FAMILY OF BURGLARS

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3130, 6 August 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

FAMILY OF BURGLARS

In a large town in the north of Ireland many burglaries and robberies had been committed, and many 'detectives set to work, and many failures had been the result before I was sent down to investigate the affair. The fact is, the rascals who committed these depredations were so well up in their business, so cunning and shrewd, as well as bold and daring, that they left no trace of themselves anywhere by which a clue could be gained to fix a reasonable suspicion. And yet the nefarious work went on at irregular intervals—sometimes only a day or two elapsing between one burglary and another, and sometimes a period of weeks ; but the dark business so certainly continuing that no master of a house felt perfectly safe behind his locked and bolted "door, while ladies everywhere became nervously timid and afraid of their own shadows. Yet not one of these latter, as far as my knowledge goes, was ever molested, or ever got even a sight of a midnight robber. Money, watches, jewellery of all kinds, and valuable plate were the articles usually taken, and rarely anything else. Of these valuables not a trace

could subsequently be found, showing that the scoundrels were too well off, and too cunning to dispose of them in the usual channels. When I was sent for to try my still in ferretting out and bringing the guilty parties to justice, I agreed to enter upon my task on condition that every other detective should be recalled; that it should be given out that the mystery was too deep to be solved; that it should not be known that I was anywhere in the neighbourhood ; and that I should be left to' take my own time and pursue my own course, with money enough at my command, to carry out any plan I might adopt. I started out with the theory that these burglars knew, before operating, exactly wh«re valuables were concealed, aud what they had to do to get possession of them ; that they had no ordinary means of concealing their plunder till it could be disposed of at a distance—perhaps across the Channel ; and that to find the operators I must look for them in high rather than in low life. Upon my arrival in the town I engaged rooms in a first-class hotel, drassed myself like a gentleman of means, and described myself as Frank Henderson, of Dublin. After that I soon managed to let it be understood that I had been an officer in the army ; that I only retired on coming into possession of a large fortune left by a deceased uncle ; and that I was now travelling partly for pleasure and partly with a view to purchasing an estate my uncle having made it a condition of his bequest that I should buy land and settle down. Of course I requested all this to be kept a profound secret, because I wished it to be known ; and of course it was make known far and wide by every man or woman who heard of it telling it to some other man or woman as a profound secret. In the course of the next two or three weeks I found quite a number of the best townspeople seeking my acquaintance, and received numerous invitations to visit at the houses of the foremost gentry. During the next month my visiting list became so extensive as to include all the leading families in the place; and as I encouraged gossip of all kinds, I soon became conversant with all the prominent incidents connected with these families during the preceding decade. Among a great many facts of more or less interest, but which, as they have no connection with my story, I shall not here record, I learned who were old families and who were new, who were rich and who were comparatively poor, who had property to sell and who had not, and last but not least, who had been robbed during the past two years. Among the newcomers who had taken up their residence in the town within that period was a I family of the name of M'Lysaght, consisting of a venerable mother, her mairied sod and his wife, another son and two blooming daughters. Curiously enough, their house had been broken into and robbed shortly after their arrival, and as a considerable sum of money and much valuable jewellery had been taken, the son, as head of the ( family, had at once offered a large reward for the detection and ' punishment of the villains, but 1 without result. ; John M'Lysaght was a man of about thirty-five years of age, comely and of good address, and , bad, it was said, an ample private income. His wife was beautiful, accomplished, and refined, and so were his two charming sisters ; and as for his stately, highbred, aristo- : cratic brother, he was one to shine and dazzle in the proudest society— \ te b» the envy of men and the admiration of women. Such a family as this, living in fine style, keeping horses, carriages aud a host of servants, and giving grand entertainments could not long be ignored by the most exclusive of the old families, and the ice once broken, the footing once secured in society, everything rolled along as smoothly as if they had lived in the town for generations. Having myself entered aooiety at

