A PILL FOR THE DETECTIVES.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1075, 20 August 1883, Page 4

A PILL FOR THE DETECTIVES.

LITERATURE.

- ' (Concluded.) Grabhnm’s junior was not equally pleased. In’ fact, he was somewhat puzzled, for he .did'not, understand why these packages, if dangerous, were not taken charge of by The police. But experience had lately taught those more learned'than he in the art of trapping, criminals not, to strike too soon, but to track conspirators, so far rs public safety would- permit, to the lair of the instigator, and, by bringing him to book, destroy the root of the plot. Next morning, alter a frugal breakfast (conspirators never have enough money to afford luxuries). Bellamy, Isom, and Gavan left their hotel, closely watche 1 by detectives, and, taking the omnibus from the Angel, they, were set down at Charing- Cross, Here they separated. Bellamy walked along the Strand, going citywards, while Isom went'up Parliament street, and Gavan strolled towards Pal! Mall. In a few hours, the police officers employed on the special duty of watching the three suspected persons made their report. The firs! was as follows:-r-‘Watched Bellamy ; he went up the Strand, slopping, to look in several shop windows seemed pariicularly attracted by one, a cutler’s. Ho went in and inquired the price of an Amerienn bowie : knife,Jm > t did not buy it.’ Was hj lorig'whrle Mookfng in th'* windows of an optician whciv there wore portraits of members of Parliament and actresses. I thought he was going to turn back here, tor he wavered, but at last he wont on. He paced for some time at Somerset House, and walked out into the road to get a better view of the building. Passed down Fleet street and rip Lndgatc hill ; walked 'round Paul’s Cathedral* stopping three: times.. Went-up Cheapsidc, where he spoke to Const able K o(>7, and asked to be directed to the’Barik of England. Arriving there, walked ronnd it four times, evincing great interest, lii The;ball ding. Then went into the court-yard and walked, round that, viewing the Bank from several positions. Finally he appeared to select a spot in the north-west corner, and remained there looking idly about him for some minutes. He then went down Moorgate-street, called in at a tobacconist’s shop and purchased a box of flaming fuses; then walked into Goswcll road on to the Sprig of Shillelagh, where I was relieved, ami came directly hero (Scotland Yard) and rirnde this report.’ • - The reports from the other ’detectives' were very similar to this one, Isotn had strblled towards Westminster, and examined the Houses. of Parliament as .minntely ns if he were o foreign architect.; while Gavan had surveyed Buckingham Palace as carefully as though lie were going to make a drawing of it from memory. Both had walked back to Islington by different routes.;;/ ' “T T 1 i.T.T In the evening the three friends again left their hotel. On this occasion each took with Hirh a brown paper parcel, and each proceeded towards the - building in which he had taken so much interest in the morning. Inspector Grabham 1 and two other officers followed- Gavan. That he was the ringleader of the gang the . penetrating officer had already decided in his own mind, r Nor was his zeal nprewarded, rfor on reaching the gates which separated St James’s Park from Buckingham Palace Road, Gavan, handicapped as he was . by the apparently heavy package - die earned quickened his pace so that the detectives conld scarcely ■ keep np with him. A sentry- box close by was evidently the. spot fixed on '~.jt the penetration of whatever outrage' was bribe committed. Carefully watching his time when the soldier on guard had tnrned to the right, Gavan deposited bis parcel in the * shaded ; angle to the left of the box. Then, taking , from bis pocket a fusee he struck it on the sole of his bbot/andhe found himself captnred and handcuffed, and thrust into a cab and driven away he knew not where, before hehad’ timeto make any excuse. Inspector ' Grabham chuckled to ..himself as, after carefnllyqvvaiting; to see if the brown paper parcel would explode’without assistance, he took the parcel under his arm and t hurried back to head quarters to make known ah explosion'that would at least bring bis .nairie .prominently before the public.’ On arrivirigThere he found that the two othermcn had also been arrested! Their ;titcj.ics /Bad tbeen similar to thosp adopted’by Gavan. It was dear that aii attempt had been made’ to Blow.up Buckingham .Palace, the Bank of England,'and the Houses of Parliariient, arid thus deal_a-sim.nl-, taneoris blow at royalty, commerce, arid government. . - The three canisters with vfhich this desperate outrage /was to have been carried - orit had been captnred. Their lids w§re securely soldered, and the authorities at; Scotland Yard dared not attempt them,'iso they despatched them to Woolwich by . special conveyance,-in order that scientific ’ evidence of their contents ’might: be forthcoming in drie course. Reports'of the affair soon got abroad. Special editions of the newspapers were , published, with sensational headings. - Columns of print not only gave details of what bad occurred, but significantly hinted at the identity of the instigators. The political bearings of the conspiracy were discussed, while crowds of idlers visited the scenes where the canisters had been deposited. As usual, the police were sagaciously mysterious, and excitement was intense throughout the metropolis when the prisoners arrived at Bow street in prison vans, escorted by mounted police with drawn swords. ’ The Court was crowded almost to suffocation when Mr Fairlaml opened the case for the Crown. ‘ He was,’ the learned, counsel said, ‘instructed by Her Majesty’s'Treasury to prefer a veiy-serious charge .-against the prisoners. It bad„.jaol yet been decided whether they would ultimately

