THE AGE OF DIAMONDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19031, 30 May 1925, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE AGE OF DIAMONDS.

BY. J. W. DENT KIRKWOOD.

(Copyright.) Jasper Hemmingway was found murdered in his study. He sat huddled in a chair before the writing-table. The murderer, entering by the French windows, had crept up behind him while he wrote. The means of death was chloroform, contained in a cloth held over the victim's mouth and nose. Chloroform first depresses the brain centres of thought and action, producing unconsciousness, then the lower centres concerned with the involuntary action of breathing and of tho heart muscle, causing death. The police were baffled by the seeming absence of motive. Nothing had been disturbed, nothing stolen. The. investigation was in the hands of Inspector McCabe, who followed out a variety of inquires, but without result. But for the intriguing circumstances of the seven Ace of Diamonds playing-cards, Maxwell Bennett would not have exercised his detective ability to solve the mystery. Hcmmingway's death was no loss to the community. Rather, it was a benefit. An unscrupulous financier, who had sat tight upon his money-bags and defied the law, Hemmingway had beggared small investors in their thousands. Still, Bennett was not unmoved by the appeal of the tearful woman who faced him across the polished mahogany of his consulting-table. "Miss Hemmingway," he invited, "please give me the facts regarding Iho Ace of Diamonds cards which you think provide a clue to the identity of your brother's murderer." Margaret, Jasper Hcmmingway's sister, was an angular, acidulous woman of forty; over-dressed even in her mournings. Having stimulated her resolve with smellingsalts, sniffed from a cut-ebrystal bottle, extracted from her hand-bag, she explained : "On the Monday, exactly a week before his death, my brother Jasper received a communication which threw him into a state of extreme agitation, I had an opportunity to observe the full effect on him of this mysterious letter; it arrived with the midday post, which was brought to us at table while we were seated at an early lunch. For a few moments I was occupied with my own correspondence. Looking up to address to Jasper some inconsequential remark, I was horrified to see him sitting, with his face contorted in a most awful look—a look of sheer horror ---staring at something he had just taken from an envelope which lay open beside his plate. " 'Jasper, what is the matter?" I cried in alarm. I had half-risen, and looking down upon him I could see that what he held between his shaking fingers was a playing-card—the Ace of Diamonds. Across the face of the card was handprinted a date—March 13. i " 'Jasper, is there anything wrong?' I asked him again. But without answering me he rose from the table, tore the card in pieces, and threw the pieces into the fire. Still without speaking, he left the room. "Seven days in succession, and always by the mid-day post, Jasper received one of those mysterious cards. ' Always the card was the same—the Ace of Diamonds. Always it bore the same date handprinted across the face—March 13th. And on the seventh day, which was March Jasper was murdered." "les; but the police, who are pursuing had recourse to her smelling-salts. "Have you given this information to the police? " Bennett asked her. "Yes; but the police, who are pussuing other inquiries, refuse to consider it seriously." 'Whereas you, Miss Hemmingway, think the Ace of Diamonds, is the symbol of some event in your brolher's life, connected with the date March 13, which supplies both the motive of his murder and the clue direct to the identity of his murderer?" "Exactly, Mr. Bennett," Margaret Hemmingway nodded eagerly. "Search out the significance of the Ace of Diamonds. Search out the incident in my brother's life connected with the date,' March 13. And once we know those things we shall have solved the mystery of my brother's death. Following his interview with Margaret Hemmingway. Maxwell Bennett was leverishly active, pursuing a variety of inquiries. It was late in the afternoon before lie returned to his consulting-room. Ringing for Mansfield, his confidential secretary, he asked: ]Ts there any reply to our telegram ?" It came fully and hour ago, sir." Bennett read the proffered lorm. Irison governor reports convict No. 113, Robert Bowman, released on February 26, ' he quoted. "I infer," said Mansfield, "that you nave discovered some circumstance connecting this man Bowman with the Hemmingway