Granger's Scoop.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4260, 26 August 1882, Page 1

Granger's Scoop.

The O'Sfcaughnessy Diamoads.

BY WILLIAM M. COOKE.

(Concluded.)^ On the wharf, at our feet, I saw a Tiliie and something smaller, which proved to be Jones' tin box. Mr Granger at once. took charge of these, and, without more words, we crossed the street and entered a hack which had just driven up. And then we drove straight to the nearest police station. But shortly Jones was taken into an inner room, > and Granger asked me to follow. The men were searching his clothing, but, except a pistol, they found only such trifles as* a man may carry about him every day, and about §50 in money. They then examined the valise. In it were clothes, a brush, and comb, and suchlike things—nothing more. At last they took up the tin box. Jones declined to give. , them the combination, and-they had to break the lock. Though I was by no means in a laughing mood I could hardly keep back a smile as they opened it. I expected to see a package of old letters, perhaps a few photographs. And, to be suro, there were the letters. I glanced at Mr Granger. His hands were trembling somewhat, and his face had grown pale. What could he hope to find P He pushed aside the man who had opened the box, and removed the letters, of which there were many, but tossed them upon the table without a look. Beneath lay only a large old tobacco-pouch —and one of the policemen laughed. Granger opened the pouch and looked in; then he drew from it a crumpled ball of, newspaper. This he tore open, and then _ —my calmness quite forsook me, and I stepped forward with a cry" of surprisethere was a shimmer and a glitter and a flash of broken light; he held the lost necklace in his hand ! Mr Granger showed himself most con* siderate. I wished to go home at once, and he not only got me a hack, but pressed , upon me his pocket-flask of brandy. And, indeed, I was much bewildered, felt tired, and far from well, and was very glad to reach my rooms and go to bed. However, I fell asleep at last, and tlie, morning brought more cheerful thoughts. It was good to know that the diamonds were at last; in safe hands ; and if Jones were indeed a rogue then I was well rid of him. But I was eager to know how and by'whom the discovery had been brought about, and as soon as might be I got a copy of the newspaper for which Granger wrote. And upon some points, at least, my mind was quickly enlightened, for on the very first page was an account of the whole affair. I read it with a grow* ing feeling of wonder. It seemed hardly possible that for months I could hare been so blind as to what was going on about me. The article was headed, "The O'Shaughnessy Diamonds Found," and ran thus: „ • "When yesterday it was announced that the robbers of the Citizens' Bank had fallen into the clutches of the law, the belief became general that in these men the police had also the perpetrators of the the burglary by which Mr O'Shaughnessy, of Chicago, lost his §60,000 necklace, and the early recovery of this valuable ornament was regarded as certain. But 'there's many a slip ' twixt the cup and the lip,' and had it not been for the sagacity of a certain newspaper reporter, the jewels might have been upon the briny deep and to their owner irretrievably lost. Incited by the hope of earning the reward of $10,000 offered for their restoration, this " reporter has for months devoted bis 1 energies to the task of finding them; _and at . last success has crowned his efforts. , The. diamonds lie at police bead quarters,.and

the person in whose possession they were found— a confederate of the three men already in custody—has abandoned the in. tention which he held until a late hour last evening of taking a yachting trip to Southern climes, and will for the present devote himself to the study of the interior of the Tombs.

"The manner in which this desirable consummation of the search was reached may be described as follows: One day about a year ago, happening into the office of Messrs Vanderkill & Brown, from whose safe, it will be remembered, the diamonds were afterwards stolen, the above mentioned knight of the quill was struck by the strong resemblance of one of their ocrk>, a person of the euphonious name of Jones, bore to a certain accomplished London cracksman, one Crawford, better known as • Gentleman Harry,' a title beatowed upon him by bis admirers in recognition of bis refined appearance and speech. The features of this worthy had been very familiar to the reporter at a time when the latter held the post of Police Court reporter to one of the great London journals. However, he did not think it advisable to make his suspicions public, and, as the young man bore a Rood reputation, he soon persuaded himself that they were groundless. Later, upon hearing of the robbery, he was, however, reminded of them, and when the offer of reward was increased to $10,000, and became worth working for, he immediately proceeded to investigate Mr Jones' record, and also took measures to have him carefully watched in future. To this end he engaged the services of an ex-detective and of a former member of the police force, one of whom promptly took board in the house where the gentlemanly Mr Jones resided. He also succeeded in indncing Messrs Yanderkill & Brown to take into their employ a young friend of his own, who in return was quite willing to aid the cause of justice by keeping an eye upon his fellow-clerk.

