Newspapers / Oxford Public Ledger (Oxford, … / July 30, 1909, edition 1 / Page 2
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OXFORD PUBLIC LEDGER FRIDAY, JULY 30 1909, THE THEFT OF THEJpf BOX, 1A Detective Story Involving Cost ly ly Gems and a Cipher- By HOWARD FIELDING. fCopyright, 1903, by American Press Asso ciation. In the possession of the 0 1ms tea d family there was a jewel casket more quaint and curious than any other that I have ever seen, though I have en countered some oddities In that line in the course of nearly thirty years of detective work. It was made of ebony ornamented with silver and measured 9 by 7 inches by 4 in height There were many peculiarities of the silver inlay, and the design was thought to be highly artistic, but the chief point to be noted here Is that the thing ap- 15SSN HE CAUGHT HIS RIGHT WRIST. peared to be solid, even upon the closest inspection. The hinges of the lid were Ingen iously concealed The Hue between ithe two parts was invisible, and the hidden lock was operated by secret springs most cunningly devised. Nat urally so strange an object was the centerpiece of many queer stories, which were collected by one of the Olm steads about sixty years ago and eet down by him In manuscript in a leather bound boob originally intended to be a ledger. At the end of the book is a very difficult cipher which con tains the directions for opening the gasket. But for this cipher the secret would liave passed out of the world. A few months ago, when the present head of the family, Mr. Stephen Oknstead, stumbled upon the old book of tradi tions, the casket itself had been for gotten. Stephen Olmstead found the casket ;in a sort of vault in the wall of the country house which his father built in Marchmont twenty years ago, and, ihaving solved the cipher after a pro tracted struggle which nearly wreck ted his intellect (as he Informed me). She opened the ebony box and was dis jappolnted because there was nothing an it. He had no reason to expect any discovery of treasure, but he is not ,the sort of man to be indifferent to the possibility. He was engaged to Mrs. Clara Hol ton, a rich and charming widow, with a country house near the Olmstead place. Mrs. Holton's lack of enthu siasm for jewels is conspicuous. She has never been known to wear an expensive ornament. Nevertheless j Olmstead had no sooner found the casket than he was possessed with the Idea of buying something rare and precious to put Into it, ostensibly as a kwedding gift. Accordingly he appeared at his Marchmont home one evening with ;a dazzling diamond piece of historical as well as intrinsic value, a stomacher ithat had once been worn by a titled lady of the old world. Miss Sylvia Olmstead, sister of Stephen, ridiculed this purchase when the gewgaw was displayed to her and told Stephen that Clara Holton would divorce him ratt ier than wear it. "She'll like the casket," said Sylvia. Trs quite m her line. How do you jopen it?" The diamonds were already within and the lid closed. "Couldn't tell you' said Stephen. I He put the casket away tn the vault and locked the door. Immediately after this they heard some one on the (veranda, just outside the windows of jthe library where the conversation (which I have tried to reproduce from their recollection ctf it occurred. Both supposed that the person on the Eda was George McKellar, a neigh and that he was coming to call jivia. j Neither Olmstead nor his sister spoke bf hearing che footsteps, for McKellar toas a delicate subject with them. jOlmsteod opposed him as a suitor for Sylvia's Tffetnd on the ground that he iwas not financially sound. McKellar had Inherited from hs father a busi ness in a rather batt jtangle, and he was having a hard struggle with it f Ttwv waited for McKellar fo b an jnoanced, and one of them was dlsuf. t4Tifi while the other was agreeably (surprised. Half an hour later Mc Kellar called Sylvia by telephone and jtold her that he was occupied with business affairs. , , It may b&e been abont I a clock when Olmstead, who was wakeful, heard sounds in the lower regions of the house. He was one of those nerv ous Yankees who fear everything ex cept danger. A hundred petty anx ieties assailed him, including the dread of taking cold, as he grumblingly made his way dowrnstairs. In the lower