be indicted for treason-felony, or under a nipre recent statute with being in possession of explosives for an unlawful purpose. At this stage of the proceedings he proposed only to prove the circumstances leading to the arrest of the prisoners. Ho would, however, call the attention of the magistrate to the fact that a more'dastardly outrage had never been planned against the lives and property of Her Majesty’s subjects. It was for recklessness of conception and malignity of purpose unparalleled in the History of crime.’ There was some applause when the learned counsid concluded his speech by calling as his first witness George Grabham, The witness detailed the circumstances of his suspicions, and of his following the prisoners; of his searching the rooms, and finding the portmanteau. He also produced the fragment of blotting paper he had taken, and explained that on, searching the portmanteau lie had found it contained a dozen ordinary building bricks and three canisters. They were the same as wore found by the police in the possession of the prisoners. The inspector then detailed particulars of the arrest of Gavan.- The prisoners declined . to ask- aiiy questions, Two other detectives corroborated a part of the evidence of Grabham, and also gave details of the arrest o' Bellamy and Isom. Mr Fairlnnd was about to suggest an adjournment, when he was informed that Professor Cain, in ’whose hands the tin canisters had been placed, had arrived. He therefore asked to be allowed to prove the contents of the canisters. On the “Magistrate giving bis consent, the professor,.looking som--what flustered, entered the witness-box. His evidence was as follows; —He was public analyst to Her Majesty’s War Office. Three canisters had been delivered to him by Mr Grabham on behalf of the police. As they were soldered down he had thought it expedient to have them opened by the Inspector; of /Explosives. Each canister contained some hundreds of globules about a sixteenth of an inch in diameter. Taking a handful haphazard from each canister lie analysed them, but, in consequence, of -circurast,ance.s he would relate tb His Worship, he had not persevered in a quantitative analysis. Each globule contained rhubarb, and colchicum,.arid also other harmless drugs, and he bad been unable to discover the slightest trace of anything harmful in the compound. There was nothing of an explosive dangerous or poisonous character about them, them. He thought they might be effectually prescribed for gout. In reply to the magistrate, he admitted that they had the appearance and properties of silver pills. -.At the/ bottom /of. each canister he had /found some printed ..handbills, announcing that ‘ Bellamy’s Bolus' was- a certain cure for gout, rheumatism, and all diseases of the liver, and that.JLvpuld be ..obtained from . any chemist,' “or wholesale from Bellamy, •Gavan and Isom, manufacturing druggists, Newcastle. ’ *

Thanks to Professor Cain’s opinion of ; Bellamy’s Bolus,’ and to. the publicity given to it in all the English papers, M( ssrs Bellamy and Co. were soon able to retire on a handsome fortune and build a home for Disabled Detectives.