THE SUXDAT OREGOIA", PORTLAND, JANUARY 5, 1908.
3
fJohn Sweeney, for many years an Inspector-detective
at Scotland Yard, long ago
von a reputation on both sides of the At
lantic. He became connected with the Eng
lish police when quite young and soon
earned a transfer to the Bureau of Criminal
Investigation, which is better known to the
American public aa "Scotland Yard." The
case of the Hart gems to which he was as
signed is given herewith more as an exam
ple of the methods pursued by English de
tectives than as a specimen of Inspector
Sweeney's Individual skill. The name of the
nobleman has been disguised and some per
missible license taken with the construction
of the-story, but the main facts, though pre
sented in composite form, are true, and
demonstrate that Kheriock Holmes has his
prototypes in real life among the profes
sional police of Great Britain.)
SIR WILLIAM and Lady H-art had
the reputation of being the moat
hospitable pair in all of Great
Britain and that is saying a good deal.
They bad a beautiful country seat Just
outside of London, where they enter
tained on a palatial scale. House par
iioa were of frequent occurrence, and
trie guests on such occasions included
tlie best people in- England. Titles
were the rule and coronets were very
much in evidence. Sir William was the
ruling spirit and hie constant desire
was to make everyone happy. During
the day outdoor sports had precedence,
but in the evening there was music and
cards in the handsome drawing-rooms,
with the noble host acting as master
of the revels.
On the occasion to which the pres
ent story refers Sir William and Lady
Hart gave a particularly elaborate af
fair. It was a seven-day house party
concluding with a brilliant ball. There
were come 40 guests in all, and four
of them at least were related to the
royal family. Probably eight or 10
of the gentlemen were accompanied by
their personal valets and nearly all
of the ladies were attended by their
own maids. Such were the eharacter
ters and ouch was the lavish manner
in which the exceptional entertainment
was planned. The seven days' pro
gramme was carried out without a
' hitc... On the first day there was a
polo game In which the guests who
had brought their own smart ponies
participated. On each succeeding day
there was some different form of en
tertainment. On the evening of thi final day It
mutt have been a Friday there was
a great ado over the preparations for
the ball. No one was more excited
than Lady Hart herself. And well
might she be, for on that occasion she
was to wear for the first time a mag
nificent creation from Paris. Besides,
she was to. deck herself out in the Hart
gems. Anyone who has ever had the.
pleasure of seeing these rare old fam
ily heirlooms need not be told that
they are both unique and costly." My
lady had been busily engaged in her
boudoir with her maid for over an
hour. She was all ready for the ball.
Everything was In place except the
gems they lay- on the dressing-table
ready to be fastened in Lady Hart's
corsage. The clock on tho mantel
pealed out seven sllvory strokes. Lady
Hart looked at her maid. She was a
compassionate woman. She said:
"My child, you look thoroughly ex
hausted. I'm through with you for
the present. I can attach the Jewels
to my dross without your aid. Go to
your room and rest and report to me
again at midnight."
The girl thanked her mistress and
left the room. Lady Hart gave a final
survey of herself in the long pier mir
ror. It was satisfactory. But the fem
inine desire to get the Judgment of
someone else took possession of her
mind. She picked up the Jewels and
was about to put them on. The large
one was magnificently beautiful.- It
wr a great ruby surmounted with a
glittering framework of nie purest
diamonds. Two others, in te form of
crescents, were pure pearls. Altogeth
er, they represented a modest fortune.
Lady Hart hesitated for a moment. She
wanted to know what another woman
would think of her Parisian gown by
Itself minus the prestige which would
be given It by the famous gems. Lady
Sutherland, her special friend, was near
by in a room on the other side of tne
corridor. She laid the Jewels on the
dressing-table and tripped out of the
room. She was gone less than five minutes.
Why Admiral Evans' Men Will Not Desert
' Even the Rawest Recruit Knows Better Than to Take Chances in a South American Port.