case ?" Bennett nodded. Leaning back in his desk-chair, with finger-tips in juxtaposition, he said didactically: . "It is in Heminingway's financial dealings that we have the most fertile field win iv, se ? r ? h ? ut tlle incident, linked with the symbol of the Ace of Diamonds and tiie date March 13, which provoked his enemy to murder." "You, have followed out this line of in(IU,U7 ■ suggested the secretary. J have. I have examined the record of Hemmingway s financial enterprises years ago, I have discovered he hn M "■ Sllver lnine J. located somewhere in the Mexican mountains, to which he gave 'Ace of Diamonds Silver ''l'h p l T del L ta TV ! '" Sa ', d Mansfiel d quickly. Ihe Ace of Diamonds Silver Mine is the connexion between Hemmingway and his murderer which the playing-cards syunbo tinned ! dly '" Bl ' nilett a « rced ' conrile mine did exist, inasmuch as a hole he ground may be said to constitute a V, wdiat silver it contained ould not have paid the cost of printing the glowing reports, certified by engineers <ind assayers, which Hemmingway had circulated among 'suckers' on whom lie eventually unloaded his worthless stock J he whole affair was a deliberate fraud or. the speculating public. And immediately f tempt was made to work the mine the fraud was quickly discovered. There was an outcry from the disillusioned investors, and tho Public Prosecutor was induced to take action. But Hemmingway was cunning enourh to understand that, with (he law given a scapegoat on whom it might fix a conviction and still thereby the clamour of p„bseVEI)' prosecution against himself might be dropped. Accordingly, having fixed things so that no'guilt could be proved against himself, he 'framed' a ZTv f!Z the lilW - Thc scapegoat was Robert Bowman. "Bow-man was Hcmmingway's associate n the Ace of Diamonds flotation. The two men were indicted together But all C I!-! CC (o '\ rovv that -as acting partner, the organizer, and therefore the sole promoter of the whole fraudulent enterprise. Hemmingway it How™ •' \° ;' P r ar < had bccn duped' bv Bowman into believing that the mine was '. k' oninne business which would yield the investors substantial dividends, and he had acted throughout in that belief. Bowman was innocent, but lie was sentenced 1' -u n • VRa , rs , tcn »- Hemmingway V. s guilty, and he was discharged with Ins character vindicated." ' Bennett, grimaced disgustedly, Ihe date on which Bowman was senVSn ' - ie adcloc, > was March 13." •• i "'? T r' as Jk,wman ." said Mansfield who sent Hemmingway the Ace of Diamonds cards.as a threat of revenge and afterwards murdered him ?" It jsi a reasonable conclusion, and one be taken is to find Robert Bowman." Inspector McCabe sat up with a mental jolt and a physical jerk that set his beefy a-quiveiing as there was dumped unceremoniously on the desk' before him a dilapidated suit-case, opened to invite his inspection of a collection of oddments, as surprising as they were diversely varied. Literally swelling with indignation, lie glared into the bearded face of a Jewish pedlar who smiled down at him with the persuasive business acumen of his race.

" Vit' your ver' kaind permeesion, In« spegtor, 1 vill show you—" " I'm banged if you will!" " —a leedle novelty v.'ich look laike a luiaife, but ees not a kndfife an' really is u corkscrew." Point was lent'to the insult by tha fact that the " Inspector " was an avowed Prohibitionist, * * " Per'aps ze Inspegtor would laike to try a leedle preparation" to reduce ze belt measurement?" : " And the pedlar laughed—actually laughed!—in the inspector's Empurpled official face. By thunder! he would have the fellow bundled out, neck and crop ! To be accosted thus by a vagabond who had forced his way into police-head-quarters in defiance of every established rule and icgulation! The thing was an outrage. But he did not ring; with finger poised over the bell he. sat transfixed 111 amazement as the pedlar said in a voice stir- '• prisingly changed: ' " Weil, Inspector, if I cannot supply you with a corkscrew or fat-reducer, perhaps you can supply me with the information where to find a discharged convict named Robert Bowman." v " " Maxwell Bennett!" gasped the inspector dazedly. He laughed, and with genuine amusement, when lie came to note the details of Bennett's disguise. A threadbare; black frock-coat, too wide by several! sizes; a pair of very tight blue trousers, I which stopped short fully two inches from.' the tops of his broken old.boots; a greasyj bowler hat, which one would have been' loath to handle even with