BLACK DIAMONDS FOR WHITE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12423, 12 February 1901, Page 6

BLACK DIAMONDS FOR WHITE

(Tit-Bit*.) \ ■ Lord Carmus arrived on the platform a j (minute after the last train for Hadensworth had panted out of the station, which, as he pointed out to the stationmaster, was unusually annoying, since he had purposely run up to town to buy for his wife a present which he wished to give her -at the breakfast-table next mormng ; But he declined the offer of a "special' to Brook Junction as a remedy too costly for his means; and, with a word or two muttered between his teeth to relieve his feelings, he left the station and passed into the great hotel adjoining. Having entered his name upon the visitors' book and received a. check bearing the number of his room, he boarded the lift and was conducted to his apartment. He had been in tho hotel but a short time when a well-dressed man entered the booking-office, and, having examined the visitors' book as it lay open upon the office table, asked if Room 95 was vacant. Being told that it was occupied, he asked if be could have room 94, and the check ; for it was given him after ho had written | his name in the book. j That this man, who described himself as | Arthur Berriss, should have entered the- ' hotel a few minutes after Lord Carmus, asked if ho could have the room next his lordship's, and, in default, have engaged the room exactly opposite his lordship's—the peculiarity., of this fact did not strike the clerk, and as he had the usual deposit which visitors travelling without luggage are expected to make, he banished Mr Berriss from his mind. His mind did not admit of any .suspicion, even when Lord Carmus entered the office and Clarke looked up and saw the Mr Berriss lounging on a settee facing the glass partition which formed the .office at one corner of the big entrance hall. Lord Carmus asked to see the manager, for whom Clarke telephoned. His lordship was tho son of a Cabinet Minister, and his name shouted along the telephone brought the manager down from his private apartments in very quick time. The manager, Mr Henson, washed his hands in the. air as he bowed to his lordship, and stood with his heels together like a dancing-master demonstrating figure 1. "I have some valuable jewels with me, Mr Manager," said Lord Carmus, tapping something in the.pocket,of his great-coat. " They are a matter of £3OOO, and I don't care to tako them out with me or to leave t'hem unprotected in my room." "Certainly not, mj lord; they will be quite secure ■ with me—in our safe. All that is necessary for you to do is to exhibit the jewels to me and my clerk, put them up in a box, and seal the box yourself ; and we will guarantee their safe custody until you want them." . Lord Carmus drew a small, plain, whitewood box from his pocket, took off the lid, unfolded a tissue-paper packet, and displayed a fine diamond necklace, at which the eyes of Mr Henson and Clarke sparkled. He put the packet back into the box.and closed down the lid. " Clarke, write out a receipt for a diamond necklace, the property of Lord Carmus. and valued by him at £3OOO. -, Will ycur lordship tie the box up and seal at with your own seal? Piece of string or tape, ' Clarke. Sealing-wax and light, Clarke." -.. . • , "I have the piece of string,by which it was tied up, which will do," said his lordship, tying up the box. '-'Sealing-wax. ; Thank you." - . The box was sealed -on four sides with 'an uncut signet-ring, and carefully locked away in the safe. ■ The manager then handed Lord Carmus the receipt and bowed him out of the hotel. Mr Berriss left the hotel a moment later. The following morning Lord Carmus went to the booking-office, paid his score, ; and demanded the necklace. The manager | was sent for. . i "Clarke!" he said, irritably, "did ,1 leave my keys down here.last night, or have they been stolen? . Good morning, my lord." " Yes, sir. I found them in the wastepaper basket," Clarke replied. • There was a look of. anxiety, real orfeigned, on the manager's face as he opened "the. safe, biit.it changed into a broad smile as he perceived the white-wood box on the shelf where he had put it the night before. He took it out, glanced over the seals, and handed it to Lord Carmus, who shook it and smiled. "It's there, safe enough," said Mr Henson. "But I'll trouble you to open it,, tho rule being that such things must be closed and opened in my presence." ■ His lordship broke the seals, tore off tho siring, opened the lid and took out the' packet. As he fingered the packet he shot a quick, angry glance, first at Clarke and then at Mr Henson, and hurriedly opened the paper; and he dropped the whole thing as 'a number of small pieces of coal rolled out upon the office table. The necklace had been replaced by half a handful of small coal. " I have been robbed!" he cried, sternly. "You will oblige mo by telephoning to Scotland Yard at one?." In less than an hour two detectives were in tho hotel, and had possessed themselves of n. complete knowledge of the details of (he startling robbery! Vv',: take the case iu b;md at 'once," s-fii, ', ike senior detective. Inspector Shassir'l, nodding to Sergeant Browning. "It is understood, I suppose, that if we make .mi iirrest the person v/'-'l bit duly prosecuted?" " Mi).