A ROMANCE FROM A DETECTIVE’S CASE-BOOK.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 174, 2 December 1892, Page 6

A ROMANCE FROM A DETECTIVE’S CASE-BOOK.

'GZije CeUct'*

(Continued.)

Although Kingsley did not seem to be quite sure of the soundness of my advice, he promised to be entirely guided by me, and in a little while he took his departure, and then I sat down to reflect and ponder, and endeavour to unravel the threads of this tangled skein. One thing I resolved on was to go down to Thames Ditton early on the merrow, and have an interview with Miss Artois in the presence of her uncle. In a little while my servant entered the room and handed me a postal packet, which on opening, I found was from the lithographers who were reproducing the lithograph. It contained the original and a note to say that the reproductions would be ready for distribution the first thing in the morning.

Placing the photo, of Tupper on the table, Ilit my pipe, and once more throwing myself in my favourite easy chair, I tried by the aid of smoke, to solve the mystery surrounding Miss Artois. Presently I found myself almost unconsciously gazing on the photo, that lay on the table, in the full rays of the shaded lamp. Suddenly that face presented itself to me as one I had seen before ; and ; I beat my brains, so to speak, to ,try, and think where and when, 4 Whose face is it ? Where have I seen it ?’ This was the question that, mentally, I repeated over and over again. After much cogitation, I threw away the stump of my cigar, went to my desk, and taking out a powerful magnifying glass, I returned to the table, and examined the likeness of John Tupper by means of the glass, until suddenly, like an inspiration, it flashed upon me where and when I had seen the face. It is not often I get excited, but I think I did on that occasion for I felt certain that I bad got hold of a clue to the mystery. I did not sleep much that night, and was up betimes in the morning, and hastened to call upon Mr Lingsley, to assure him that I believed I was in a fair way to solve the mystery, and I hoped all would be well with Miss Artois.

A week later, on as dark and stormy a night in January as had been known during that winter, I was in an upper room in an old untenanted house in the Borough, The owner of the house was Mr Tamworth, of Thames Ditton. Stretched at full length on the dusty floor, with my eye glued to a hole that enabled me to command a view of the room beneath, I was witness of one of the most remarkable and dramatic scenes I have ever looked upon. Thirteen men were in the room, seated at a long deal table. Six sat on one side, six on the other. The thirteenth sat at the bead and was evidently the president. Every man’s face was concealed by a hood that entirely covered up the head, two holes being pierced for the eyes. Before the president wa3 a china bowl, and laid across the bowl was a naked

dagger. A small lamp was suspended from the ceiling and threw a feeble light over the scene. In a few minutes one of the men arose and placed a boll’s-eye lantern on a shelf in a corner of the room, and in such a position that its rays fell full upon the doorway. That done the president rapped on the table with a wooden mallet Then the door opened and three men appeared. Two were hooded like the rest. The third was not hooded, and was placed at the end of the table opposite the president, and so that the light of the bull’s-eye fell full upon bis face. It was a cruel, cunning, almost fierce face, The man was without coat or

