HUMAN TRAGEDIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 15, 30 December 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

HUMAN TRAGEDIES.

I LOXDO.X DF.TEf Tl\ E S (XTEfIEST--IXG STORIES. DI A ISI ON A L I b--t o c.i iv•- i a spot-1 <i r ( Beniamin Allan, who has rwntI ly r.'tired from S' -gOnd Yard, will ri»--v'_.:-' hinwlf in futiiro to the hn.sinwi lof ‘‘private inpiirv Ho will r.'. > endeavour to put some of hi,-. rfct<!leci'ton. together, which would certainly roiilt in a v-rv interesting book i hi his aprn-aranoo Mr. Allan quit.' I d -.'ppoin:-. your imagination uf what •- -.eopi,.. <| di-tel t'VC shmtl.l l-nilc like. ■ lb <!-..•- not in anr way suggest an ■ 'l-i-p-t-r Bm k- and onlv re a’liildos •■I nth or fiction frienl “f lav. kshaw” I lin tho outward ii.-.i: n ■■. of his nppeari an,-.- ami a <—4 aKsarnwc ; >f mann.-r i which th" profession he has followed for so many years ran hardly fail to > I':.'-■«. given him. Pietnrc a iniddle- ; siatuii-1 man verging towards .'■h. with ! sturdy shoulders, full, but nut • .rpul- ■ i-n'- figiiri.. a ruddy, g<.o<l-nnt ur<- l. bat I flv’tt-rrri p ’*] fttw* p nr> jstrifh^ l pbnt v <f hr... a l:air - < v. s [t’i't l>. ?. -. i'.'-.-lv at. von. rl-.tb.'S of I\-'t--nl i-'it. c-ir-'fiillv trronnmd. and ’■ i hn'-e :>• I’.irse police officer of i th.- A Dr. -i-.n wh'i has been su h a •t miii-mt. vi t ahiai- iiv .nspii-nous, ■/■■-e in th ■ Mj-l- nd life fur a qunrT<> h.-ir bun talk ■-. !i.t.>n to o<»n--linin-- f: igro-nt-. ■ r-.-i am .- an 1 iriI’-. b : -- ,r V .- |, l frailty, a gln-’ary --’ t'-.c ' <t * .><- Wai - of h n> tv. f r.v k»=i-m:"l< li.av-' I ■ b:- =!i pnn - o :1 ; pb<. tnvsrcr:»‘s of so ni.tnv s--cr.-t <hani- ; bur-; have been n'■.- ••I- 1 to him, and ; SO R.I'IV 1-11; J|,r-ls h-.Vi- di'ido-ej th.-ir |-Jcoletons. Ono minute h<- is r’calling I t < vri a bat.-', rubber-.' or gr.-rit i 1 i mise. in which t!’<' crii»;'’r._ : s nr c"’"i- . i•vil « ■'■:!-•. 1 every thought of p:il>! -' • -ntton!: .n f-ir d.-is and 1 isne.neared for ■ a l-»nu scnteir-e. You now hear that ; ‘b>- m<|.-t m.t>>n<cis »f tl; • gang:, the j "Jiiii tlx' I’.'iims-'t.” i-.lii w:»st...! thnii i r ’ii is i a big’trio'is liivig nt:d ini-> , i.;v ning. h;v !■ 111 li: - rm-, m and p; :!..t . iy'*rnin , :r |>rrg‘nrnvri 1 : d-1 p.s n ' v/cMr.’n . 3” a A r Allan s-, ‘- h■- l ; „ l.irti.i:- to -‘U o<t.i .><>’! v, 1< :’n bo ii; — .■■rd.i.,l t’|,' c.m:'t-v }>:>:.-■■ of a great . statos;:i.in invest ir-ato t!-.- dis.ip.i'-'ir-of « diam m.-l tines .aii'i other , pTi el-, ,ui lari'e vr.lne. '«:dv to <E., | nv.r ' the- tb- sen was >i.- th: f. Th" n’other'c ie-vol casi's h;i.J -i.■<‘ii nili-d tn my f .r tai- ruthless i-xtrnriiyano'S o!' , \ .-ith t 1 nnd i, th ni ’f. t ear ami t-.-.v for the snl.b ■ !■ : ti’"- musical cnmrik siren. Names? .No. -f <.>ur—’ ivt E'. i —.'h.-iT had to hn-’’. ■!. .v.l th" sp.-ndthrift heir has reformed -that is. is sup;kkmJ to bo in that .’tat-- of gr.ico—ami he i I’ now in Pnrlinnioni. i "I h.-iv ’ o'e.i-:..'ial!v uv • him it r"- ■ "o;>t:oris awl outside his clubs,” said .1... A/-,- oi'iivo. .-'.rays wink-: ■ Ely at me.”