"B
OB EVANS it makes him fight
ing mad to be called 'Fighting
Bob' always did have more luck
than a blue-gummed dinge in a -crap
game." remarked a man who knows a
lot about the American Navy. "Granting
him his aggressiveness, he ought really
to be called 'Lucky Bob. He always
gets a break. Things have a way of
coming his way.
"Take this stunt he's just embarking
upon guiding the battleship fleet around
to the West Coast. That In Itself Is the
swellest assignment ever pulled down by
an American Admiral in a time of peace,
i, Of course, the job belongs to him. He's
the man in line for it. But doesn't that
fact In itself help to brace up my asser
tionand don't imagine that I'm alone in
making the assertion that Evans is one
of the luckiest heavy-weather men we
ever had?
"But I didn't start to talk about his luck
In being In line for the fat assignment.
That's been pretty well fanned over al
ready. What I'm thinking about particu
larly as an element of hi? unfailing luck is
the soft time he's going to have of it with
his chips' crews on the way 'round to
San Francisco.
"Now ordinarily when an Admiral takes
a fleet off on a distant sea hike of this
character he's got to figure and docs fig
ure upon a most shocking and irritating
thinning out of the freshly shipped enlist
ed force by desertion. Admiral Bob
doesn't have to make any calculations on
that at ail. He'll have his ships' compa
nies for'ard right up to their full strength
when the Meet pulls through the Golden
Gate. Why? Simplest thing in life. Be
cause he'll only touch on the cruise at
South American and Central American
and Mexican ports to do his fleet coaling,
and nian-o'-wars-men don't jump their
ship? in South or Central America or in
Mexico. You can gamble they don't.
Some of "em, the new ones, are pretty
raw, but they knew better than to go
over the sides of their ships In coun
tries where busted Americanos don't
even class with billygoats in popular
estocm and where they've got just
about as much chance to do any good
for themselves as a spangled aigrette
'd have in a coke oven.
"Raw ships' companies will hop ship
first port they make anywhere else in
the world, but nay, nay for the ship
jumpers when they get into South or
Central American or Mexican ports.
They're too wise for that, and It
they're not the oldtlmers among the
enlisted flatteet will put them wise.
A hopping gringo isn't anybody's baby
in a Latin-American country. He's, a
leper, that's what ho is or might as
Lady Sutherland was In raptures over
the new gown. It would surely make a
sensation. Lady Hart, delighted, re
turned to her room. She went in and
closed the door. The next moment every
one in the vicinity was startled by a
series of piercing screams. Several la
dies rushed to Che room of .the hostess.
She explained the cause of her agitation
in a few disjointed sentences:
The Hart gems were gone!
It would be difficult to depict the ex
citement of the next few minutes. Sir
William was one of the first to reach
his wife's room and with masculine de
cision he soon restored quiet. Whatever
the fate of the gems, it must not dis
turb the harmony of the occasion. Lady
Hart recovered her self-possession quick
ly and heartily regretted having caused
any agitation among her guests. The
ball would have to proceed as though
nothing had happened. The music
started, the grand opening waltz began,
and after that Sir William quietly left
his guests and got -into telephonic com
munication with the London police au
thorities. As the result of that, John Sweeney,
detective-inspector of Scotland Yard,
appeared on the scene.
Sir William Joined him in the library
and the two men went over all of the
facts in the case. The first order of the
detective was that no one should leave
the house that night it was then about
10 o'clock without the permission of the
host. Sir William was Inclined to demur
at this suggestion. He seemed to think
that it might reflect upon his hospitality.
He was .finally persuaded that It was
necessary, and two servants were dis-J
patched to give the gatekeepers the or
ders. Detective Sweeney then inquired about
Lady Hart's maid. She seemed a ' nat
ural object of suspicion. But it soon ap
peared that the young woman had a
complete alibi. It was proven that she
had gone to her room immediately after
being dismissed by her mistress and being
very tired had thrown herself on her
couch and had slept soundly amid all the
excitement over the stolen Jewels. Sir
William was asked to tell the detective
all he knew about Ihe personality of his
guests. He did so, protesting all the
while. His biographical sketches, for
the most part, were very flattering. There
was one Impecunious earl in the party, it
Is true, who was notoriously pressed for
money. ' It was even hinted that he had
once been detected in ungentlemanly
practices at cards. Bur when the detec
tive pressed the clew a little too hard,
Sir William shut up like a clam, saying
that of all things in the world there was
nothing for which he had greater respect
than genteel poverty.
