A DETECTIVE'S STORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2326, 8 March 1892, Page 4

A DETECTIVE'S STORY.

The firm employing the clockwinder in this case was an important and influential one, having three shops thrown into one * in one of the principal streets in the City. They sold jewellery of every kind, but their speciality was clocks and watches. The clockwinder was a decent, quiet fellow jiamcd John Brunton, who was aclockniaker by trade, but had in some way injured His left hand, and so was employed more as a ithop assistant than at his own branch. The cdockwindihg was done by contract, and if I remember rightly, there was a ticket in one of the big windows of the establishment announcing that such work was undertaken. Brunton went round most of the offices once a week, and generally before or after office hours so that no one should be disturbed. But he had also private houses to call at, and these he took after his morning round of the offices. In some of these there were as many as a dozen clocks to wind —many of them too delicate and valuable to be trusted'to the hands of servants—and, as each of these was in a different apartment, Brunton might be said to have practically the run of the whole house. No one dreamed of watching him or suspecting him of dishonesty ; and. after all. there was always the firm employing him to fall back upon should anything go wrong. The same day did not suit every one, but there was only one day in the middle of the week which suited a great many, and on that day Brunton got through the greater part of his clockwinding. He usually began about seven in the morning on that day, and ended about noon, when it was usual for him to report himself at the shop before going to dinner. On one of these busiest days Brunton did not appear as usual about noon, though he was anxiously looked out for by the chief proprietor, on account of some queer complaints that had been sent in before he was due. , , , , The first complaint was in the form of a polite note from a firm of stockbrokers, asking if they were quite sure that their clockwinder was - an honest man, for, since his visit that morning, several articles had been missed from the office, among which were a silver fruit-knife, an ivory ruler, silver tipped, and a gold pencil-case. The next was not so politely expressed. It was an elderly lady who rushed into the shop and shouted out, " Where’s the thief of a clockwinder ? Bring him out to face me !" The clockwinder could not be brought put, as he had not arrived ; but after a little the concerned proprietor elicited from the lady an excited account of having missed several valuable articles, including a cameo brooch, on which was cut a profile portrait of herself. Scarcely had this angry customer been got rid of when another appeared, accompanied by a policeman, and demanding that the clockwinder should at once be taken into custody. In this case the robbery was serious, being a pocketbook containing ten A bank notes, which had been inadvertently left within reach oi the clockwinder in a room which no one but himself had been seen to enter. The complaints continued to come in. Sometimes two of the wronged ones appeared at once, and compared notes as they spoke, and all their statements seemed to establish clearly the guilt of the absent man. Brunton’s arrival was waited for with impatience, but when an hour passed away, and no Brunton appeared, the impatience merged into alarm. If he had committed the great number of robberies laid to his charge nothing was more likely than that he should try to escape with the plunder. His employers were greatly shocked and astonished at the discovery, and could not understand how a man hitherto honest and punctual should cast away his character and his prospects for life for a temporary gain; but there could be so little doubt of his guilt that they at last sent up to the Chief Office, asking for a detective. I was then attached to the office at Old Jewry, and was the man chosen for the task. I went down to the shop and got the facts, as I have put them down, and even listened to a fresh complaint which came in while I was there. I formed an idea that the complaints sent in would prove only a small part of the actual cases of robbery, and asked for a list of the places at which Brunton had to call. This was furnished after some delay, and I was at the same time told that Brunton carried a small book with a list of the names and number of clocks he had to attend to each day. I made the round of the list, and found, as I had expected, that many more robberies Jiad been committed, which were only discovered when I put to the persons the query as tp whether anything had disappeared after the clockwinder’s visit. The list was the most odd that I ever took down, and included three of the clocks which the winder declared would need to go to the shop to be cleaned. Money seemed to have had the preference, but trinkets of every kind had gone with it. I left word that when Brunton arrived he was to be detained, but when I got back it was quite evening, and he had not returned. I did not expect to find him at home, but I took his address and thought there could be no harm in going there and making a few inquiries. The house was up dt Islington, and_ I found it without difficulty. Brunton’s wife opened the door, with' a child in her arms, and when I asked for her husband she quietly invited me to enter, saying—- " Oh, yes, he’s in, sir. I suppose you com* from the shop. But he has really not been very well, and I hope they’ll look over it, seeing it’s the first time he’s done anything of the kind.” "Look over it!’’ I opened my eyes in astonishment. A man betrays trust, and robs right and left to the tune of at least jfaot*. and then coolly hopes they’ll look over it, as he had never done the like before, •* I watl£ so see him,” I said sternly ; and then the wife’s countenance fell a little. She had shown me into the kitchen. There was a bedroom off that, and she now led me towards that with evident reluctance. " He may have had a little drop of drink,” she slowly observed, “ but it’s not his habit, and I daresay it was forced upon him. Being such a sober man in general, it may have taken some effect.” "Is he in here?” was all I said in reply, for I saw that the woman was shuffling and shielding as only wives can when their husbands get into scrapes. It was rather a poorly furnished place, and by no means large. The time was summer, and it was still daylight when I entered the bedroom. Brunton was in bed and looking very seedy —like one who had been drinking hard, and j/vas still far from sober. He had lain down ■wt*h only his coat and boots off, and the coverlet of the bed drawn over him ; and he now sa-l up staring at me rather stupidly, ** I suppose they’re rather angry at me in the shop fot not doing my work to-day, ” he said as his wife introduced me. ■* Not doing il f” I echoed. “ I think you have done it, and a little over.” *• Oh ?” and he appeared to reflect for a little. "Did I really?” "Yes, and you are charged with-lifting a good many things not belonging to you." 1 added, " and I am here to take you oo that charge,” aod I gave him my name.

(lb he continued.)