Year: 1878

retired old detective the other day,


while reciting some of the stirring
occurrences of the early days Of


San Francisco. "The life of a de


tective is not one of excitement
merely. 1t is sometimes crossed
with events as wild and startling as
ever gave coloring to romance. No
emotion, no passion or phase of
character is hid from us. We learn
to play upon the feelings, the hates
and affections of men and women
as unerringly as the pianist on his
instrument. While the causist
would hesitate and take advantage
of this, the necessities we are under
compel us to omit no opportunity
which may lead us to success


Il say this because the incident l
am about to relate reveals what a
woman will do when excited by
jealousy and thirsting for revenge.


'We were on the track of a man
who had robbed a Havana jeweler
of almost incalculable wealth. He
had fled his native island, and we
were informed by the Cuban au
thorities that in all probability he
had made his way to this coast.
At that time this city was full of
Cubans and adventurers from all
parts of the word. One couple, pc
culiar from all the rest, excited the
attention of the then limited fash
ionable world, and became the pets
of society. Their lavish expenditure
and almost Eastern magniticence of
apparel and equipage excited the
admiration and envy, it may be, of
their fashionable acqUaIntances.
They, too, were Cubans. The man.
inheriting all the peculiarities of
the Spaniard, was, in personal ap
pearance, type of his race


But l cannot describe TO you the
woman that passed as his wife. She
was the most beautiful creature j
ever saw-tht idea of the poet
when he painted the dark-eyed
maiden, Khorassen, was realized in
her person. She seemed to me like
some living beautiful idol for men
to worship. The tint of the olive
was on her face and brow, and in
the dark luminous eyes a wealth of
affection; but, they told, too, of "A
spirit resentful of injustice, and
fierce in wrath as the glare of her
native SUM-


"By the devious path we pursued
when on the trail of the criminal,
we traced 'our man TO this city.
We knew he was here, and we
searched for him necessarily. But,
as if to balk all our eXertions and
put to shame all our efforts, this is
all we could learn. The rich Span
lard was the only person who an
swered the description of the Grim
inal. But what folly to suspect
him The petted courtier of socety
the millionaire-he would only
laugh our suspicious TO scorn. But
still we hung around him. BY a
strange magical influence, it was
impossible to divorce ourselves
from the belief that he was the par
ty we were in search Of. This con
slant attendance at the places fre
quented, this lowering around the
sphere in which he moved, made us
at last aquainted with the fact that
his wife was unhappy and ill-treat
ed by her husband. He had begun
to neglect her and pay assiduous
court TO a fashionable nyBlph du
pave. One night we saw him enter
the theatre witt! the fair American,
and, entering a private box, was
paying her the most devoted atten
tion. Shortly afterward a woman,
whom we at once perceived was his
wife, but evidently disguised, enter
ed, and passing around the dress
circle, took a seat directly facing
him. BY a strange coincidence she
was right by me. She looked Mt
the couple in the box long and
earnestly, her face which we could
see from our position, gradually
changed to an expression Of the
most fearful and vindictive passion
ever beheld. Accustomed as
was to every phase of human emo
tion, it appalled, me. At last she
arose and left the theater, followed
by an attendant. Now was our
time. l got up as quietly and was
by her side when she reached the
street. / was determined on a
stroke of policy, which, if / read
her countenaDce Alright, would place
the man in our power. If l was
it would do no harm. Ac-
tuated by the impulse, l placed my
self in front Of her and raised my hat


Madam, pardon met


What do you want, sir, and who
are your


my name is -. This IS my
friend Mr.. We are the detec-
tives, and in search of the robber Of
The Havana jeweler. We believe |
you can point out TO us the man..


Il cah CAM


at was almost a shriek, so fierce |
and bitter were the words


"Come with me-come with mel"


at is useless 10 detail what fol-
owed. The next morning the fash
onable world was shocked by the
OF the arrest Of Don
D. R, but it was still more
surprised to hear that he was be-
.-ayed by his pretty wife. We re
covered nearly one hundred thous
md dollars in jewelry and gold.
But TO the poor woman the result
vas terrible. She was but the vic
i'm of his perfdy, but the moment
The saw him arrested, all the old
owe that had ruined her returned.
She cluDg TO his neck with a wild,
'rantic despair that was terrible 20
zee. The anguish Of that young
ace will haunt me to my dying
lay. The next day she disappeared
no one knew whittier; but n few
lays afterward the body OF a beau
iful, unknown woman was picked
~ on the lower coast-a suicide.


An Acquisition