Finally the servants were torought in
and cross-questioned. They exhibited all
sorts of queer mental traits from gross
stupidity to Imbecile Indignation. Tne
only testimony that had the slightest
value was given by a pert maid who said
John Martin had been seen in the corridor
leading to Lady Hart's room about the
time of the robbery.
"Who Is John Martin?" quickly queried
the detective.
."He Is the valet and attendant of Sir
Archibald Hunter," replied the host.
"He must be the man!" '
Sir William smiled, sarcastically.
"There's only one flaw in that theory."
"What is it?"
Sir Archibald and his attendant left
yesterday. I forgot to mention that
when we were going over the list of the
guests." :
Detective Sweeney's face fell. But he
was pugnacious.
"How can we prove that?"
Sir William looked up with a sur
prised glance.
''It don't have to be proven. It's a
fact. I accompanied Sir Archibald to
his carriage and saw him drive off, and
his man was with him."
"That's too bad."
The host smiled..
"I think it's good for Sir Archi
bald's man." ,
After some further talk. Sir William
and the detective took a walk about
the premises and made an examination
of locks and bolts. They strolled into
the grounds and. interviewed the two
gatekeepers. The gatekeeper at the
south entrance said one of the servants
had brought him a message that no one'
was u be permitted to leave the house
that night. The servant, whom he did
not recognize, then volunteered to stay
on guard until he the south gatekeep
er should go and give similar Instruc
tions to the gatekeeper at the north
entrance. He was gone but a few min-
well be for any lift he'll get, except
maybe the lift at the toe of a boot.
There are too" many busted, beach
combings greasers, anyhow, to pick up
an occasional crumb to leave any room
for ship-Jumping Tankee man-o'-war's
men to lam for those beaches
even if the greasers that have got
something possessed or ever did pos
sess the slightest inclination to lend
an assistful hand to a down and out
gringo. And they never did possess
and don't possess any such feeling
toward United Statesians of any class.
"When a native of this country gets
himself into-the position of. a beach
comber in any Latin American country
his plight is miserable beyond depletion.
Better, far better, for a ship jumping
sallorman to be combing the beach of any
of the mid-Pacific or South Sea Islands.
If he doesn't get much on the islands
they won't run him, anyway: they sort
of let him alone and permit him to mooch
around, doing the best he can, till he
sees a chance to shake a shovel or swab
paint ot something on a ship or steamer
bound for some American port. The
gringo, beachcomber in a Latin American
country Is herded with the sandflies and
the fiddler crabs.
Man-o'-war's men know these things,
and that's what gives Bob Evans his fine,
close hauled, housed over, battened down
cinch on his heap big wise cruise he's
starting on. He'll carry his ships' com
panies Into California's chief port with
him. They'll stick along with him just
like little birdies that've . got clipped
wings.
"They'll stand for the constant coaling
all right they'll have to stand for it.
They wouldn't have to, as I say, and
wouldn't In any other mess of ports than
the Latin American ports but down that
way they'll stand for and by any old
thing.
"if. for limbering up purposes. Evans
had. for example, to take his fleet down
to Havana and then bring it back to some
United States port before the final get
away to Charleston or Savannah, we'll
say why. then the aggressive Robley
"euld have" something to keep him
tossing in his Admiral's bunk about, for
at the American port to which he re
turned In such a presumed case I guess
maybe Admiral Bob wouldn't lose hands
so fast that there'd be some embarrass
ment about spreading mess gear? That's
whftt he would. The new chaps with the
cooled out deep sea ambition would do
that hand over hand scamper from the
battleships at the American port in such
numbers that they'd look like an over
estimated school of porpoises, and the
gang of them that would get absent
minded while on liberty and quite forget
that they'd ever been aboard of a guardo
for recruiting purposes would be some
No. IV. Inspector Sweney and the Stolen Gems
7HF. &4J5T GETTS
utes, but on his return the servant was
nowhere to be seen. " -
Detective Sweeney let out an excla
mation of impatience.
