenly and made lunge TO
the window. with the purpose of fling
), ing himself into the street below.
caught him just in time.
After a few moments the culpri