The Monticellonian., 1916-07-27
Copyright BY ". g. Chapman

In the latter part of the year 1892
Mr.. 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
large business in this city 4 guam
tity of valuable goods has disap-
peared in mysterious manner, and
IS still disappearing, and We cannot
lay our hands upon the culprit Mr.
holland 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.
holland called. he stated that 1t was
more than 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 eonsid
cradle expense, but without being able
TO fasten the guilt upon anyone He
added that he would like to have me
make an investigation and apprehend
the guilty person or persons, If it
could be done.
In view of the large amount that
l have already spent in order to de-
teet the thief. | do not feel like spend
ing large sum. continued Mr.. Boil
land. but see what you can do with
out mourning any heavy expenses. It
is necessary to me to have this mat
ter cleared up. but the police depart
ment is unable to help me, and I do
not know where to turn"
1t is evident to me. Mr. Bolland,
] 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 l
want you 10 understand that | have
the utmost confidence in all of them.
The employee named Erfert was we'll
known to me- He had been in the
service of the eompanv since his boy
hood. He was then about twenty-five
or twenty-three years of age had be-
come trusted employee. and carried
the keys of the establishment. He
was the first man 10 open the store in
the morning and the last man out at
night, closing and locking the store
himself Clarence White was an older
man, and of blameless reputation
A short time before this interview
took place. according to Mr. Bolland's
further statement, the company had
purchased large stock of iewelry at
a bankrupt sale. The most desirable
parts of the stock had been sorted out
and removed to the company's store.
from which they had culled out stock
of their own which was growing
stale, and this they had placed with
the residue of their purchase. They
then started to auction off the surplus
stock. Erfert was placed in charge
of this auction store, with a profess
sional auetioneer and a number of
clerks. This auction was running at
the time of the interview between my
self and the store owner
Goods are also being missed from
the auction store" Mr.. Bolland con
tinued. Evidently the thief has ae
cess to both places
| instructed one of my operatives
TO observe carefully all that he could
about the auction store, from the time
it opened in the morning until it was
closed at night. which was duly done
At the end of the first days watch
the operative reported that he had
noticed a number of what appeared to
be Irregularities ON the sart of Erfert,
the manager He reported that on the
evening before he had seen Erfert
and the other clerks leave the store
Erfert, being the last man out, locked
the door and put the key in his pocket,
and the whole party walked to the
corner of Sixth and Olive streets,
where they separated, presumably for
their homes He said that Erfert,
however. did not take a car. but
walked west block on Olive street
TO Seventh, then north on Seventh to
Locust street, and east on Locust
street TO the side entrance of the auc-
ton store, where he unlocked the
door He entered and almost imme-
diately returned to the sidewalk. car
ryihg couple of large, heavy pack.
ages. which were fastened with shawl
straps. He then went back BY 2the
same route TO Sixth and Locust
streets where he boarded a car, car
rying these TWO heavy packages, one
in either hand to his home in South
81. Louis, where he resided with his
widowed mother and sister
On learning these details in
strueted my operative to repeat his
watch on the following day, telling
him that. in case Erfert doubled back
or that evening also, he was to ap-
proaeh him and say that Mr.. Furlong
was in his office in the Chemical build
ing and wanted to see him at once
and 10 bring him up without delay
remained in the office that evening
so as TO be on hand in case Erfert re.
peated his actions, and that is what
he did.
1t was winter, and grew dark about
$50 in the afternoon At this time
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
shan lofr +hap, aftaruara ,..ot.f. :