"What's the matter?" asked the
host.
"This man has no right to leave his
post. Don't you see that a regiment
thing mournful for Robley to con
template. "It's all the coaling. That's the main
thing that gets 'em. Coaling ship is the
stunt that makes it hard for all of the
schemes and devices framed up by crafty
recruiting officers to keep the Navy up to
its full or anything like its full enlisted
strength.
"The fellows who ship are not such
softies as to suppose that they're going
to have a snap In the Navy; nothing like
that. But they rarely have the slightest
advance understanding of the meanness
and divvel'shness of coaling a man-o'-war,
and their first experience at that
stunt gets them on the raw and causes
many of them quickly to make up their
minds to make the forget-it jump at the
very first decent opportunity. Their point
of view is that they've been conned, as
they usually call It. They say that they
never understood that they'd ha've to
poke through such rneasly, bedlnged labor
as coaling ship comes to for all hands, or
they never would have shipped. And so
away they go.
"The coal passers' force suffers the
most at the. first part made by a ship
with a new crew. Hard, rugged fellows
imagine before they ship in the navy as
coal heavers that they've got a pretty
good idea of what they're going up
against, and they figure that they can
endure it. If only for the sake of the
additional money that they make over
and above the pay dished out to lands
men (lubber deckhands) who ship at the
same time with them. But they rarely
allow sufficiently for the misery of the
coal heaver's billet. They can't possibly
apprehend the gloom and sweating labor
and choking wretchedness of those four
hour . watches in the dead dark ship's
bunkers. That work la enough to take
the heart out of the sunniest kind of
chaps, and It does. That's why the black
gang on a man-o'-war Is rarely kept up
to its full enlisted strength. A large
proportion of the hands of the black gang
simply will not stick.
"Pretty soft, then, for Bob Evans to
have his little route map so fixed up that
his crews'll Just have to stick for the en
tire hike. And he'll probably have pret
ty good luck in ihangtng on to the ones in
clined to desert even after he makes the
harbor of San Francisco. Of course,
wages are high out in San Francisco now,
and all like that 'but the've got a little
way in that town of keeping out butters
4n. The already-ins want to keep wages
up, and they mean, to and they know
how to. They've got ways and means of
making It hot for interlopers for any
outsiders, that is, who drift in, either
by land or sea route, with the Idea of
sharing in the good wages and tilings.
"And so there won't be much of a dis
position on the part of the ships' com
panies of the battleship fleet to hop ship
at San Francisco. They'll find out pret
GOVF
of thieves could escape while he -was
away?" 1
"But my dear sir," replied Sir Wil
liam, "don't you understand that the
servant remained here while the man
went to warn the other gate-keeper?
"And was gone when he returned."
"Oh," said the baronet, easily, "1
ty quick, if they don't know already, that
they've got a little way of surrendering
deserters out that way that makes ship
jumping unwholesome work. Moreover,
the guiding impulse of a ship jumper is
to get back home. Him for the simple
life, back home if he can only make It..
The homes of most of the enlisted fel
lows attached to the battleship fleet are
far on this side of the Rocky Mountains.
Well er by the way, did you ever hap
pen to be broke In San Francisco ? No?
Well, don't you ever let that thing hap
pen to you, that's all; don't.
"And if it's the awful place to be
stranded in. it's the devil's own town to
get away from to get East, for Instance.
Those intervening mountains, plains, pe
raries and deserts man, man, don't you
ever be so foolish as to permit yourself
to be broke in San Francisco, because if
you do it'll be the dlsmalest, dirgiest ex
perience of your whole life, and then
some. '
"Well, man-o'-war's men when they're
making up their minds to junjp ship set
to work to obtain a sort of line on what
their chances are going to be to get away
from the port at which they make their
jump, and any inquiries that they make
In respect to this In and around San
Francisco are bound to be discouraging.
