THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 5, 30 January 1909, Page 4

THE STORYTELLER.

HOW SEXTON BLAKE FOUND AX UNLUCKY HITCH.

It was Captain Elisor who brought the message. He was a retired "master mariner," rather better educated than niwt of his das.,, but otherwise, in appearance aud uwiiner, a typical British sailor. Incidentally, he was fifty-five and a widower. He arrived at Sexton Blake's rooms about half-past nine in the morning. "Mrs. Drury would be. greatly obliged if you'd wwc to the house as quickly as possible, he suid. "She would have come for you herself, but her husband is terribly upset by what lias happened, and she doesn't like to leave him. Thoy don't keep a servant, you know; and as I'm their nearest neighbour, and, I suppose, their greatest friend, she asked me if I'd come anil Ucliver her message." 1 "And who is -Urs. Drury, pray?'

asked Sextou Blake. , 1 " She's the wife of Jonathan Drury," ,j said Captain Elisor. "He's a retired .publican, and they live at No. 15, Don- , caster Street, which, as you probably * ■know, leads out of IVatonville Road. I live next door to them." ~ 1 " And why does Mrs. Drury wish me , to come to their house? What has = happened!" ' "Their house was broken into last __ night, and a cash-box, containing over . eight hundred pound in gold and notes. . -was stolen." '° ■ The detective looked puzzled, and " Captain Ensor hastened to explain. > "Between you and me," he said con- .' fidcutially, " Mr. Drury 's a good bit of 1 a miser and a skinflint. He could quite c well afford to live in a better neighbour- ■> hood than Doncaster Street, and to keep a servant, too; but '' J 1 '-Yes,yes!" interrupted Sexton Blake. ' "That isn't what puzzles me. How > tame Mr. Drury to have so large a ■ sum as eight hundred pounds in the ' house 1" I "He sold some cottages at Streatham last week. The man who bought them ' ■was g. small shopkeeper, who didn't ' have « banking account, and he paid •the purchase-money yesterday afternoon . in notes and gold—mostly gold. Mr. • IDrurv, of course, has a banking account; but the bank was- closed when lie received the money, so he put it in the cash-box, intending to pay it into the bank to-day." '■ "And it was stolen, you say, last night? In what circumstances?" ! "First of all," said Captain Ensor, '" I must tell you that Mrs. Drury has a married sister, named Booth, who lives at Chislehurst, in Kent. Last night, about nine o'clock, Mrs. Drury received 'a telegram, purporting to come from lier sister's husband, informing Jier that her sister was dying, and imploring her to come at once. 1 -'Needless- to say, Mrs. Drury decided to go to Chislehurst by the next train. 'As the telegraph-office at Chislehurst closes at nine o'clock, it was too late 'for her to wire that she was coming. She. hurriedly packed u few things m a hand-bag, sent foT a cab, drove to Waterloo, and left by the 9.47. : "After Mrs. Drury's departure, Mr. Drury was left alone in the house. He sat up., smoking and reading, until eleven o'clock; then he locked up, turned out the lights, and went to bed." "Meanwhile, where had he put the cash-box?" "Where he always keeps it—in the cupboard under the bookcase in the sit-ting-room. When he was going to bed, however, it struck him this was not a Very safe place ia which to keep eight Imridred pounds, so he removed the cashbox from the cupboard, took it upstairs 'with him, and locked it up in an old oak chest in his bedroom. 1 "About Iralf-past two this morning he awoke—for no particular reason, so far as I can gather—and, as he lay awake, he fancied he heard somebody moving in the sitting-room. He jumped out of bed, lit a candle, armed himself with the bedroom poker, and stole downstairs in his pyjamas. 1 " The sitting-room door was shut. He opened it,, and no sooner had he done so than a hand shot out of the darkness, and knocked the candle out of his grasp. The candle, of course, immediately went out, and the next instant he received a blow in the face, which covered assailant—whom he had never seen—bad placed him in one of the sittingroom chairs, had bound him to the chair with some rope which he had found in the kitchen, and had gagged him with a strip of linen which he had torn oil' Ilk- tablecloth. ■ " The scoundrel was still in the house, for Mr. Drury coulir" hear.him moving about upstairs, opening drawers, ami • evidently- searching for plunder. J'resently lie heard him come downstairs. ■go into the kitchen, and climb out through the window. : "'ln the meantime," continued Captain Elisor. "Mrs. Drury had arrived at Chislehurst. As a matter of fact, she arrived there about half-past ten last night. Somewhat to her surprise there ■was nobody at the station to meet her. 'She walked to her sister's house, arriving there a few minutes after eleven. 'And judge of her amazement when she found that her sister was perfectly well, and that neither she nor her husband 'knew anything about the telegram ■which Mrs. Drury had received." 1 "One moment," interrupted Sexton Blake. "Was Mrs. Drury's sister's husband at home when Mrs. Drury arrived?"

