Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-07-28

MI. Clarence White, manager for the
firm of John Bolland & Co. of st.
Louis, who owned a large jewelry
store in that city, called upon me in
my office in the Chemical building.
"We are in trouble, Mr.. Furlong,"
he began, "and want to have your as
sistance. You know that our firm does
a large business in this city. A guam
tity of valuable goods has disap-
peared in a mysterious manner, and
is still disappearing, and WE cannot
lay our hands upon the culprit. Mr..
Bolland has asked me to call and put
the case before you, and tomorrow he
will come in person for a conference"
On the following day, when Mr..
Bolland called, he stated that it was
more thar two years since goods be-
gan to disappear from the store, and
that these losses were growing to
alarming proportions. In the endeavor
to clear up the mystery he had Sc
cured the services of another local
private detective agency, at a consid-
cradle expense, but without being able
~ ldolSu liz quit upOu ungOAS L1S
added that he would like to have me
make an investigation and apprehend
the guilty person or persons, If it
could be done.
I'm view of the large amount that
l have already spent in order to de-
tect the thief, l do not feel like spend
ing a large sum-" continued Mr.. Boil
land, "but see what you al do with
out mourning any heavy expenses. 1t
is necessary to me to have this mat
ter cleared up, but the police depart
ment is unable to help me, and l do
not know where to turn"
1T is evident to me, Mr.. Bollapd,"
/ said, that you believe all your en-
ployes to be honest or else you would
not have them in your employment"
You need not spend any time in
looking after Clarence White, Fred
Erfert, or myself" answered Mr.. Boil
land, but you may use your judgment
as to the other employees, although
want you to understand that | have
the utmost confidence in all of them
The employee named Erfert was vel
known to me. He had been in the
service of the company since his boy
hood. He was then about twenty-five
or twenty-three years of age, had be
come a trusted employee, and carried
the keys of the establishment. HI
was the first man to open the store II
the morning and the last man out a
night, closing and locking the stor'
himself. Clarence White was an olde
man, and of blameless reputation.
A short time before this interview
took place, according to Mr.. Bollandi
further statement, the company hat
purchased a large stock of jewelry a
a bankrupt sale. The most desirabl
parts of the stock had been sorted GU
and removed to the company's store
from which they had culled out stocl
of their own which was growin
stale, and this they had placed wit
the residue of their purchase. The
then started to auction off the surplu
stock. Erfert was placed in charg
of this auction store, with a profe'
sional auctioneer and a number c
clerks. This auction was running q
the time of the interview between m.
self and the store owner.
Goods are also being missed frol
the auction store" Mr.. Bolland col
tinued. Evidently the thief has a
cess to both places"
l instructed one of my operative
to observe carefully all that he coul
about the auction store, from the tim
it opened in the morning until it we
closed at night, which was duly don
At the end of the first days waite
the operative reported that he he
noticed a number of what appeared
be irregularities on the part of Erfe1
the manager. He reported that on tt
evening before he had seen Erie
and the other clerks leave the stor
Erfert, being the last nan out, lock-
the door and put the key in his pocke
and the whole party walked to Il
corner of Sixth and Olive street
where they separated, presumably I
however, did not take a car, b
walked west a block on Olive sire
to Seventh, then north on Seventh
Locust street, and east on Locu
street to the side entrance of the al
ton store, where he unlocked t
door. He entered and almost INN
diately returned to the sidewalk, Ct
rying a couple of large. heavy pa
ages, which were fastened with sha
straps. He then went back by t
same route to Sixth and Loci
streets where he boarded a car, C
rying these two heavy packages, g
in either hand, to his home in Sol
st, Louis, where he resided with
widowed mother and sister.
On learning these details
structed my operative to repeat
watch on the following day, tell
him that, in cas- Erfert doubled b;
on that evening also. he vas to
proach him and say that Mr.. Furlt
was in his office in the Chemical blu
49, NJ ar