Of course those with money coming to
them can hop at San Francisco if they
feel like digging up the main part of the
earned wad or all of it just for the ride
back toward the Atlantic seaboard. But
enlisted men sure do nachully hate to
surrender the whole pile Just for a ride,
and so the chances are overwhelmingly n
favor of Admiral Robley Evans losing
proportionately fewer of his enlisted men
by desertion on this the biggest time of
peace sea hike in our naval history than
ever happened before since we had a
navy." '
Shacks.
New York Sun.
Jim Smith's the most contrarlest man
Was ever lickt;
Can't say a thing but what's he's boun
He'll contradict.
He wun't dispoot ye out'n out.
But snorts ye back an answer 'bout
"Shucks!"
Jest "Shucks!"
I argy with him half the day
On politics:
Jim's 'way back yet in Jackson's time.
An' there he sticks;
I tell him things has moved since then;
He aims a squirt an' grunts again:
"Shucks!"
Jest "Shucks!"
I read him all the newest things
The paper quotes;
'Bout alrograms an subway ships.
An flyin boats.
I ask him: "Ain't it marvellus?"
But Jim, he chuckles with a cuss
"Shucks!"
Jest "Shucks!"
I bet ye when the summons comes
From Gabriel
To gather all the folks aroun' -
An' sort 'em well
If Jim's assigned a Heavenly place
He'll growl, wf onbelievin face,
"Shucks!"
Jest Shucks:" ' '
don't attach any significance to that.
Simply the derelection of a careless
servant. I doubt whether anyone has
left the premises tonight."
"Then one of your guests must be
guilty," retorted the detective quickly.
"Stop stop at that," was the angry
retort; "if you find It necessary to sus
An Easy Way
The Portal Vein Seems
IF you have the blues, if your brain
suddenly feels "overful with empti
ness," try this: put both hands, one
over the other, on your abdomen just
below the navel and press as hard as
you can without causing pain. Then
push your hands upward till they touch
the ribs. Repeat this movement fifteen
or twenty times.
It is pretty certain that the end of
the experiment your view of the world
will have grown brighter. There, are
several ways similar in nature to pro
duce the same result, but this one is the
easiest and quickest. All it does is toj
restore to general circulation a surplus
of blood accumulated by the portal vein
at the expense of the rest of the or
ganism. For in such congestion some doctors
iiave discovered a cause of brain-fag and
melancholy not even dreamed of by the
gentle Robert Burton when he wrote
his "Anatomy of Melancholy." In that
work six non-natural that is, not inbred
causes of mental depression are men
tionednamely, faulty diet, digestion,
air exercise, sleep and perturbation of
mind.
Until recently science had not been able
to add much to that list. Nor was It able
to improve materially the list of prin
cipal remedies given by Burton, and In
cluding these items: prayer, medicine,
rectification of diet, good air. travel,
exercise, and "mirth and merely com
pany." One of the first Indications that a
seventh cause of melancholy might be
found, although not discovered by Galen,
Jean Fernal, Carto or any other ' ancient
authority quoted by Burton, is given by
Doctor Christian Wilhelm Hufeland, a
German physician who more than a
hundred years ago wrote a treatise on
the art of prolonging life, calling it
"Makrobiotlk." He says in his book that
one of the best remedies for a hypochon
driac tendency is to rub the abdomen for
fifteen minutes with the palm of the
hand or a woolen rag.