■ "Yes." said the captain. "I know what you're thinking. You're Wondering if it was the husband who had sent the bogus telegram, to lure Mrs. Drury away from the house, and if it was he who broke into the house and committed the robbery. But such a theory is untenable. In the first place, he was at Chislehurst when Mrs. Drury arrived, and remained there until she left this 'morning; and. in the second place, he's a pious, upright- man, utterly incapable of such a crime."

I "Well?" said Sexton Wake. "What Aid Mrs. Drury do when she discovered the telegram was a forgery'!" " She couldn't return to London last night, as the last train leaves Chisle•hurst at 11.8; and she couldn't wire to her husband, as the post office closes at nine. What she did, therefore, was to return by the first train this morning, leaving Chislehurst at (1.55, and arriving ■at London Bridge at 13:1. ! " From London Bridge she took a vali to Doncaster Street. She rang the 'bell again and' again, and, as there was 'uo response, she went round to the 'yard at the back of the house. To her iilarm, she saw that the kitchen window Iwas wide open. She climbed in through the window, and found her husband sitting iu a chair in the sitting-ronm. hound and gfiggfld as T have described.' > "Half crazy with terror, she cut the 1 iropes by which he was bound. After lie iliad told her his story, they examined 'the house. " Their worst fear.-, were 'realised. The unknown burglar had -«e'eurert Mr. Drurv's keys, which were in 'his trousers-pocket, bv the side of the lied, bad unlocked the. old oak chest, 'and had made off with the cash-box.'' ' "Was anything else stolen?" "No: but every drawer and cupboard ; 'in the house had been opened and ex ' 'amincd'.'' ]

* "Which' seems to prove " began Sexton Blake; then he checked himself. ''The police have been informed, of "course?" lie asked. 1 "Yes," replied the captain. "When iMr. Drury discovered that the cash-bn\ 'was gone, he collapsed. Mrs. Drury 'helped him back to bed. and then came for nic. First. I went for a doctor; ♦ hen f communicated with the police: ond, then, at Mrs. Drnry's urgenl and •tearful request, I came for you."

' The detective glanced at his watch. 'lt was five minutes to ten. ■ "I have an appointment at Scotland Yard- at twelve," ho said. " In the ■meantime. I've a couple of hours to spare, which I shall be pleased to devote to the investigation of what seems, at first sight, a rather interesting case. Conic along!"

: No. 15, Doneaster Street, proved to •be one of a. long row of mean-looking houses, ail built to the same pattern. Each house bait a sitting-room, a -kitchen* and <t scullery on the ground ■floor, two bedrooms on the first floor, two on the second, and an attic over all, lighted by a skylight from the roof. At the back of each house' was a tiny yard, (he woode-.i gate of which opened on to Doneaster Lane. Mrs; Drury received Sexton Tllake with- almost hysterical effusion, and, at the detective's request, first conducted thini' to the sitting-room. Captain Elisor, as a matter of course, followed them. ! The chair to which Mr. Drurv had ■been bound was still standing in the middle of tile room, festooned with the Dataed at Eltham this thirtieth day ropes with which the unfortunate man had been tethered. As Mrs. Drury had