■:(•■ certainly," said his lordship. "Pardon me. my lord, but it's Mr Hentfon's a>varauco on that point we require. Tt if. lie who has been robbed, not your lordship, since he is the loser, because you can recover from him the value of the necklace." "I see, I see," muttered Lord Carmus. "At all events, I shall remain in the hotel until you have a clue to the mystery." "With all respect, my lord, I point out that as the case stands either of you three, gentlemen may have committed the robbery." "Robbed my own safe!" shouted Mr Henson, starting up. "Stolen my own necklace!" cried Lord Carmus, angrily. ' ' Clarke said nothing. But he turned pale. '■ I don't suggest even so much as that the necklace has actually been stolen; only that, if it has, one of you must have taken it, and the evidence points to all equally," Browning returned, "I mention the fact hoping that it may show you how desirable it is none of you gentlemen should leave the hotel until Inspector Shassnel and I have arrived at something tangible." Browning bowed, and led his senior officer out of the office. " Let us talk this matter over," he said. " Strikes me you have put your foot into it to' start with," Shassnel growled, as they seated themselves at the table in a private room. " Why on earth did you want to put their backs up—especially his lordship's?" "You said you'd give me my chance in this case, and I'm taking it. I tarred'them all with the same brush, and so inspired them with a sort of fellow-feeling. Till I suspected all, they each suspected each other ; now they all feel that they are suspected, and will discuss the matter sympathetically ; and, if we interview each separately later en, the chances are wo shall hear something.'' " But it seems to me that the manager is the probable .party,'' protested Shn*fnel. " It was he who had the keys of the safe and put the box away. ■ He could easily have slipped tho box into his pocket in pretending to put it into the safe ; he could then have substituted the coal for-the necklace, faked up the seals, ami put the box in the safe during the clerk's absence or while his back w;is turned." '• What a.iiiiut- Ci.::!:'.'? woei-n't hi ■* manner suggtst guilt? lie i:.■.(:■■■.- she <.'<;i;U::::; cf vha .b'.;:c : the kcy.s of the safe were in the v, :istr.. jr. f ■■-.' basket, which he knew, this murninq;, a'r.hu.tgh Mr Henson professed not to; he was alone in the office from ten (ill one this .morning, when h.e was relieved by the night

clerk, and during that time the safe, the keys of the .safe, the necklace, sealing-wax aind coal were at his absolute disposal." '■ " You're right there. But what about the i night- clerk?"' "He is beyond suspicion, because he could not have been aware of the necklace. . It seems to me that the question is: Was tha mecklace ever in this box? If not, the case is as clear as noon-da}." " You can hardly imply that Lord Carmus has dished up. the .business." "Of course. But what could' have beer, easier? Well, talking won't do any good. Let's make our inquiries." As they passed down the corridor leading to the entrance-hall they met Lord Carmus , chatting- with a tall, d'ark man, who. was j p.'.ayin.g with a, handsome cigar-case. "Browning, see that?" Shassnel whisper- , cd. "What's his lordship doing talking -t<v Merrison? Merrison's the cleverest crook America ever lent us. I wonder if he's . mixed up in this affair." { They crossed to the office, and learnt from Clarke that the name, -of Lord Carmus's companion was Arthur Berriss; and they glanced at each other significantly as Clarke told '-hem exact!v how Mr Berriss had arrived the night 'before. "It's worth thinking about," said Shassnel to Browning as they went out of tho hotel. "I met Morrison, in Bond Street yesterday jusc outside Brison's, the jeweller's, about the timo Lord Carmus states he bought the necklace there. Two and two make four. Either Merrison has stolen tho necklace or he cams here, with the intention of stealing it, and is now learning the hang of things." Late in the evening of the same day Inspector Shassnel appeared at Mr Henson's office, and, having put to Clarke a few questions to answer, which -evidently troubled the young man considerably, gave the clerk a circumstantial account of his doings after he left the hotel the. previous night. " You then went to tho Omnium Club to gamble," he concluded, " and you have been there so frequently of late that- I think it my duty to arrest you while we make a few further inquiries about you." ■ "I expected it," said Clarke,, doggedly. At that moment Sergeant Browning walked into the office. Ho took m the situation at once. j " Hum," he said, with a dubious look ac the inspector. " I wouldn't be in too great a hurry; I've got a fish to fry. I understand that Lord Carmus is out at present?" he added, turning to Mr Henson. "He has been out some time," the manager replied, irritably. Browning elevated his eyebrows and shoulders, smiled cunningly" at the tor,-and sauntered out of the office. He' strolled to the lift, and ordered the boy to run him up to the. floor on which Room 93 was situated. He