It is now nearly twenty years since
Doctor J. H. Kellogg of Battle Creek,
Mich., found himself puzzled by the
failure of his remedies to work a com
plete cure in the cases of certain neuras
thenic patients. It took him a couple of
years to discover the cause and to
prove it. Then the remedy was self
evident. Thus it happened that when some years
ago- a professor in one of the Eastern
universities went to Doctor Kellogg with
a complaint that he was growing old
at the age of 33 and that probably
bis diet was responsible for this' p e
mature senility. Doctor Kellogg rejoined:
"Something else than diet is the matter
pect . my guests your work shall stop
at once." i
The detective smiled grimly. He
had met with similar experiences be
fore. After a maoment's silence, he
said :
"I propose that the credentials of
every one of your servants be care
fully investigated and that the ante
cedents of every servant belonging to
your guests be probed."
The suggestion met with so much
opposition that it was abandoned. The
detective remained in the library until
nearly midnight. He seemed to have
run up against a dead wall. But he
had been doing a lot of thinking. As !
he started to leave one of the servants
tapped on the door.
What la itr cried Sir William im
patiently.
'A telegram for Lord Mortimer, was
the response.
Lord Mortimer was tne impecunious
earl. The host was instantly all atten
tion. He took the telegram ana excused
himself to the detective.
Pardon me a moment until I give this
to Mortimer."
He left the room and was gone ten or
15 minutes. He returned with a per
plexed look.
'What is ltr askea tne aetecuve.
Mortimer's not in his room, and I
can't locate him anywhere."
The reply had escaped him almost un
consciously. The next moment he bit
his lip in vexation. He was sorry ne nact
spoken.
"Of course, he said almost ruaeiy,
there's no significance in his ahsence
from his room. He's about somewhere."
"Of course," assented Sweeney, tact
fully.
The detective remained at the house alt
night. . When he departed for Scotland
Tard in the morning he carried with him
an ordinary drinking glass a dirty glass
that looked as if it might have contained
stale ale the night before. He had picked
It up In one of the rooms of the house
and the care he bestowed upon it almost
bordered on the ludicrous. He seemed
particularly anxious not to permit the
glass to rub against anything.
An hour later a chance visitor at scot-
land Tard might have witnessed a curious
experiment being made with an ordinary
drinking glass. The experiment was a
success. The operative discovered on the
glass the Imprints of four fingers and a
thumb. The marks were perfectly
distinct and the finger and thumb prints
had been reproduced perfectly 'on sen
sitized1 paper.
That was the Beginning. It was next
learned that only one train had left the
railroad station near Sir William Hart's
country place between the hours of 6 and
10 o'clock on the previous night. The
theft had been committed between those
hours.
A visit to the office of the railroad com
pany resulted In finding the conductor
who had charge of that particular train.
He remembered that one passenger had
boarded the train at the station.
"Did he go on to London?" he was
asked.
"No," was the response, "he alighted
at the first station this side of London."
The trail was becoming interesting. It
was followed until it led to the station
this side of London. The only cabman
at that station was awakened from his
slumbers., to answer the questions of the
detective. He was a typical "night
hawk." Tes. he had answered, he had
one customer that night. Could he let the
representative from Scotland Tard look
at his cab? Most assuredly he felt com
plimented at such attention. The ram
shackle old vehicle was found In the
stable. A careful examination was made.
The result was remarkable.
There were five distinct spots on the
dirty cab door and they were the im
prints of four fingers and a thick thumb
Most startling of all. the prints on the
cab door and those on the unwashed glass
were identical.
The conclusion was obvious. The man
who drank the glass of ale at Sir William
Hart's that night was the same man who
had traveled on the 9 o'clock train that
night and had taken the cab at the
station just outside of London.
"Cabby," said the detective, "you know
where you took your customer last
nightr'
"Sure!"
"Take me there at once."
The cabman harnessed up his vehicle
and drove off with the detective as his
passenger. In bout ten minutes he
halted before a mean-looking frame house
in the suburbs. Sweeney alighted and
by Which to Cure the Blues
to Cause Melancholy Remedies Both Quick and Simple.
with you look at that waistcoat of
yours!'
The professor, taken unawares, looked
guiltily downward, although sure that
nothing was to be seen there that could
be termed a bay window. Instead he saw
a number of creases and folds running
crossways over the front of the lower
part of the waistcoat.