cut the ropes, aud not untied them, the I knots were stilt intact. ■] Sexton Blake examined tke ropes audi! •Jit knots and apparently found them ieiv interesting. Ilia only remark, howI "lias it been ascertained how the I'.-urgiar gained admittance to the I ■.iou.se';" ' -In the same way as he made his escape.'' said Captain Elisor—" through the kitchen window, the catch of which ■lie apparently forced back.'' I " There tan li. no doubt on that ■point,'' said- Mrs. Urury. "I found the ■window open when I returned, and, as 'all the other windows, and both the 'front door and tin- o.ick door, were shut and fastened, that must have been the 'way in which, he gained admittance." ' " -May 1 see the. window J" asked Sexton Blake. i '•Certainly!" said Mrs. Drury. i She conducted them to the kitchen. The detective examined the fastenings 'of the window, the sill. the. .rant outside, and the gate opening on to Doncaster i 'lane. He then expressed a desire to 1 interview Mr. Urury.

Mr. Drury was in bed, aud, although y e was but little the. worse, physically, ~. ar his recent adventure, he "was in j q state of mental collapse. The dc- tl I'ctive questioned him al great lcugth, tit without obtaining any material adition: to the. information he had already ained from Captain Elisor. Then he j, uracil to the captain. "As Eve already told you," he »aid, t I have an appoiiitmc.n ai ' Scotland j, fard at twelve. You have been so very |, ;ood and generous wilh your help this a norning that 1 am emboldened to ask ), rou if you'll be so good as to take a ~ wte from mc to Scotland Yard, ex- a daiiiing that 1 am detained by another j :ase, and may be late in keeping my ji ippoiatinent. Would you mind ?" t The captain expressed his willingness a lo take the note; and, after Mrs. jJru-.-y f had provided Sextou Hlake with a sheet ] of paper and an envelope, the detective ;i scribbled a brief note and handed it to I | Captain Elisor, who thereupon took his ' departure. . " And now," said Sexto-.) Blake, as . soon as the captain had gone, " J should | like ts see the attic." Somewhat surprised by this strange request, Mrs. Drury led the way tu the attic. The skylight was open, being , propped up by the usual arrangement—a .perforated iron bar and an iron peg on the inside of the frame. "Do you happen to know if this skylight was open last night?" asked Sexton Blake, as he dragged a chair into the middle of the room. "It was," said Mrs. Drury. "We never close it except in rainy weather." The detective mounted on the chair, pushed the skylight further open, and thrust out his head and shoulders. He 'examined the surface of the slates outside and chuckled softly to himself. "Captain Elisor lives next door, 1 understand," he said, withdrawing his head and addressing Mrs. Drury. "Am I right in supposing that he lives on the left of this?" , "Yes." "Will there be anybody in the house at the present moment?" Mrs. Drury started. " His servant will be in. f suppose, 'but nobody else." she said. ".Dull why——" " Ask no questions," interrupted Sexton Blake. "Just go back to your 'Husband, and I'll join you later.'' As he uttered these words he hauled himself through the skylight, and crawled along the slates till he came to the skylight of Captain Elisor's house. It .was also open. He lowered himself into a bare, unfurnished attic, and softly opened the door. From the regions below was wafted up the shrill voice of the servant, who was singing a popular music-hall ditty as she " washed-up" the breakfast things. Scarcely daring to breathe, the detective crept cautiously down the attic stairs avid explored the two rooms on the second floor. Having drawn them blank, he stole down another flight, and entered what appeared to be the captain's bed-room. He opened various drawers, and rummaged amongst their contents. Then he peered underneath the bed. A couple of loose flooring-boards attracted his attention. He pulled up one of the hoards underneath the bed. No sooner bad he done so than a low. triumphant cry rose to his lips. He re-entering the house in the same wav that he had left it, walked into Mr. Drury's bed-room and handed him the cash-box. "Where—when- did yon find it:" gasped Mr. Drury. after opening tinbox, and assuring himself that its contents were intact. " Under the floor beneath Captain V.usor's lied," said the detective quietly. '•Captain Ensor?" cried Mr. and ill's. Drury, in the same breath. The detective nodded. " It has lieen a very interesting <-a-e. but, really, a very simple one." he said. " When Captain Elisor came for me tlr-