hall he listened. Be yond doubt there was some one in the library. Olmstead opened the door and entered. The room was dark save for a feeble, fluttering light which suddenly settled upon Olmstead with a brilliancy that surprised him. "Throw up your hands P said a voice. "Oh, nonsense!" said Olmstead, and he felt about on the wall for the but ton that controlled the lights. The burglar's lantern revealed it to him, and he instantly made the room bright. Seeing that Olmstead had no weapon the burglar did not retreat, but took some steps forward, holding his re volver ready in one hand while with the other he clasped the ebony jewel box as a football player holds the ball. When they were quite close Olm etead sprang upon the man so sud denly and with such skill that he caught his right wrist and held the arm straight up in the air. The bur glar let fall his weapon, which made a loud noise on the floor. Olmstead hurled him backward and stooped for the revolver, whereupon the burglar drew another from the side pocket of his coat and fired with a considerable, coolness of aim from a distance of about ten feet. The bullet struck Olmstead on the upper edge of tho left eyebrow and glanced off. He was stunned, but only for a few seconds. When the servants came running at the noise of the shot their master was already on his legs again and feebly attempting a pursuit of the marauder. The case was immediately reported to the local authorities. The suburb of Marchmont has a ohief of police and twelve patrolmen. The chief and ten of his men turned themselves loose on the trail of the Olmstead burglar, with no result whatever. The eleventh man remain ed in charge of the station house. The twelfth man patrolled old March mont village and caught a thief in the bakeshop of Mrs. Sophia Neely, where there was the sum of $4 in the till. He had effected his entrance through the adjoining barber shop of Gustav Swartz. where there was no money. Three days later my services were requested by Mr. Olmstead. who was walking about with some plaster over his eye and not much the worse for his adventure. After hearing his story I was able to give him hope of the rascal's capture, for the description furnished to me was excellent. Its most salient fea ture was a reddish, brushlike mus tache. The burglar's hair was dark brown, but his mustache was unde niably red and not false in Olm stead's opinion. Singularly enough, this description perfectly fitted the only suspicious character then known to exist within the limits of Marchmont, except the petty thief above referred to. who was smooth shaven. Tfee suspicious char acter was Gustav Swnrta, the barber. Swartz had bore an excellent repu tation until about a month ago, when some silver, stolen from a Marchmont residence, had been found in his shop. The barber said that the parcel con taining the silver had been left with him by a customer who was to call for it and that he himself did not know what the contents were, but the story had obtained no credence. Upon hearing Olmstead's description the local police Immediately exhibited Swartz. "Swartz looks very much like my burglar," said Olmstead, "except that he has a good eye. The other fellow had a bad one. I don't believe Swartz is the man." The case stood thus when I took hold. That evening, while I was talk ing with Miss Olmstead and her brother and Mr. McKellar in the li brary, there came a loud, sudden rap at the window. Olmstead. who was naturally nervous, nearly jumped out of his skin, but he was the first man to reach the window. He raised the curtain and the sash, and by the light that streamed out from the room he saw the ebony box lying on the ve randa. The person who brought it had escaped. Olmstead was overjoyed. As the box showed no mark of violence the diamond stomacher must be in it, and with the anticipation of seeing this treasure again Olmstend's hands shook so that ho was fifteen minutes opening the casket. lie did not let us see how he did it. The casket was empty. I will not enlarge upon the mysteries involved in this performance. There was no renson why anybody should have returned the jewel box except upon the belief that the diamonds were in it. I was doubly convinced of this fact after I had persuaded' Olmstead to show me the trick of opening the