alighted at the third flight, and passed down the long, thicklycarpeted corridor until ho stood opposite Room 94, occupied- by Mr Berriss. _ The door stood slightly -ajar, and, pushing it gently open, he peeped in and saw no one tbere. At the same instant he heard the handle of a. door behind him turn slowly. He glanced round quickly, but all the doors appeared closed, and the passage was deserted by all save himself. "Er-er!" he said, softly, crossing the passage and looking through the keyhole of Boom 93.. "Mr Merrison was not to be fooled, by such a trick, if we were," he added, rising to his feet. By an adroit movement lie burst into the room and shut the door behind him. "What the dickens do you mean ,by entering a room in that manner?" Mr Berriss' indignantly demanded, rising languidly from a chair. Browning pressed the button of the electric hell with his elbow and turned the key in the lock. _ " I beg ,your pardon," he said, " but I thought "this was Lord Carmus's room." " Now you know it isn't, perhaps you'll withdraw.'" "Not much," replied'the detective grim-. Iy. " Your fine airs won't go down with me, Mr, Merrison. This is Lord Carmus's room, and you were here overhauling his bag." " How dare you speak to me like that? Who are you? Leave the room instantly." "I a m a detective, and my inspector is down in the office:'ready to identify me and -you, Mr Merrison, so the less bosh, you. talk the more breath you'll have to defend yourself against the charge of attempting to ro'b Lord Carmus." Merrison's eyes flashed, and his hand went to his hip-pocket. But, as he was wearing a light overcoat,.he w,as unable to draw before Browning :flew at him and 'brought him heavily to the ground. The detective gave him no second chance to draw, but in a twinkling had his wrists handcuffed .behind his back, and in .another minute had taken from'Merrison's pocket something he slipped into his own. There was a knock at the door, which Browning'opened to admit- a waiter. " Send the manager and Inspector Shassnel up at once," he said. Thoywere soonj in the room. " Halloa!" exclaimed Shassnel, as his eyes fell upon Merrison: "What's this mean?" "Set a thief to catch a thief," said BrownHe drew from his pocket a small, plain white-wood box with a red seal on each of its four 'sides and tied up with string. " This,"'he. said, passing -t-ha box to the inspector,,'"is just out of,the pocket of the "c-ntleman.now 'reclining upon the floor. In Lord Carmus's absence he,-of course, has extracted it from his lordship's bag, thus carrying out his object in visiting this hotel, ar.d thus proving he understood tho vn*le lord better than even I did until this :,!'iorn.oon." j " hxiu how came thh box in bir. im-d.-ihip's j baz?" Mr Henson asked. "This is the box I surrendered to you—the box which contained the lost nei'Lhce." ' " The box you gave us," replied Browning, "probably"tnever contained the necklace, oertainlv not while it was in ycur safe. This is the box in which the necklace was put, and, as you see, the necklace is in it now. I learnt this afternoon that someone answering the description of Lord Carmus bought two such boxes as these at a shop in High Holborn yesterday. The necklace was delivered to his lordship by Mr Brison in a good leather case, which was sealed up in paper, and not tied with string, as his lordship 'implied when he handed the other box to- Mr Henson." "Then he stole his own necklace.'" the manager cried. " Certainly, with the object of making you pay for it, and probably raising on the stones money with which to pay some pressing debts his father has refused to meet for him. You may not remember the occasion, but your hooks show that some timo ago his lordship left a small packet of jewels with you, and thus he learnt the rules which govern such mat! rs, and was able to prepare ono»of the boxes he had bought with the coal and tissue-paper, to tie it up with string and seal it. This he carried in his pocket when he entered your office last evening. He. had the necklace in tissue-paper in the other box, and when he had shown it to you he tied up the box with string similar to that already on the other box, and sealed it similarly, so that by a quick movement he slipped into his pocket *the box containing the white diamonds as he handed you the box containing the black diamonds; and to you the boxes n.vmpared identical. I first suspected this trick when I noticed that his lordship wore two signet rings—one with a plain stone, the other with his crest en- i graved ; and it struck mo as being peculiar that, he should have used the plain in I preference to the engraved, which it j would have been impossible for anyone to imitate in time to re-seal the box."

"But," said the inspector, "what about Merrison?" "Tic watched the whole affair and saw through it. He set to work to get possession of (he hox containing the necklace r.r.d :--:;."e;Vd. Had lie ™;'.t out of ihc }\:''--:l with it he ctrliM have snapped his 'hirers ;it Liv:l Carimn, , cv:.-:i if his lordship bad known where the nckhtee had for to have prosecuted Merrison his lordship would have h'<d to admit his own guilt.' Tims a, thief has caught a thief, and I have captured a pair."-