A CHIIISTMAS TRAGEDY

■ T.-k'n" -lb mt mooting roof.'o v-fio have b. ■-'> tl'-.-igh mv h.’.'ih, only t'vo ! ’ fg i I i’“ ; a bg.to r from a man •' b; n .s-,v p.inltrv farming in Ireland. He 0.,;<.---itidntoj me on mr retirerrmit. nod hoped I should look him un. h,. b-d never forgotten mv kindn"=s K indue* - * T .arrested that man ; it hi* fhri’tma* dinner, took him nwav . from hie wecnintt wife nnd *hriekin<r children; took him away in the sleet

and snow from his pretty home in the suburbs, with a big Christmas tree in the nursery, and the very last thing I e.'ipte-ted— his arrest. I had to do it, i-i nirse. That’s where the tragedy ol our work comes in. Arresting a burglar, or a cruel murderer, or a longwtmted coiner, or a forger is good, | keen sport at times. You are on the 1 chase after difficult quarry, and you I in bringing it down. But when

it is the gentlemanlike, often well-eon-iiT-tcd. weak-nnnded embezzler, it -s lath- i trying. Yon have been watching him ior months, perhaps; been his tri friend even; dined at his all the time gathering the evin ■ which slowly engulfs him. Tim uti iental or unintentional beginning: the funk* efforts at restoration, which only result, thanks to unfortunate ■; m -i;L-.i i-m. in further involvement ; the gradual convieiion that ererything -an be covered up and nothing discovcred. and the gradual north <:f fa!*e s-'r-nrdy. And then— the hair breaks aid the sword fails. The re*n-<-t -d villa-holder nt Wimbledon. Perhaps a : huichwarden. is one day walked a., ay with gyves unon his wrists; tbt- h-me i* r. vag.-d bv the bailiff*, and the ii-le and children reduc'd to Lcgg.-’-y. if, ,v • ■f' :i l.ave I had to lie the Uawk-Im--that brought the roof a-tumbiing in m-ii ‘ But I was toiling von of the man v* in. wrote to me. He got eight-'cn month-; for *. •t • m.ii :<• alteration of has employers' books tn cover his dofaleat otis. and he was drawing £7 a weak tie < >:tli«?«-titI clerk, -and was only 32 when sent to gaol. I took a tan-y t-i a i.t He golden-haired child, who clung t:> win an-l begged me ”t-> let go t let:: “ an an;. 1 of six years, carrying a <’o!f as big as hers<-l f . AVhi n th*- s.'.!<* was on nt the villa 1 went t'lero and bought the doll and some <>: ’:--r tilings: they were valuable toys, ar; I lb ■ Laiet-s included them in the *t iff Wl- a I .fouml ent where :!•■ family had gone I sent the doll ami the ret tn the littb- girl; and I W;i I-!-.- t get a lot <-1 SetTCt.■■:-:! work for the m-nln-r from a groat l-: iv r. lie had --mi l >•.<■-! rm* in some impiirn*. Kind of me? Well, J. ti-cf ire* are human. I sciiposr. "Cur ions ca*,-s ? < Hi. yes; lots ot t. - is. ; 1-nt > i -lifiicult ior me to talk without betraying c-intid-'nces, or rr'••rding pasts. ->r bn*..king rogulations whirli bind pea-ioned nffie- rs <>f ScotI nd Yard. I was voni-ernnl in that robbery of bar silver wjp-'b was s-*nt i- -‘ti St. I’ancras to the i.'it.v tn a v.n-. i- sth ->nlv the driver and a bov to take ■•an of it. The hoy ami the man went i'it - n. *-r»fT--< ---h •;• for :i meal, and the v .id ami silver were 1.-'t to look aft r them.-ielv«. Fancy £2<M!i> of silver in I>; r ’ In thr* cour.-o of a wc.-k or two portion-, of it were rci-nvered from several n ceivers. but much of il was never h-.a-.l of airun. Then there was Hint CIOd-Hr robbery* of jewels from Mr.;, l.nugtry in |M>5. A. forged order w:-.s presented at her bank. That was n .'■•trio.r; case, and the sequel stilt more • r.-i -:i*. But f ir.a-t not sav any more. I c.r.-t- d th,* N--w York thief who •ami- or<-: lu-r.* with £2s,<Mit) in di.t--m .nds s ■.vn in a flannel belt which he all the time. Every stone was r.-e a- r.-d. The thief was a footman tn a Aladison-avenue mansion, and he v.n-’ a ••inallv w--n--ing the belt and L. Iping tin’ N«-w York police in their •enrrh - f ib-' Lonse. If h-. had waited I ■tig-r before coming ever here, and >!■<-I. when h<- was m Lindon, if he had n*>t be Mi so talkative to women iii'i:ds. ho rnig'it nerer have been disorc rod. Im t."! of languishing in gaol ■■■■r th-r. -ho was cyt radited —he ’r-ght. have- lived in comfort, ns a snpp >s:-l retired stockbroker over hero.