The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-04-27
True
Detective Stories
TRIANGULAR FLAW


Lord Herbert Laurence Sheffield
belonged to the nobility az there
was about his Iationality-and that
was apparent Immediately from his
monocle and his spats. Every shop
keeper along the Via Shiaia in Naples
knew his lordship. and every one OF
them admitted that more repre-
sentative member of the British aris-
tocracy had never visited Italy.
Lord Herbert was not only lavish
with his money, but it was Whispered
around the Grand Hotel,di Napoli that
his daughter, Sylvia, soon was to be
married to one Of the richest mea in
England.
Therefore when the English noble
man wandered into the establishment
of the largest jeweler In. Naples some
two months after his arrival In the
city and asked to be shown some dla-
mond necklaces, there was an immedl.
ate scurry to wait upon him. Finally
the proprietor himself requested Lord
Herbert to come into his private Of.
flee while he took from the safe
necklace valued at 100000 francs, the
property of client who was in fnan.
cial straits.
II would like to purchase something
| to give my daughter for a wedding
present" explained the Englishman,
and the jeweler nodded for the rumors
of the engagement had already reached
his ears. I'm afraid, though" con.
tinued his lordship, "that this neck.
lace Is little more expensive than |
can afford at the moment. l don't
doubt its value, but I'll have to have
little time to think it over"
Certainly" agreed the jeweler. II
will be pleased to hold 1t as long az
you wish and, should you desire to
see Dnd examine it again, l will be
very glad to bring it to the hotel at
your convenience"
That would be excellent" assented
the visitor, "but l naturally do not
wish my daughter to know anything
about the transaction. The whole mat
ter is 10 be surprise to her."
A few days later, in response to
Lord Shefiield's request, the jeweler
took the necklace to the Grand hotel
and found the Englishman alone in
the room. After very careful eX-
animation of the diamonds terms were
agreed upon and Lord Sheffield had
just produced his letter of credit from
his wallet when girls voice was
heard In the corridor, just outside the
door.
MY daughterl'' exclaimed the Eng
lishman. "She mustn't know any
. thing about this" and he swept the
necklace and the wallet into the draw
er of the desk before which he sat. A
moment later Sylvia Sheffield came in
and announced that her fathers tailor
had arrived and wished to see him ut
once. Excusing himself with the state
ment that he would be back very
shortly, Lord Herbert left the room
and his daughter followed him imme-
diately.
When half an hour had passed the
jeweler began to wonder what was de-
tanning his client, but he didn't worry
in the least because his necklace and
his lordship's wallet were there In the
drawer of the desk. right under his
I hand. The transaction involved toe
much money to warrant any impa
! thence, so 1t was not until two hours
4 had slipped by before the jeweler ranp
( for the hotel clerk and requested to
J know what was detainlng Lord Shef
l field.
''His lOrdship and Miss Sylvia lef,
the hotel nearly two hours ago." wa.
: the reply. "They had received a cable
gram from England"
Sensing that he had been robbed, tn,
jeweler tugged at the drawer Of tn,
; desk only to find that 1t was locked
but a moments examination of tn,
next room sufficed to show that tn,
wall against which the desk wa.
placed had been pierced and that tn,
whole procedure had been u plot (,
lift the necklace and make q quicl
getaway.
Lvigi Bonh, one Of the shrewdes
detectives in Naples. was imnediatel,
placed In charge of the case and tele
graphed to Rome to have the pair ar
rested. Sheffield, anticipating such
! move, had planted two cOnfederates Il
the capital, and by the time that tn
| police had found that their alibl wa
| ironclad the real criminals were wel
| on their way northward. Then fo
lowed one of the longest chases Il
continental detective history.
IL Finally, after more than eigh
months he located them I'm IoudOI
| only to be met by the downright denis
of the Englishman that he had eve
] used the name Of Sheffield or had eve
been In Naples. He accounted for nj
= possession Of a number OF unset nis
-, monds by the statement that he ma
bought them in the Argentine and e,
hibited bill of sale covering tn
gems.
To this Bonf made no reply, br
whipped out a jewelers. magnifyir
glass and commenced to examine til
diamonds, one by one
Then, before the Englishman kne
ii what no nj bn