RECOLLECTIONS OF A LONDON DETECTIVE.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 34, 4 May 1917, Page 6

RECOLLECTIONS OF A LONDON DETECTIVE.

No. 1 s-t-Th* Clockwinder's Quebk • Robberies. The firm employing the clockwinder in this case was an important and influential one, having three shops thrown into one in one of the principal streets in the City. They sold jewellery of every kind, but then speciality was clocks and watches. 1h« clockwinder was a decent, quiet fellow named John Brunton, who was aclockmalwr by trade, but had in some way injured hit left hand, and so was employed more as a shop assistant than at his own branch, J-tie clockwinding was done by contract, and it i -emember rightly, there was a ticket in one .if the big windows of the establishment announcing that such work was undertaken. Brunton went round most of the offices once a week, and generally before or after office hours so that no one should be disturbed. Hut he had also private houses to call at, and these he took after his morning round of the offices. In some of these there were as many as a dozen clocks to wind many of them too delicate and valuable to be trusted to the hands of servants and, as each of these w** in a different apartment, Brunton might be said to have practically the run of the whole house. N° ,°. ne dreamed of watching him or suspecting him of dishonesty ; • and, after all, there was always the firm employing him to fall back upon should anything go wrong. The same day did not suit every one, but there was only one day in- the middle of the week which suited a great many, and on that day Brunton got through the greater part of his clockwinding. He usually began about seven in the morning on that day, and ended about noon, when it was usual for mm to report himself at the shop before going to dinner. „ , ... On one of these busiest days Brunton did not appear as usual about noon, though fit was anxiously looked out for by the chie. proprietor, on account of some queer com plaints that had been sent in before be wai due. The first complaint was in the form of » polite note from a firm of stockbrokers, ask ing if they were quite sure that their clockwinder was an honest man, for, s ’ n “ e ." ls ,-isit that morning, several articles had a*StD missed from the office, among which were a silver fruit-knife, an ivory ruler, silver lipped, and a gold pencil-case. The nexl was not so politely expressed. It was an elderly lady who rushed into the shop and shouted out, " Where’s the thief of a mockwinder ? Bring him out to face mo 1” The clockwinder could not be brought )ut, as he had not arrived ; but after a little ihe concerned proprietor elicited from the lady an excited account of having missed several valuable articles, including a cameo brooch, on which was cut a profile portrait of herself. Scarcely.had this angry cus tomer been got rid of when another appeared, accompanied by a policeman, and demanding that the clockwinder should a‘ once be taken into custody. _ In this cas« the robbery was serious, being a pocket book containing ten /5 bank notes, whid had bean inadvertently left within reach of the clockwinder in a room which no one but himself had been seen to enter. The com plaints continued to come in. Sometime;, two of the wronged ones appeared at once, and compared notes as they spoke, and ail their statements seemed to establish clearly | ‘he guilt of the absent man, Brunton’s arrival was waited for with -impatience, but when an hour passed away, and no Brunton appeared, the impatience merged into alarm. If he had cott mitted the great number of robberies laid to his charge nothing was more likely than that he should try to escape with the plunder. His employers were greatl; shocked and astonished at the discovery, and could not understand how a man hitherto honest and punctual should cast away his character and his prospects for life for a temporary gain; but there could b» so little doubt of his guilt that they at last rent up to the Chief Office, asking for a detective. I was then attached to the office at Old Jewry, and was the man chosen for the task. I went down to the shop and got (he facts, as I have put them down, and tven listened to a fresh complaint which came in while I was there. I formed an Idea that the complaints sent in would prove only a small part of the actual cases of rob-' bery, and asked for a list of the places at which Brunton had to call. This was furnished after some delay, and I was at the tame time told that Brunton carried a small book with a list of the names and number of clocks he had to attend to each day. I made the round of the list, and found, as 1 had expected, that many more robberies had been committed, which were only discovered when I put to the persons the query as to whether anything had disappeared after the clockwinder’s visit. The list was the most odd that I ever took down, and included three of the clocks which the winder declared would need to go to the shop to be cleaned. Money seemed to have had the preference, but trinkets of every kind had gone with it. I left word that when Brunton arrived he Was to be detained, but when I got back it was quite evening, and he had not returned. I did not expect to find him at home, but 1 took his address and thought there could be no harm in going there and making a few inquiries. The house was up at Islington, and i found it without difficulty. Brunton’s wift opened the door, with a child in her arms and when I asked for her husband she quietly invited me to enter, saying—- " Oh, yes, he's in, sir. I suppose you ♦ome from the shop. But he has really not been very well, and I hope they’ll look ovei it, seeing it's the first time he's done anything of the kind." “ Look over it!" I opened my eyes in astonishment. A man betrays trust, and robs right and left to the tune of at least {2OO, and then coolly hopes they’ll look over it, as he had never done the like before “ I want so see him," I said sternly ; and then the wife's countenance fell a little. She had shown me into the kitchen. There wa» a bedroom off that, and she now led m« towards that with evident reluctance.

" H« may have had a little drop of drink," she slowly observed, “ but it's not his habit, and I daresay, it was forced upon him Being such a sober man in general, it may have taken some effect." “Is he in here ?" was all I said in reply, for I saw that the woman was shuffling and shielding as only wives can when their husbands get into scrapes It was rather a poorly furnished place, and by no means large. The time was summer, and it was still daylight when I entered the bedroom. Brunton was in bed and looking very seedy —like one who had been drinking hard, and was still far from sober. He had lain down with only his coat and boots off, and the coverlet of the bed drawn over him ;and he now sat up staring at me rather stupidly. “ I suppose they're rather angry at nsc in 'he shop for not doing my work to-day," he said as his wife introduced me. " Not doing it !" I echoed. " I think you have done it, and a little over." " Oh ?" and ho appeared to reflect for a little. “ Did I really ?" " Yes, and you are charged with lifting S good many things not belonging to you," 1 added, " and I am here to take yon on Uwt &&!!•" Mi “*»•