casket. Somehow my suspicions rested upon Swartz. and I made a searching in vestigation of the man. I discovered that he had a brother who was a pro fessional thief, no doubt the man who had left the silver with him. This brother was unknown In Marchmont except to Swartz himself, and I could not trace him up until a sudden in spiration came to me. The petty thief captured in Mrs. Neely's bakeshop had entered Swartz's shop first. The police believed that he had done so to steal and had then passed on to Mrs. Neely's. I had a different theory. I believed that the man had broken into the barber's shop ttHehave and, being alarmed, had fled through to the other building, not to steal, trat to escape. Witt' this Idea in mind I took Olm stead to see the thief. Olmstead could not be sure. Hfcjpaid, however, Jhat if he had to choose he would identify this man by his eyes rather than Swartz by his mustache. "They look very much alike," he said, and I had begun to think so, too, though at first I had not seen the resemblance. I made up my mind that this was Swartz's brother, al though both Swartz and the prisoner denied it. At this stage of the investigation I was switched to a wholly new theory by a discovery which was partly ac cidental. I learned that George Mc Kellar had encountered some sort of good fortune and had tided himself over his difficulty. Where had he got the money? I asked myself this question and set to work to find an answer. It appeared that he must have raised about $20,000, which could have been done by selling the stolen diamonds. But the money seemed to have come from a loan by McKellar's bank, al though he had already owed the bank an uneasy sum. It was in the midst of the late money stringency, and I could not believe that the bank had obliged him to that extent. Well, I had a friend inside that bank, as I have in some others, and I learned the facts. A lady unknown to my friend and without McKellar's knowledge had de posited $25,000 in cash to secure this loan. This must have been done by some woman from whom McKellar would not accept a loan, and it did not take me long to work down to Sylvia Olm stead. But here I came upon a queer thing. Miss Olmstead was worth about $150,000 in her own right, but it was chiefly in real estate and very hard to realize money upon In a time of panic In fact, nearly impossible. I learned that she had raised $30,000 or thereabouts by a great sacrifice, but she had not succeeded until one week after the $23,000 had been put into McKellar's bank. There was no way by which she could have got the money unless she had stolen the jewels from her brother. But how had she opened the casket? Did she know the secret? In order to test her I arranged a little comedy. I told one of my assistants how the box could be opened in order that he might be able to work with it clever ly in Sylvia's presence while I watched the girl's face. Then we went to the Olmsteads and held a little session with the brother and sister and Mc Kellar. I explained that it was absolutely necessary for me to discover whether a person could guess the trick of open ing the box. My theories had ad vanced, I said, to the point where I must have evidence as to the real dif ficulty of the puzzle. Undoubtedly the thief had been lurking outside the window on the night of the robbery and had seen the jewels put away. lie had stolen them in the casket. Could he have got them out of it in a half hour's work? "Certainly not," said Olmstead. "My friend here," said I, "thinks he can do the trick, and I'd like you to try, Mr. McKellar, and you also, Miss Olmstead." "I'll wager," said she, "that I can open the box inside of fifteen min utes." "Nonsense!" said her brother, but Sylvia took the casket, while I held the THE DIAMONDS HAD COME BACK. watch, and she won, not in fifteen min utes, but in as many seconds. "There!" she cried and gave the box to her brother. He uttered a yell like a wild Indian. The diamonds had come back to the ebony casket. It required no very great penetra tion to see through this case. Sylvia bad learned the secret of the box from the cipher in the old blank book. Des perately anxious about McKellar's af fairs, she had striven to raise money to help him secretly, since he would not have accepted open aid from her. But she saw that