Year: 1877

poor health. Lately she has shown symp-
toms of insanity, which has excited the
fears Of her friends


4 Peculiar Case-.-A Detectives Story.


There is case that I will call to mind
now that is rather a peculiar one, and
that never was published yet. One day
when I was in the Office Il tinc-looking
woman came in and said that her house
had been robbed. Her name. she said.
was McLoud, and she lived somewhere
near Lcffcrts Park-Macon street or Mon
roc street. don't know which--anyway.
it was in the locality of Leffcrts Park. and
she, her husband and two children, lived
there in pretty good style. She reported
that her bedrooms had been visited by a
thief, and that the bureau had been rob-
bed OF ncari -, 800 worth Of ;ewclly.
This jewclry was al! her own--prcsc nts
that she had received from her husband
when she was marricd-and the
jewels were kept in a little japanese cabi-
net, which was also a present, and which
for safety she locked in one of the upper
bureau drawers. Well, I went to work
on it, and supposed some sccond-story
thief had been at work there, and. obtain
ing full description of the jcwclry,
started off to New York and Brooklyn
pawn-oftices trying to search up the goods
but it was no use.


MrsMcLoud was 50 anxious after the
property that did really make extraor-
dinary efforts to secure the goods. bat I
couldn't find a trace of them. At last I
| suspected this Mrs. McLoud herself l
can't exactly explain to you why; but
| there was too much earnestncss about her
to suit me. She was always so anxious to
! find out if l had recovered any Of the ar
ticles or il had got on track of them,
and yet observed that she seemed to bc
relieved when she was told that I could
not get a trace of the tjcwclry I thought
that had no right to suspect her: she
was pretty well off, lived in good style,
her husband seemed to be in excellent
circumstances, and I couldn't conceive
what reason should have to suspect her,
or, in suspecting her-what reason l
should have for her being the thief; but
somehow or other could not get it out
of my head that she knew more about it
u
work to theorize the thing down. I came
to the conclusion that she knew the thief,
and that for some reason she wanted to
hide him or her, or whoever it was. Then
! commenced to work on that idea.
found out who her friends were, whom
she associated with, etc, but not the
faintcst speck of light on the case did l
get. She used to suggest ideas. too. such
rs (after I had told her I had been all
over New York and Brooklyn, ''Dont
: YOU think that these thieves would he too
clever to take such property to New
York: wouldn't they rather sell it in
some other town."


had almost given up the idea OF max
ing anything out of the case, when it
struck me that the only servant that they
had-a young girl-might have been the
thief, or had some crooked man on the
outside who had put her up to steal the
jewels. AS Il last resort went for the
servant and accused her point blank. She
denied all knowledge OF the theft, said
that she never had been accused Of such a
thing before, cried like the mischief. and
there was the deuce to pay generally. l
had previously inquired as to the girls
character and found it to I've exceptionally T.
good. 1 at last said to her, and some
good angel must have prompted me,
"When did you see these things last J:
You say that you clean up Mrs. McI4oud's s
room, and sometimes find jewciry on the
dressing-case, where she has left it,
; The girl told me that the last time she
saw them was when Mrs. McLoud was in
the room, one afternoon. about to dress.
She had occasion to 60 in for something
and Mrs. McLoud was putting several
| articles ofjewelry in a piece Of chamois
leather, and there was cotton placed be-
tween the different articles. This was the
last the girl saw ofthem. Soon after Mrs.
McLoud went out. l found out, on fur
ther questioning, that this day was just
one day before the robbery was reported
to me, and new light struck me. was
satisfied, from the information in connec-
ton with Mrs. McLoud's action, that she
had robbed herself. What for 1 coulln t
divine. What she had done with them I
couldn't tell. was in quandary and
yet l felt sure that I was right. After
telling the girl to say nothing Of my in
tervicw with her to anyone, and assuring
her that she was not under suspicion, l
determined how to act told her to tell
| Mrs. Mc14oud wanted to see her. In a
couple of minutes was sitting alone in
the backparlor with her.


''Oh! hope you have brought me good
news" she said, but with IN expression
on her face that was satisfied meant that
she hoped had not.


mo, l cant say that have rs yct,'' l
returned. "Mrs. McLoud. 1 want to ask
you few questions about that jewelry.
| Il watched her face closely, and saw an
anxious and nervous expression take pos
session of her features, but pretended to
be ignorant Of it, When did you wear
| them last2"


Apparently relieved, she said: Il cant
my jewelry for some time. am not in
the habit of being flashy.''


swell, you arc sure it was all in this
little cabinct!''


"Oh! yes. always kept my watch
and rings and everything there, you
know and locked it up, and then locked
the drawer for greater security, and both
locks had been broken OPEN


''You had this jcwelry distributed in
these cabinet drawers:'


"Yes. Icouldn't keep all of it in one. y
YES" said, II think can produce
your property for YOU


She gave start, but recovered herself
and said with affected composure, "Can
you! l hope so, so much.''


1.-The thlcf,'' said l, boldly hazarding
all my suspicious on this assertion,
"broke the locks of the drawer and broke
the lock Of the cabinet, too. think the
thief was a woman"


"A woman!' she said nervously. and
very much excited.


EYES," said I, for knew had her,
"by woman, and by woman who
! knows this house and that room very
thoroughly, too. This woman stole the
jewelry and carried it off in a piece of
chamois skin, the different articles being
laid in cotton, so that they would not be
damaged. Now can get you the arti-
c1ne md arrost tho fhiof IN vO,1 want