DETECTIVE ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13583, 12 September 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

DETECTIVE ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

PRIVATE AGENT RECOVERS LONG-

LOST PEARLS WORTH £12,000. Avteb being lost for over five months and when all the efforts of the regular police force to find it had proved in vain, the magnificent pearl necklace of Countess von Wartcnslebeu, valued at over £12,000, has, by the cleverness of a Berlin private detective, been returned to its owner.

It was on February 13 that the countess, returning from a solitary visit to the opera, placed the necklace, which made her the envy of German society, in its case, and, coming back a few minutes later, after drinking a. cup of tea in her boudoir, found to her consternation that the cherished trinket bad disappeared.

Suspicion lutwally fell on the lady's maid, Steger by name, who had helped the countess to divest herself of the necklace, and who, so far as could bo discovered, was the only person besides herself who had been in the room. The maid was, therefore, arrested, but though it was shown that her antecedents were suspicious and that she passed as a single woman, though slu had a husband living with whom she kept up a correspondence, no evidence to connect her with the robbery could be found, and she was eventually released from custody. The jewellers and pawnbrokers of the world were advised that the gems were missing, and were provided with photographs of them, but it was all of no avail. In society the wildest things were whispered, aud it was openly hinted that the countess herself had connived at the loss of the necklace in order to provide herself with money.

Stung by these rumours, the countess, who is the wife of a cavalry general and enormously wealthy, called in the help of Dr. Hugo Marc-use, the head of a firm of private detectives, who is credited with being a Sherlock Holmes in real life. He was told to spare no expense to trace tho pearls, and he threw himself into the task with energy.

After considering all the aspects of the case. Dr. Marcus© concluded that the only possible perpetrator of the theft was Steger, who had meanwhile set up in business as a seamstress. Having come to this conclusion, he set himself scientifically to prove his theory. First he employed a woman to settle in the neighbourhood of Frau Sieger's lodging and strike up a friendship with tho woman. This ruse was perfectly successful. Then ho sent one of their most experienced male detectives to make love to Steger and promise her marriage. I This ruse, as tho maid is thirty-five and susceptible, was also successful. Finally a third detective, masquerading as a "mineowner," appeared on the scene and became acquainted with tho suspected person. To this " triple alliance" Steger made no secret of being in possession of the pearls. As soon as Dr. Marcuse knew that Steger really had the pearls he took means to frighten her by threatening her with arrest should she not give them up. Ho promised her £500 reward to assist her in her flight, and to arrange that she should not be followed. Frau Steger consented to these terms, and to Dr. Marcuse's suggestion that her pretended fiance should bring him the pearls while she remained in a neighbouring cafe. In the dead of night, therefore, when no one was about, Steger led her "lover" to a spot outside the countess' house, where, after prising up a bit of lead sheathing, which hid the hole in the masonry at the edge of the window sill, 6he produced a small packet. This proved to be the missing pearls, carefully wrapped iu cottonwool.

Pretending to be overjoyed at gaining the prize, the false lover told hi« sweetheart to be sure to be at the cafe next day as appointed by Dr. Marcuse to receive her award. She was there promptly to time, but instead of meeting the mail she thought was going to marry her, was confronted by a stern police officer, who took her into custody.

After her arrest she stated that she never intended to steal the pearls, hut onlv to frighten the countess who had been unkind to her, by hiding them. The veiy simplicity of the hiding place, as in the case of Poc's famous title of "The Purloined Letter," prevented the police finding tho pearls when they searched the countess' house for them.