she would never get the money in time to save him. The jewels had inspired her with a wild idea. She had taken them as soon as her brother was safely up stairs borrowed them, let me say, for she put them in pledge and raised the money to redeem them at the earliest moment. Barber Swartz's brother stole an empty box and was nearly a murderer for the sake of it. After shaving, in his brother's shop he was suddenly alarmed, and he fled, leaving the box behind him. His brother found it next morning, and as he was a thor oughly honest fellow he returned it. Of course with the discovery of the Jewels my work ceased, IE id BRIGKItiORKS H.L&RAHT Sf Son Proprs. G0LDSD0R0.H.C. X CAPACITY 1,000,000 PLR MONTH HIGHEST QUALITY PROMPTEST SHIPMENT -t"-t W RITE. US i . i . i . i , i , i , i , i-T-M- If you want to feel wt:li, look well and bt well, take Foley's Kidney Remedy. It tones up the IcidneYS and bladder, purifies the blood and restores health and strength Pleasant to take and contains no harmful drues. Why not commence today? J. G. Hall. When it comes to buying wedding presents for him it is extremoly doubt ful if all the world loves a lover. - M t m :m M. OEM 3 t There are many imitations of DeVVitts Carbclized Witch Hazel Salve DeWitts is the original. Be sure you get DeWitt's Carbolized Witch. Hazel Salve when you sk for it. It is good for cuts, burns and bruises, and is especially good for Piles. Sold by all druggist. The sign painter makes his mark in the world, and yet it may not count for much. Mothers Have vou tried HollistrT'p Rocky Mountain Tea? It's a great blessing to the little ones, keeps away summer '.roubles Makes them sleep and grow. 35c. Tea or Tablefs. J. G. Hall. The women of Texas are said to be rapidly falling into the ranks of the advocates of vote for women. Cures Blood Skin Diseases Eczema Greatest Blood Purifier Free. If your Dlood is impure, thin, diseased, lot or full of humors, if you have biood ooison, cancer, carbuncles, eating sores, scrofula, eczema, itching, risings and bumps, swellings or superating sores, scab by, pimply skin, ulcers, bone pains, catarrh rheumatism, or ahy blood or skin disease, take Botanic Blood Balm (B. B. B.) Soor ill sores heal, aches and pains stop and che blood is made pure and rich . Druggists or by express $i per large bottle. Sample free bY writing Blood Kalm Co.. Atlanta, Ga. B, B; B, is especially advised for chronic, deep-seated cases of blood or skin diseases, as it cures after all else fal's Sold in Oxford, N. C, by J, G, Hairs Drug Store. The person who talks about others may as well realize that others are talking about him. Sometimes you may be told that there re other things just as good as DeWitt's Kidney and Bladder Pills for any ai'ments f the kidney or bladder, which alwa s re sult in weak back, backache rheumatic alns, rheumatism and urinary disorders trial of DeWitt's Kidney and Bladder Pills is sufficient to convince you how good :hev are. Send vour name to E. C. DeVVitl Co., Chicago. for a free trial box. They ire sold here by all druggists. Mortgage Sale of land. Under and by virtue of a deed of trust ex ecuted to me by James m. Howell, which said deed of trust bears date Feb. 10th. 1908, and is duly rei-orded in book 70, page 100 of the Rec ords of deeds of Trust of (Ti-anville county de fault having been made in the papment of the debt secured by said deed of trust, I will on MONDAY, AUOHJST 16th, 1!)08, sell to the highest bidder for cash at the court house door In Oxford the following described tract of land: In Fishing Creek Township, beginning at a dead pine, Elizabeth AIc-Ghees corner, and running thence to the mill path west, then down said path to a white oak at foot of tne hill, thence to the creek, thence down the creek to AIeUhee"s line, thence by said line to the beginning, containing, acres, it being the same land devised to said James M. Howell by his grand father J. Al. Howell (Fee will book '21, page 137 in oltice clerk Su perior Court. Time of Sale. 12 m. Terms cash; This J uly 12th, 1909. A. V, li RA H A Al Trustee. The National Bank of Granville. Gapital ------ $60,000.00 Surplus - $34,000.00 Appreciation. This Bank values the business it receives fro MUM. .