Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-09-30

years ago tie was III TIE employ VI ME.
I Sidney"
"Where was that?" asked.
The little man pulled at his coat
cuffs and smiled again.
my client being Spanish and Mr..
Sidney having lived many years in
Montevideo, it might be assumed that
1t was there" he said. ut was there,
and my client came into possession Of
| document-by dishonest means,
suspect-of which he now retains only
one page. I wish to leave copy Of
this page with you, and later to find
out to what extent it interests Mr..
Sidney"
"You mean-to find out If he will
submit to blackmail," I said.
II anticipated your remark" he said.
II look at the matter differently. II
Mr.. Sidney has something to conceal,
we shall be glad to help him to con-
ceal it. l will leave copy Of the
page from the document with you. and
with your permission will see you
later"
He handed me long envelope and
with bow asked TO be shown to the
door. Jed, not suspecting that the
little man had any connection with the
sailor. showed him out.
went to my room to examine the
paper which had been left with me.
1t was accompanied by an explanatory
statement by attorney Philetus NJ.
Brown" will give the explanatory
statement first.
Memoranda for DR.. Nicholson:
The accompanying typewriter sheet
is part Of document stolen from
Mr.. Sidney in Montevideo ten years
ago by Alexandra Dravada. then q
servant in the capacity Of porter. Dra-
! vada preserves the original. of which
! have had several typewriter copies
made. Dravada had the complete doc
ument in his hands. but only for a
short while. He had discovered. in
the course Of several years service
under Mr.. Sidney in Montevideo. that
strong box in Mr.. Sidney's room
was particularly guarded. He sup
posed it contained jewels. He is. I
should Judge. person Of small moral
character and great cupidity. He de-
termined to steal the box, hoping that
it's contents would enable him to get
married and set himself up in small
business. -
HE succeeded in getting the box.
by entering Mr.. Sidney's room. but be-
fore he could make hts escape he was
unfortunate enough to BE- discovered
by another servant, known to you as
Jed. Jed leveled q revolver at my
client and made him surrender the
box.
II can only conjecture here-fre-
quently this case has caused me to
conjecture; but I think that the man
Jed, although he knew something val
liable was contained in the box.
thought, as did my Spanish client, that
it was personal property; and, unlike
my client, he was not careless of prop
| erty rights. This conjecture may not
interest you, but imagine you ask
ing: why did not Jed steal the box
he afterward took from my clientY
It was, think, because the man Jed
was by nature honest, and it was only
when his inhibitions had been broken
down by the sight of another man COM
hitting crime which had been easier
for him to commit, that he lost control
Of his morals.
"The man Jed took the box. My eli
ent, desperate at finding himself
robbed of his loot, armed himself Inn
mediately and broke into Jed's room
shortly thereafter. He found Jed DIS
consolately looking at mass Of pa
pers, which was all the supposed Jewel
casket contained.
I'm this disappointing occupation
Jed was aroused by the stealthy en-
trance Of my client through win
dow, but there was no conflict. Jed
| pointed to the papers and laughed.
My client was shrewd enough to read
Jed's emotions. He knew that the
treasure trove had proved a soap bub-
| BILE. He is man Of violent temper.
In his double disappointment he sprang
at Jed, stabbed him In the shoulder,
seized the papers, scattered them
about the room and jumped out Of the
window.
IF this had been all, should have
no client in this case. But in his rage
i Dravada, when he was throwing the
papers about, had unconsciously re:
tanned one sheet in his clD ched fist.
He found it in his list when he came
out Of his senseless and inordinate
rage later; and then, his natural Gu
! pidity and cunning reasserted, he real
lied that something was being guard.
1 cd ID the box; that something being
only papers, 1t must follow that the
papers were valuable. He reproached
himself that his anger had defeated
his Judgment when it was possible fol
him to take the entire contents Of the
box. He did not dare 60 back; he had
stabbed Jed; the house might be
alarmed. He had only single sheet
! Of the guarded manuscript It is a
1 copy Of that sheet which you find here
81 said would give you my conjec
stnrca. YOu will ask first why an