"Yes. that's just it," said Doctor Kel
logg, following the glance of his patient.
"You are always bent double whenever
you have a chance standing, sitting, and
even in bed, I should think. Now lie
down on this table and I'll show you
what will happen to you."
The professor stretched himself out on
his back upon one of those long-legged
couches that you see In clinics and doc
tors' offices. Then Dr. Kellogg went
through the operations described above,
and In five minutes the Easterner thought
that he had never felt so happy or effi
cient in all his life.
His joy was still more increased when
the doctor gave him "a belt that looked
as if it had two buckles instead of one. in
front. Back of the buckles were springs
which pushed them against the stomach
when the belt was put on.
The inwardness of the trouble as well
as the cure was explained by Dr. Kellogg
at the time. He explained it to many
members of his own profession, too. But
owing to the belief that no man could
possibly be at once a Seventh-Day Ad
ventist which Dr. Kellogg is and. a
good physician his discovery was ignored
mostly.
About a year ago Dr. Abrams. of San
Francisco, happened in the course of his
investigations upon the same truth which
had become evident to Dr. Kellogg earlier,
and he published a book called "The
Blues," in which he set forth the direct
connection between a too sombre outlook
on life, or an unwarrantedly fatigued
brain, and congestion of the blood In the
portal vein. And now science has taken
notice, so that the prevalence of the blue
color in this world may in the near future
cease.
The portal vein combines into one ves
sel several smaller ones coming from the
stomach, the pancreas and the gall blad
der, and carries the combined flow of
blood Into the liver. It has been called
the largest vein in the body, and its ca
pacity is said to be sufficient when
strained to hold at once practically every
drop of blood contained in the system.
Cases are on record of persons who
have bled to death, although not a drop
of blood appeared outside the body. Au
topsy proved that the blood had been
drained into the portal vein and held
there. This vein is also remarkable be
cause in structure and many character
istics it has as much in common with the
arteries as with veins clearly recognized
as such. .
The flow to and from that vein is reg
rapped at the door vigorously. After a
long waiti a smooth-shaven man In his
shirt sleeves responded. The detective
was. keyed up to his responsibility. He
did not give the man time to speak, but
said sharply:
"Good morning, Mr. Martin."
The man drew back.
"How did you know " he began, then
"changing his manner to one of defiance,
he cried: "My name's not Martin."
"Oh, yes, it Is," was the cheerful re
sponse, "you're John Martin."
"Well," was the dogged response,
"what do you want?"
"I want Lady Hart's gems," snapped
the detective.
The fellow's face became ashen and
he started to retreat. But It was too
late. In a trice the detective had slipped
a pair of handcuffs upon his slender
wrists.
That night John Martin was behind
prison bars and Lady Hart's precious
gems had been restored to her.
There was no possible doubt about his
guilt. The maid servant who had almost
cried her eyes out at the mere thought
that she might be suspected was de
lighted with the return of the jewels.
Lord Mortimer never even knew he was
a suspect. The Impecunious nobleman
was not in his room. It is true, but he
was located later In the night calmly
sleeping under the billiard table a con
dition Induced by a heavy meal and an
overabundance of champagne.
John Martin proved to be a profes
sional thief. On numerous occasions he
had acted as an extra servant at house
parties. -Forged references and a month
of faithful service enabled him to get
a position with Sir Archibald Hunter,
who was the respected younger son of an
aristocratic but not particularly wealthy
family. In due course of time he formed
one of the Inhabitants of Sir William
Hart's house in the name and capacity
of John Martin, valet and attendant to
his master. Sir Archibald. Martin had
Impressed his master with .his knowledge
of amateur fire brigade work, and on
more than one occasion gave an exhi
bition of this accomplishment by drilling
the servants in various phases of fire
extinguishing operations. On his arrival
at Sir William's house Sir Archibald in
troduced the subject of fire In the gen
eral conversation at dinner, and Sir Wil
liam had to admit that for so large a
house as his he feared the fire precau
tions were far from perfect. It was the
most natural thing In the world for Sir
Archibald to place Martin's services at
Sir William's disposal.