the top, in the manner I hav shown, I naturally came in contac f with the M'Lysaghts, and afte: closely studying each member o: [ the family for a while, I allowec [ myself to become infatuated witl . the bewitching sisters, without de- . signating either as my choice. I talked with them, rode with them, sang and played with them, , and had the vanity to believe that I had become the favourite of both, and that I was equally preferred by the stately, dark-eyed Norah, and the sweet-voiced, blue-eyed Mary. But then I was figuring as a millionaire. Was I losing sight all this time of the business which called me to the town ? I did not think so myself, though it might have had that appearance to another. One day, when riding out with the two ladies, we passed a fine mansion half-a-mile from the town, the owner of which I shall call Mr Kerwick. The Kerwicks, besides being the oldest family in the locality, were also known to be very wealthy. They had been the victims of the robbers about a year previous, and had lost in money, plate, and jewels to the amount of close upon seven hundred pounds. " Experience with some people goes for nothing," I remarked, looking towards the house, which stood in the centre of grounds of considerable extent, and was surrounded by lofty trees ; " the more they learn the less they seem to know, and 1 sometimes wonder how they manage to keep out of the fire." "Oh, what is the matter, now, Mr Cynic?" inquired Norah with a laugh. " Why, I was just thinking of this stupid Kerwick." " AVhat of him?" " In my estimation he lacks good sense." " Most people do, in your estimation," joined in Mary. " You seldom have an approving word for anybody." " Then you ladies should appreciate what I say of you all the more." " What we hear, we do," said Norah, but we tremble to think what may be said by so sarcastic a judge when we are absent. " Oh, if I only dared to speak as rapturously in your presence." '' Faint heart never won a fair lady," quoted Norah. " I shall remember that axiom," returned I. " And in the meantime, pray don't forget your stupid Mr Kerwick," said Mary, with a slight pout, as if from a touch of jealousy. ,c Ah! Mr Kerwick—true. Well, now see if you do not agree with ine as I state the case. About a year ago he was robbed, as you probably have heard, and lost property to the amount of seven hundred pounds, as he himself told me. Now, what do you think ! With that experience so fresh in his memory, you. would hardly suppose that he would want to tempt fate again. But he does, or will, in spite of my advice to the contrary. This morning he received two thousand pounds from his son, an extensive pork curer in Chicago, co be invested in good securities. He intended going to Belfast to-day to consult a stock broker, but something came in the way. Having called to see me on some business, he incidentally mentioned these facts." " But this large sum of money you have, of course, deposited in the bank in the meantime ?" said I. " No," he answered. "I merely locked it up in my desk. It will be quite safe there," " Not if your servants know about it, or someone breaks in, as happened to you before." I replied. " My servants know nothing about it," he returned; "and as for burglars—well lightning never strikes twice in the same place, you know." " Now," I observed to the ladies, " I should feel ashamed of risking so much in so reckless a manner." As I concluded, the two charming girls exchanged glances; and then Norah said, with a hajf-con-cealed yawn, " If people will be so stupid they ought to lose their money ; tut in this case, if Mr Kerwick has not mentioned the matter to anybody except you, of c jurse his money is just as safe in his desk as it would be in the bank." " Ah, if! Well, if careless in one thing he may be careless in all. He may have told a dozen otheis for what I know. However, it is no affair of mine, and I really beg pardon for mentioning so ungenial a matter in so charming a presence." On reaching the home of my fair companions, shortly before dinner, they did not press me to remain and take " pot luck " with them, as they usually did, but Norah had a headache and Mary was dreadfully tired, so we exchanged good wishes and sweet good-byes, and I rode back to the hotel. • Curiously enough, Mr Kerwick was there, waiting to see me, and I at once took him into my private room and closed the door. " Well ?" he said. " I have set the trap and baited it," was my answer, " and if we ion't catch one or two foxes before morning I shall be surprised." " Good," he commentod, "Is everything complete on your part?" I asked, "Everything." "Then I will be at your house an hour after dark." We conversed a minute or two longer, and then he went home.

5 At the appointed time I entered Mr t Kerwick's house by a door in a lane ■ which was sheltered fi»m observation. i. There I found half-a-dozen stout fellows waiting. We seated ourselves and waited the result. Somewhere about one o'clock in 1 tho morning a shutter of the library window was prised open, the window softly raised, and two masked men entered and struck a silent match. The instant they did so, and before they had time to look round or defend themselves, they were both firmly seized by our men. In less than half-a-minute more I had securely clicked the handcuffs upon their wrists. Then a lamp was lighted, and I tore the masks from their faces, revealing the features of the brothers M'Lvsaght- " Good morning, gentlemen," said I, in my most courtly style. "I am glad to see you. It is hardly necessary to say that you were expected, since you find us all here to receive you. How are the dear girls? I hope they have recovered from their fatigue of yesterday." "You are a low, treacherous villain!" cried the elder brother. " I beg your pardon, sir. I am not, but only a humble detective, at your service." The two men looked perfectly thunder-struck. " The fact is," I continued, " we three have been playing a little game, and you have lost it. There were no iwo thousand pounds here, as I led those dear sweet sisters of yours to believe. That was only a remark of mine consented to by Mr Kerwick, in order to catch the burglars who robbed him before. But I will not detain you with further explanations. Y«u will probably Lear more of your little indiscretion at your trial." The four women were apprehended later in the day, and the house the family had occupied was thoroughly searched, but as no stolen property could be found on the premises, and no incriminating evidence could be brought against them, they' were discharged. In less than a week from their release from custody, the women left the town, the two men got long terms of penal servitude, and I received much praise—besides something more tangible from Mr Kerwick—and felt much satisfaction at having solved a mystery which some of the most experienced of my professional brethren had failed to unravel.