The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-08
PRAGUE POLICE BY
CLEVER WORK SAW:
YOUNG DIPLOMAT I
Valuable Papers Stolen From
Safe Are Returned To
Embassy

PRAGUE, April 7.---During the joy
Gus days of the recent carnival in
Prague there was performed, quite
unknown to the jewellers. clever
piece of detective work on the part
of the local police which resulted in
the restoring to a distracted diplo-
mat of certain papers which to him
were of the greatest Importance. The
police worked quietly and with a
keen insight into the night life of
the city, and such was their success
that before the right was over the
city jail had two new tenants and a
young man was speeding out of
Prague to the foreign office of~Hs
government, expressing heartfelt
thanks to the local inspector of 'po-
lice who, in this narrative, can be re-
ferred to only as Mr., D..
Mr.. D, seated one afternoon
in his office behind a pile of papers
was interrupted suddenly by young
diplomat representing one of the
great powers of Europe, who declared
his business to be most urgent. He
related that wallet containing
documents of great value had been
stolen He had left it for few me-
ments on his writing table to go to
another room in the legation, and
when he returned it was gone. Fur
wallet. his personal property, but
their abstraction did not disturb the
Young foreigner half as much as the
loss Ct the papers.
Il must leave Prague by the night
train" he explained to the inspector
and l will he ruined for life If these
documents cannot be recovered
Drives to Legation.
Mr., D. drove to the legation
and looked over the wallet substi-
tuted for that of the diplt mat. 1t con-
tanned Prague newspaper from
which a clipping had been made. The
inspector secured an intact copy of
this paper, and was thus able to read
the clipping cut out by the thief. Also
Mr. D. found traces of face
powder between the leaves of the
wallet.
The clipping announced that there
was to be masked ball that eve
ming at Il well known hall in the clty.
With this as his main clue the in
spector assured the diplomat that he
would restore the papers, and, afteG
assigning a detective to watch the
palace he hurried away to do fancy
costume He was going to the pail.
The only costume he could find was
his old full dress Austrian uniform,
souvenir of the days when Prague
Il
As he was leaving his house the de-
tectiye at the legation telephoned MIN
that the daughter of the janitor df
the legation had Just left her apart
ments in the costume of Carmen.
1t did not take the inspector long
to locate Carmen at the ball. she was
seeking man who eventually ap-
reared in the uniform of a hungarian
magnate, and wearing the customary
black mask. The pair Withdrew dls-
creetly into quiet room, ana the IN
spector waited at the only exit
Soon they came out, the glrl~Wear-
ing an expensive necklace she had
not had on before. The inspector ap-
preached Carmen and the hungarian
magnate and spoke few quiet put
we'll chosen words There was no
protest and no scene. They proceeded
him to a taxicab, and one the way TO
the railroad station the inspector
stopped at police Headquarters. EN-
merit hands searched the pair, ana the
INSPECTOR quietly took possession OF
Etbe diplomats portfolio, the necklace,
and ether pieces of jewelry.
MIR, D., drove On alone, and ar
/ rived at, the railroad station after the
gates for the night train had been
closed, On the platform he found the
yo,lng diplomat with watch IN mana
irving to persuade the train crew to
delay departure for just few mo-
ments.
Mr.. D made good his prom
isa> lie handed the diplomat his pert
folio and in it were intact the miss
ing documents and the jewels