Year: 1870

l II at once examined the thre


clerks employed by Mr.. White
more. Two of them l was confiden


knew nothing about the affair, but


had my suspicious of the othe


aroused, perhaps, from the circum


stance that he had charge of the key


of the establishment. His nam


was Olmstead, and he was a fin


looking young fellow, whose frank


open countenance rather staggeret


my preconceived notion that in hin


L should discover the perpetrator


or an accessory, at least, of the theft


1 was young in the business then


Harry; since then, l have learned


to place little faith in physiognomy


We find too many of these noble


browed and tearless-eyed' individu


ais among the blackest rascals whose
photographs grace the 'rogues gal


lery.'


ITO resume, Olmstead, in answer


to my questions, stated that he had


locked up the store as usual the


night before, and feeling unwell
went directly to his boarding place
which he did not quit until that


morning. His story was straight
forword one, and in the absence OF


any positive proof or indication OF


his guilt, 1 had no pretext for ques-


tioning his statement.


Agreeable to my wishes, Mr..


Whittemore consented to make no


further stir in the matter, leaving it
entirely in my hands, and l left the
store, pondering on all the circum-
stances of the robbery. For two
days occupied myself with this
case alone. I had managed to as
certain that Olmstead had really
spent the evening with his lsndlady's
family, as he had stated, having re-
tired about ten o'clock; but for all
that, 1 was reluctantly forced to the
conclusion that he was actually the
guilty party, and for these reasons;
as I have mentioned, it was evident
that the burglary had been commit
ted by some one thoroughly familiar
with the arrangements Of the store.
The lock Of the outside door had
not been tampered with, neither had
that Of the safe. Supposing that
the place had been entered by the
use Of false keys, it was unlikely
that the thief could have got the safe
open by the same means, since the
lock was patent one, and the key
never left the possession of Ohm
stead. 1 had no doubt that he had
retired to his room at ten o'clock,
according to his landlady's state
ment, but I believed-in fact, I felt
absolutely certain-that he had, un-
known to her, left the house again
some time after, and returned after
effecting the robbery. But there
was no proof that he had done so,
and that set about to obtain.


Il caused the young man to be
kept under constant surveillance,
but for a week nothing of a suspi-
cious nature concerning him was
observed. He spent little money,
neither did he gamble or drink, and
continued to attend to his duties
Twas almost ON the point
of giving up the ease in despair,
when, one day, while walking along
Washington street, 1 perceived my
man, in company with a young lady,
in the act Of entering a Roxbury
horse-car. I caught a momentary
view Of ihe lady's face, and some
thing in it struck me as being very
familiar. 1 had certainly seen her
before, but where 1 could not tell.
Acting on an impulse which I cannot
explain, sprang on the platform of
the car just as the conductor struck
the bell.


They got out at q little cottage
in Ro1bury, and as they entered the
house the lady turned toward me as
she shut the door. / had barely time
to note that she was elegantly attired,
and I judged that she was quite
pretty. Under what circumstances
had I seen that face beforep I re-
peatedly asked myself on my way
back to the city.


cit was q holiday, and the streets
we're crowded. Getting out of the
,ar, l thought I would take a stroll
lown Washington street. In turn
ng the corner Of West street I ran
against a flashily-dressed man, who
;urned.npon me in q savage kind of
way, but who, on beholding my face,
love through the crowd with such
energy that in a moment he was lost
% my view, not, however, before 1
lad recognized him; and at the same
moment the identity Of the young
ady whom I had seen with Robert |
0lmstead flashed on my mind.


"The fellow was a notorious thief
Known by the name of Blucher. A
couple Of years previous 1 had ar
.ested him for stealing, but, although |
everybody. concerned was satisfied
hat he had committed the theft,
through some informality in the in
lictment brought against him, the
,ascal got off scot-free, and had i'm
left for parts unknown. 1
vas at that time on the police. On
,he evening of Blucher's arrest, a
Toung lady applied at the station
house for permission to see him. She
vas young and pretty, and repre-
;ented herself to be the prisoners
sister, and seemed so heart broken |
1t his arrest, that the lieutenant in |
charge was induced to grant her
petition, and detailed me to conduct
her to Blucher's cell. This girl-for
1t that time she was hardly more
han girl in years-and the ele-
,antly dressed young lady whom, in |
OlmsteadS company, 1 had followed
20 Roxbury, were one and the same.


Il began now to see the clue that
[ had been searching for, and be-
came thoroughly convinced that
Olmstead had committed the rob-
berry. Acting ON this 1 at once
lastened to Roxbury, and made in
Iuiries respecting the occupants of
she cottage; my informant stated
that they were a brother and sister,
manner Hamilton, who had but re-
Gently come into the neighborhood,
and lived very secluded. Conse-
luently, little was known respecting
their antecedents.


"My next move l could not de-
eide uDon till the ensuing day, So