morning, and told me what had happened—especially when he told me that nothing had been stolen except the cashbox—l realised at once that the thief must have been somebody who knew that you had received a large sum of money yesterday, who was ac(|iiaintcl with the internal arrangements of your house, and who knew that, as a rule, you kept your cash-box in the sittingroom. "At that time,'' he continued, " I did not sus]iect Captain Elisor, although he had told me he lived next door 'to you, and was your greatest friend. In fact, it was not until 1 examined the', ropes with which you had been liount that an inkling of the truth tirst dawned oa me. i

"This i.s what I discovered: Yon had lieen bound with two ropes, one of which had encircled your arms and chest, and the other of which had pinioned your legs, Fach of these ropes had beeii knotted in the following fasti ion:

" First of all, a bowline had been fashioned on the cud of the rope. The rope hud next been lashed to the fra - work of the chair by means of a rolling hitch. Y'our arms in one case, and your legs in the other, had been secured by means of two half-hitches. Finally, after the rope, had been drawn tight, the loose end had been passed through tile loop of the bowline, and had been secured with a sheet-bend. "What was the obvious deduction? A bowline, a rolling-hitch, a half-hitch, and a sheet-bend—could any landsman tie such knots? t'lcavly. the thief must have liave been a sailor. •' It was then that I began to suspect Captain Knsor. I examined the kitchen window and the yard outside. 1 won'' weary you with' details, but it was obvious to me that, although somebody had certainly left the house in ihalj wav. the original enhance had not been effected by that means. Neither the yard gate nor the kitchen window had iieeu forced o|»ii from the outside, but liwi nimplv been unfastened from the inside. In other words, the thief had left.

life house Through the kitchen window and the var.l gale, but had entered in some other way. " lint in what other way? Mic. Drurv had told me that all the other windows, and the two doors, were shut and fastened when she returned. But she had not mentioned the skylight. 1 got rid of Captain En*nr by sending him with a note to Scotland Yard, and then I went up and examined the skylight.

-A brief inspection of the slates -bowed me that somebody had been oa tile roof last night or early this morning. There was a dearly-marked track oil 111" slates, leading towards the house on the left. 1 ascertained from Mrs Drury that the house on the left w.iCaptain Elisor's house. I sent her hack to you. crawled along the roof to Captain Elisor's skylight, entered Jus house, explored his bedroom,') and found the stolen cash-box.

"What has happened admits of little doubt," he concluded. .'-Captain Knsor knew you had this money in the liou,e. and knew that, as a, rule, you kept your cash-box in the cupboard under the bookcase in the sitting-room. .He vent down to Chislehurst j*sterday evening, and sent oil' that bogus telegram to lure Mrs Drury away from the house. Possibly he hoped that both of you would go to Chislehurst. Returning to London, he waited until half-past two this morning, then lie crawled out on to the roof of his house through the attic skylight, entered your house and was in the sitting-room, searching for the cashbox when you arrived. " He stunned you, bound you i7i the chair, and resumed his search. Having found the cash-box, lie made his escape through the kitchen window, leaving it open to convey the idea that that was the way in which he had broken into the house. This morning, confident that his cunning scheme would never be discovered, he actually had the audacity to i yield to Mrs Drury's suggestion thai he ' should ask me to conic and investigate

the robbery. Such coolness, 1 admit, jcompels my admiration ; but, of course ; The detective moved towards the door. "I must have a policeman here/' he said, " to welcome Captain Eusor when Jie returns." i' The rest may lie told hi a single sentence. When Captain Elisor returned, lialf an hour later, he was promptly 'Jtakeu into custody, and subsequently in a written confession, confirmed the detective's theory in every material particular.