tongs. " Under the ticket-of-leave system are; ex-convict must notify the police of his every change of residence," said Bennett, j "You will be able to tell me from-your j records, Inspector, where to find Robert. Bowman." The address to which Inspector McCabe, had directed Maxwell Bennett as the hat% tat of Robert Bowman was in a row of dingy red-brick tenements. In response! to the detective's ring, the door was 1 ' opened by a thin little wisp of a woman with >a peaked white face, from which lied dank black hair was drawn hack tightly and fixed in a knot on top of her head. " Don't want notfiin'," she snapped,; and made to slam the door in his face, j But, having anticipated the rebuff, he had already insinuated his foot in the jamb. l • Edging past her into the tiny hall, he opened out his case upon the* floorcloth, thereby securing himself against eviction. For appearance sake, he made a pretence of pressing the woman to buy haircombs, cheap scent in bottles', dry lavender in packets. But swiftly he progressed to his purpose. " I 'ave a ver' special line 'ere," ha intimated. " Full pack of playing-cartes. Ver' cheap." He named a price ridiculously low. "Why, cards is the very thing my 'usband. is wanting," the woman ' confessed. And the sale was effected- forthwith. Perhaps it was the pleasurable feeling of having secured a bargain which thawed her reserve. She became communicative. " Saturday last we 'ad folks spending the evening," she confieded. " And when a friendly game of cards was proposed, blessed if we could lay 'ands on a pack as was complete. My 'usband says, I Go on, Mary," says 'e, ' an' borrow a pack off the boarder.' 'E's stark mad, that man is! Buys a new pack of cards reg'lar every day—" " Vot! Your 'usband, ma'am?" exclaimed the pseudo-pedlar, purposely mi;* understanding. "No, no! Not my 'usband," the woman corrected. " The boarder, of course." " Oy, oy, oy!" The. pedlar laughed at his own stupidity. "Ze boarder, of course. Ze boarder, Mistair —" " Bowman," the woman supplied, guilelessly falling into the trap. " Is Mistair Bowman at 'ome ?V " No; 'e's out." " If 'e 'ad been at 'ome, I might 'ave sold cartes to 'im," the pedlar explained. " 'Emus' be ver' keen carte-player Vcn 'e buy so many cartes." " 'E don't play with the cards." " Not play vit' ye cartes!" 'mazed the pedlar. " Vot, /.en, ! e do vit' zem ?" " 'E burns 'em.' 1 Hands folded upon her apron, the woman paused to savour the effect of this tit-bit of gossip. The pedlar showed himself befittingly impressed. " Every morning for a whole week,'' she confieded, " I found burnt, papersa burnt pack of playing-cards—when. I swep' out the fire-place in 'is room.'||: " But 'ow you know ze burnt papers vos ze playing-cartes ?" " Because I found bits as was not altogether burned, an' these bits, I saw, was bits of playing-cards." "Ah, but you are clever, ma'am!" The woman beamed complacently at the pedlar's frank admiration. "If Mistair Bowman burn all ze cartes," suggested the pedlar, " you vould not be able to borrow a pack for your friends to play vit,' on Saturday last?" " It so' appened as Mister Bowman was out. So I searched, 'is room, an' I found a pack 'e 'ad not yet burned tucked away in a drawer of 'is dressing-table. I took it to my 'usband. But when my 'usband dealt out the 'ands, blessed if there wasn't one card missing." " Vot vos ze missin' carte!" asked the pedlar eagerly. So eagerly, t/hat the woman shot at him a sharp 'look of sus- • picion. " It was the Ace of Diamonds," she sanpped tartly. " An' seeing as it's no partio'lar business of yours, 1 don't know -what I'm standing 'ere for, putting off my 'ouse-work talking with the likes of you!" Maxwell Bennett took the hint and his departure. But ho had achieved his purpose. He had proved that Robert Bowman was the man who had sents?Jasper Hemmingway the seven Ace of Diamonds cards. Bowman had thought to destroy all evidence by burning the seven packs after he had extracted from each the one card, the Ace of Diamonds. But, despito the precaution, his guilt was proven.. The duly of arresting Robert Bowman foil to Inspector McCabe. Confronted with the evidence collected by Maxwell Bennett, Bowman confessed to the murder of Jasper Hemmingway." But he was never brought to trial for his revengeful crime. His health, always delicate, had been undermined by the rigours of his seven years in the penal settlement. Fol- ' lowing some lingering weeks of sickness in a prison-hospital, lie passed without the reach of man-made law to the judgment of the High Tribunal.