aistcoat, and liis shir:, was opened and lrned down, exposing his breast, while Hind his neck was a rope with the free end anging behind. In a few minutes the resident rose, and addressing the b'areeaded man, said : ‘ Your name is Henry Beechworth ? ’ ‘ It is.’ ‘ Are you willing, Henry Beechworth, to oin the Black Brotherhood ? ’ ‘ I am.’ ‘ And you are willing to take the oath hat will biud you to us ? ’ * I am.’ ‘ Then listen, and I will read the oatli to rou.’ Here the president unrolled a little scroll of paper he had held in Ilia hand, and read out as follows : ‘ I, Henry Beechworth, hereby of my own free will join the Black Brotherhood, and I vow solemnly by heaven and earth to be true to them, and never utter a single word or give a sign that would be likely to betray any individual or the Brotherhood, or the Brotherhood collectively. And that at any time, should I bo arrested, I will give no information against the Brothers, even though my hfe be at stake. -Everything I obtain I will add to the common treasury, and I will at all times be subject to the ruling of the president, whoever he may be. These things I swear to do ; and should at uny time I break my oath, I hope that I may go blind. I am aware that the rope I now have around my neck is a symbol that in the event of my betraying the Brotherhood their vengeance will pursue me to the ends of the earth, and that my life will be forfeited.’ ‘ You have heard what I have read ?’ asked the president. ‘I have,’ answered Beechworth, * Aud you will subscribe your name to it?’ * I will.’ Here the president made n sign, and 01A of the two hooded men at the head of the table approached, and receiving the bowl and the dagger, he returned to tbe novitiate, who, instructed by the president, bent forward. Then the man took up the dagger and with its sharp point made a wound in the fleshy part of the novitiate’s breast. Beechworth then bent right over the bowl, so that the blood dropped into it. And when a little had thus been caught, a new quill pen was dipped into it, and handed to Beechworth, who thereupon wrote his name with his own blood on the scrolls This senseless ceremony ended, the wound ill the man’s breast was sponged, a piece fo plaster placed on it, and he was tohl that he was now one of the Black Brotherhood, that his interests were bound up with theirs, and that he must stand or fall with them- * It only remains now' for me to give you the sign,’ the president added, 1 by which you may always know a Brother, It is changed every month, For the current month it is the index linger of the lelt hand placed in the palm of the right, thus.’ Here he gave a practical illustration of how it was to be done. ‘ Then we have a. pass word, also changed every month. The one in use at present is ‘ Creasus.’ We meet here agaiu in three week’s time, when you will be expected to contribute to the common fund value or money to the extent of one hundred pounds.’ The business being ended, all the mem - bers of this precious Brotherhood removed their'lioods, and the hand of the new member was shaken by the others Amongst them 1 iecognised the fellow called Robert, who had acted the part of servant at Linden House when I want there. In a little while the lights were extinguished and the Brotherhood commenced to leave the house, and as the}' reached the street, to their utter amazement and consternation they were arrested, for the house was surrounded by a cordon of policemen. It will, of course, be asked how I managed to unearth the secrets of the strange society, whose members were bound to get her with the sole object of enriching themselves by plundering their fellow-men. The question is easily answered. On the night when it dawned upon me that I had seen the face represented by the photograph of John Tupper somewhere before, I was enabled to detect by aid of the magnifying glass that the whiskers were not natural. There were tw'O or three places where the hair did not adhere to the face. I came to the conclusion at once that Tupper was none other than Tam worth, disguised by false whiskers and moustache, and a wig. The dark piercing eyes, too, I was perfectly

convinced were Tam worth’s eyes. It was naturally a very startling discovery, and I immediately took steps to prove it right or wrong For several days I shadowed Mr Tamworth, and at last followed him to the old house in the Borough. Later on I obtained entrance to the house by means of a false key. In a drawer in a table I found a written circular summoning a meeting for a certain night ; and I resolved not only to witness that meeting, but as there could not be a shadow of a doubt that the Black Brotherhood, as they chose to call themselves, met for an unlawful purpose, I took means to have every man jack of them arrested. A t first when the news leaked out people were inclined to think that the Brotherhood was a hoax, but the revelations that were gradually made of their doings caused intense excitement throughout the country, Not only were they bound together by oath which each man signed with his blood, but they had a formal set of rules and regulations for their guidance. Tamworth was the president, and he, with two others, took charge of all the things that were stolen. Periodically this property was conveyed to the Continent by some of the members, and there disposed of ; the proceeds of the sales being equally divided. In the event of a man being arrested the Brotherhood secretly provided funds for his defence ; and if it was a bailable case the bail was always forthcoming, but the accused invariably disappeared unless he fedt pretty sure he would only get a light sentence. The Brotherhood owed its origin and success entirely to the arch villain Tamworth, who had, by some strange mesmeric influence he possessed, been enabled to obtain entire control over the will of his unfortunate neiee, Beryl Artois, In order to keep up this influence, he drove his own brougham disguised as a coachman, and whatever she obtained she handed to him immediately and ho concealed it. Of course nothing bulky was ever taken on such occasions. The plunder was either precious stones or jewellery. In spite of their oath, three of the gang turned Queen’s evidence, and the conviction ot the rest was secured. Tamworth, as tho ringleader, was sentenced for life, and the others were dealt with only a little less severely', Tamworth was one of the most accomplished and consummate villains I ever had to deal with ; while his power cf acting a part, and of concealing his true feeling’s, was simply marvellous and would have enabled him to have rnado a fortune if he had gone upon the stage. In the face of the exposure I was thus enabled to make, and which left not the slightest doubt that poor Miss Artois had been an unconscious victim of the strange power possessed by her uncle, she was, after being committed for trial and duly tried, acquitted, and her faithful lover, Kingsley, lost no time in making her his wife. And as great sympathy was shown for him and her, a position was found for him abroad, whither he removed with his beautiful bride until time should have wiped the scandal out of the public memory [the end.]