Martin made a great show of instruct
ing the servants, but his sole object was
to become Intimately acquainted with the
geography of the house. Under the guts'
of carefully examining possible exits in
case of fire, of arranging where hydrants
should be stationed, inspecting the win
dows, doors and staircases, and the
general structure of the house, Martin
was not only able to get an accurate
Idea of where the various rooms were
situated, but he became acquainted also
with many points of detail Important to
his contemplated enterprise. He was
also able to take impressions of locks and
tamper with bolts during the course of
his investigation.
He left Sir William's house with his
master on. the night before the conclu
sion of the house-party so that his alibi
in that connection was secure enough,
but he made it a point to return on the
following night. Being well known to all
of the servants he met with no obstacle
and actually found his way to the cor
ridor of the second story leading to Lady
Hart's room. He had not thought of
robbery, at that particular moment, but
the sight of Lady Hart leaving her room
and the jewels lying exposed on the
dressing-table proved too strong a temp
tation for his avaricious nature. He
quickly slipped in, put the jewels In his
pockets, and then calmly mingled with
the other servants. Later on he was the
man who went out to the gate-keeper
and instructed him not to permit any one
to leave the house that night, and after
sending the man on a fool's errand, ha
coolly marched out of the grounds. H
took the first train to the London suburb
and hoped by the next day to be able
to dispose of his loot. His one mistake
was In pausing in the servants hall long
enough to drink the ale out of a dirty
glass. The impress of his Angers on the
glass and on the cab door at the subur
ban station proved to be his undoing and
furnished food for contemplation in the
long term of penal serviture to which
he was sentenced.
(Next week: "Vidocq and the Lock
I smith's Daughter.")
ulated by a nerve which orders Its con
traction or distention. It is the assertion
of Dr. Kellogg and Dr. Abrams that a
constant maintenance of a cramped up
position, whether in standing or in sit
ting, leads to the weakening of that
nerve so that It practically ceases to do
service, with the result that the blood is
allowed freely to flow Into the portal vein
without being forced out of it again.
The mischief done is a double one. For
not only are the brain and other out
lying parts of the body deprived of their
proper share of the life-giving fluid, but
the action of the liver becomes ham
pered. Anybody who has had Catcasion to vary
some mental pursuit with bodily exercise
at a Juncture when his powers seemed to
be waning must have noticed the revival
not only of energy but of fancy. The ex
planation is simple whatever motions he
had gone through, particularly if he had
to' go out Into the open air, started the
circulation anew and brought a fresh sup
ply of blood to the brain, which was all
that organ wanted.
Believers In this theory point out that
neurasthenics invariably show : round
backs and fronts curving Inward. The
German and French humorous papers,
which delight in caricaturing decadent
types, never fail to picture them in posi
tions having more in common with the
circle than with the straight line. It is
also easily understood that any sedentary
occupation may produce this particular
sort of laxness, and with It those dreaded
blues.
Fortunately remedies are easy both of
mastery and application. One, the sim
plest, has already been indicated. But
others,- more lasting in their effects, are
recommended because they dispose of
the trouble itself Instead of merely
giving temporary relief.
The wearing of a belt is declared to
be always advisable in cases of this
kind, especially If it is wider than
those usually found, say two Inches or
more wide, and Is not drawn tod tight
All exercise tending to strengthen
the abdominal muscles -will also bring
the regulator of the portal vein back to
Its duty. One good plan is to take a
cannon ball covered with leather or
cloth and roll It around on the abdo
men, care being taken to roll It .from
right to left and not the other way. ,
Among the main factors influencing
the abdominal region In an eVil way
must be mentioned the type of chair
now commonly made and used. Its
straight back and seat parallel with
the floor practically force the sitter
into unwholesome postures. It is a
choice between bending over forward or
reclining on the small of one's back.
One ofthe means suggested to meet
this trouble is to manufacture chairs
with backs modeled to fit the outward,
backward curve of the human body.