--n V- j IT, ilg customers land takes every opportunity of toll them so. Our customers on the other hand appre ciate the fact that the service extended to them is coupled with security. Any business arrangement to be permanent must be mutually satisfactory and profitable. Therefore, in the selecting of your bank, have permanency in view and establish yourself for your present and future well being with a good sound bank. E. T. WHITE, H. G. COOPER, W. T. YANCEY, President. Vice-President. Cashier. 1 1 .J 1 ' m .1 TP Iff H? ... . j.iiiij REPORT OF THE GONDITION OF El TIM id a mi Uil li MiiDIM CD HDhlMa At Crecdmoor, In the State of North Garolina at the close of business June 23rd, 1909. RESOURCES. Loans and discounts All other stocK.s Bonds iind Mortncs Hanking- house and Furniture and Fixture Demand Loans Due from banks and bankers Cash r terns Gold coin Silver coin, including all minor coin currency National Bank notes and other U. S. notes i.. i 1. .MO. 72 ..MlO.llli .t'itlll.liil .v..".. i I !U (HI .".!!. 7J .L'L'JW Total. LIABILITIES. Land Sale By virtue of an order of the Superior Court of (jranviUe county in a certain special pro ceeding pending therein, entitled V. T. Fsra bow and others, against Jofsc Farabow and others. I will sell by public auction on the premises near Stem Depot, on SATURDAY, AUGUST 14th, 1909. at 2 o'clock p.. m. the D. C. Farabow home place whlcn was the dower tract of the late K. C. Farabow, containing 170 acres more or less. Said tract of land adjoins the lands of W. K. Stem on the north, JI. A. Stem on the east, John Hopkins, Will (iooch, Dr. Hardy and O. F. Bullock on the south, and Gideon Bullock and Frank Bullock on the West, and will be ottered in three tracts as follows: A 40 acre tract west of the railroad, a 50 acre tract on the south of the home place and an 80 acre tract including the residence of the said D. C. Farabow, but said tract will after wards be offered as a whole and sold the way it brings the most. This is very fine tobacco land and only a few hundred yards from the Stem High School. Terms one-third cash and the balance in six and twelve months. W. T. FAllABOW, Com'r. A. A. Hicks. Atty. July 14th, 190'- CrH Dn Capital stock Surplus and Profits Undivided profit, less current expences and taxes paid. Dividends unpaid Notes nnd bills rediscounted Time Certificates of Deposits DEPOSITS subject to check Due to Hanks .and BnnKfrs Cashiers checks outstanding & 77:i:u;:i 10.01)0,11(1 ',0III).(M) :V2i 7,( inu.no Is.sir,.!;:' 1 l'l'lM'.i ' ill Total State of North Carolina, County of Granville, ss: I, I. E. Harris, ("ashler of the aboye named bank, do solemnly swoir that the above statement is true to the best of my knowledge and liclin', i. E. HARRIS, Cishicr. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 20th day of June VM). J. 11. Singleton, Notnry l'lihllc Correct Attest: L D. EMORY, S. W. MINOR, vS. C. LYON. Z. E. LYON. Directors. fsv i THE FIRST MTIOIML BANK, 1 OXFORD, N. C. Arc You Ready for the financial opportunities that will come to you? Good credit or ready cash Money saved is needed to seize ihein. DR. AND CR. A few words to the wise ON ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES. Time is money do you realize how much time can be saved by using up-to-date appliances? We carry a full line of time and labor saving. ELECTRICAL DEVICES. We employ skilled workmen to in stal any of the electrical conveniences in your house. Our charges are moderate bolth for material and work. A call at our store will be both interesting and profitable to your. Starnes & Usry Your Money deposited in the First National Bank,Ox ford, N. C, is Absolutely Safe. nsure Your Future by opening an account with the good old bank and adding to it regularly. The First National Bank; Oxford, N. C. is one vrx xuxcjuiuai llliaiKulcU lnsiiiuiiuii the State. oi It Pays 4 per cent, interest on Savings Deposits. Call to see us, we'll tell you all about it. E H Crenshaw, R W Lassiter, W. J. Long DIRECTORS' J H Gooch, . Z W Lyon, !R S Usry. E C Hani? C G Koystci W. H. HUNT, Cashier. i? 5 'i 'i '0 51 (J! !i! 5 '0 (3 (P (i) :;. 'i fi! '0 I? '( (0 (i) ; (!) '? !0 (P 0 S1 (I) !i c' fC; fC" ttz ?Zz fi; ft; ZZj, fZ ; SH: Hi HZi Hi fti fi r ''f?j.CL&6i?
Oxford Public Ledger (Oxford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 30, 1909, edition 1
2
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