" Time passed. Conclusive evidence was found that the gentlemanly tea-buyer Mr Jones and the equally gentlemanly and accomplished burglar Mr Crawford were one and the same person, who had adopted his present name and profession as a blind, and was in reality the accomplice of as daring a gang of robbers as ever terrorized a peaceful community. "Little doubt remained that in the robbery of his employer's safe he had played a useful though unobtrusive part, and the reporter asked himself whether he should not at once unmask him. But, as a thorough search of the gentleman's apartments in his absence had revealed the fact that the missing jewels were not to be found there, he decided that his best chance of recovering them lay in allowing Mr Crawford to remainjatlarge, though under strict surveillance, until their hiding-place should be discovered. "The night on which the robbery of the Citizens' Bank took place, Mr Jones, alias Crawford, spent away from home. In whose company he was is not positively known, for early in the evening his watcher unfortunately imbibed too freely of the flowing bowl. He very effectually drove dull care away, and was carried to his room in a state of bliss and limpness. " But just before cock-crow Mr Jones was seen by a passing milkman to enter the house. And yesterday morning, after glanoing at his newspaper, it was noticed that he showed signs of indisposition, which he attributed to the badness of the coffee served him at breakfast. He was afterwards seen to visit the office of a well known shipping firm, where he engaged passage, under the name of Robinson, on the clipper-ship ' Quickstep,' about to sail for Callao. It was now evident that the time had arrived for action. During the day he was closely shadowed by his watchers, one of whom went so far as to follow him in the evening to the wharf where the vessel lay. Here he was met by the reporter and two other men of his j acquaintance, who were so loth to lose him that, by their united eloquence, they induced him to forego his intended visit to Callao, and accompany them to the police station, where a surprise was in store for him. It will be, perhaps, a surprise to some others as well. In his tobacco-pouch some heartless villain had concealed the very diamond necklace so long sought. " It may be added, as an item of interest to some of our worthy citizens, who have been mourning the loss of sundry bonds and other valuable papers, that the lining of Mr Jones'—alias Crawford's—coat proves to be of an uncommon kind, and that the privilege of examining it might repay them for the trouble of a visit to police headquarters." This was all. It was now clear to me that Mr Granger was himself the reporter who has earned the reward so cleverly, and, also, that he must have been very sure of success, for the whole of this article could hardly have been written after he left the police station on the night before. But, if this was so, why had he left so much unexplained ? About many points of the case I was still quite in the dark. In the course of the day he called at the office, and I asked him to enlighten me. "I can imagine," T said, " that Jones looked into the private office, and saw the diamonds before they were locked up, and that he then spoke of them to his con" federates, who afterward stole them; but where were they hidden P Tell me the whole sfory.' Mr Granger stood by my desk, lighting a cigar, while I spoke. He now took a chair, leaned his arm on my desk, and looked me in the face. "Do you really want to know the inside facts ?" he asked. " Well, I'll tell you them. I didn't know them ail myself till yesterday," and he smiled in a peouliar way as he pulled gently at his cigar. " I hardly think," he said, 'that you realize, even now, what an extremely clever clerk you have lost. It was, perhaps, an easy matter," he went on, "to deceive you and the police; what would you say if I told you that he had fooled his confederates as well P" "What do you mean ?" I asked. "Simply," he answered, "that when tho.Be thsee men broke open your safe, it

was not to get at the diamonds. They knew of none ; and they found none, for they were not there." I stared at him in astonishment. " Your clerk, Mr Jones," he went on, "from the first week he spent in your office, carried duplicate keys to the safe. Ten minutes after he was left alone with the diamonds that afternoon, they were in his hands. That he might not be suspected of the theft, he told his confederates of the money which was still in the safe, and in* duced them to break in at night and take it, though, as they now say, they thought it foolish to take so much trouble for such small pay. Of thediamondshesaidnothing. Knowing these facts, doa't you begin to understand where the jewels were bidden? I can tell you," he continued, " that from the time Jones took his box from your house until he reached the wharf he did noteven open it, for he was closely watched." And with that he leaned back in his chair and slowly blew out a ring of smoke. And now at last I understood how thoroughly I had been duped. " Granger," I said, "do you mean to tell me they—that I—." " Yes," he said quietly, " I do. For three months or more that necklace has been safely lying in your own closet."

" Why, then," I said, ' that means that I have—." " Certainly," he interrupted again, very coolly, " that you have been acting as a receiver of stolen goods." And he blew out another smoke-ring. I could bear no more, ©nee again, lam sorry to say, I used an impolite word. Then I put on my hat and left the office. THE END.