Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1907 — Martin Hewitt, Investigator. [ARTICLE]

Martin Hewitt, Investigator.

Gbe Quinton Jewel Affair.

...By... ARTHUR. MORRISON.

Published by Arrangement With Harper 41 Brothen.

some means which I never IT) I quite understood Hewitt manI 111 aged to keep abreast of the IZZJ very latest fashions in the ever changing slang dialect of the criminal fraternity, and he was a perfect master of the more modern and debased form of Romany, the gypsy. In the Quinton jewel affair Hewitt icame into contact with a very accomtolisbed thief. The ease will probably wj very well remembered. Sir Valentine Quinton before he married had been as poor as only a man of rank with an old country establishment to keep up can, be. Ills marriage, howlever, with the daughter of a wealthy financier had changed all that, and fiow the Quinton establishment was carried on on as lavish a scale as might be. Lady Quinton’s jewels made quite a collection, and chief among them was itbe great ruby, one of the very few that were sent to this country to be sold (at an average price of somewhere about £20,000 apiece, I believe) by the Burmese king before the annexation of his country. Well, this ■great ruby—which was set in a pendant, by the bye—together with a necklace, brooches, bracelets, earrings—indeed, the greater part of Lady Quln(ton’s collection—was stolen. The rob'bery was effected at the usual time land in the usual way in cases of carefully planned jewelry robberies. The time was early evening—dinner time, in fact—and an entrance had been made by ttye window to Lady Quinton’s dressing room, the door screwed up on the Inside and wires artfully stretched about the grounds below to overset anybody who might observe and pursue the thieves. On an investigation by London dejtectives, however, a feature of singularity was brought to light There had plainly been only one thief at work at Radcot Hall, and no other had been Inside the grounds. Some few days passed, and although the police had made various arrests ■they appeared to be all mistakes, and the suspected persons were released one after another. I was talking of the robbery with Hewitt at lunch and asked him if he had received any commission to hunt for the missing (jewels. 1 “No,” Hewitt replied, “I haven’t been commissioned. They are offering an immense reward, however—a very deasant sum, indeed. I have had a short note from Radcot Hall informing me of the amount and that’s all. Probably they fancy that I may take the case up on speculation, but that is a great mistake."

I We talked of other things, and presently rose and left the restaurant, 'strolling quietly toward home. Some little distance from the Strand and near our own door, we passed an excited Irishman—without doubt an Irishman by appearance and talk—who [was pouring a torrent of angry complaints In the ears of a policeman. 'Something interesting In our conversation made me stop for a little while at Hewitt’s office door on my way up, and while I stood there the Irishman Iwe had seen In the street mounted the stairs. He was a poorly dressed but sturdy looking fellow, apparently a laborer, In a badly worn best suit of clothes. Ills agitation still held him and without a pause he immediately burst out: “Which of ye jlntlemen will be Mlsther Hewitt, sor?” i “This Is Mr. Hewitt,” I said. “Do you want him?” I “It’s protecshln I want, sor—protecBhln!I spake to the polls, an' they iaff at me, begob. Foive days have I lived In London, an’ ’tis nothin’ but .battle, murdher an’ suddhen death for 'me here all day an’ ivery day! The fcolls say I’m dhrunk, but, begob, 1 b’lleve they think I’m mad. An’ me being thracked an’ foileyed an’ dogged lan* waylaid an’ poisoned an’ blandanIdhered an* kidnaped an’ murdhered, an’ for why I do not know!” "t “And who’s doing all this?” “Sthrangers, sor—sthrangers. "Tls a Bthranger here I am mesllf. They’re layln’ for me In the sthreet now, I misdoubt not" This, I thought must be one of the very common cases of mental hallucination which one hears of every day —the belief of the sufferer that he 14 surrounded by enemies and follower by spies. “But what have these people done?” Hewitt asked, looking rather Interested, although amused. “What actual assaults have they committed, and •when? And who told you to come here?” j “Who towld me, is ut! Who but the payler outside—ln the street below! I explained to ’um, an’ sez he: !*Ah, you go an’ take a slape,* sez he; tyou go an’ take a good slape, an* they’ll all be gone whin ye wake up.’ j*But they’ll murdher me!’ sez I. *Oh. Xio!’ sez he, smilin’ behind av his ugly race. ‘Oh, no, they won’t! You take nt alsy, me frlnd, an’ go home!’ ‘Take lut alsy, is ut, an’ go home!’ sez I. “Why, that’s just where they’ve been last, a-rulnationln’ an’ a-turnlp* av the place upside down, an’ me strook on the head onsenslble a mile away. Take |nt alsy, is ut, ye say, whin all the demons in this unholy place Is jumpin'

on me ivery minut’ in places promiscuous till I can’t tell where to turn, descendin’ an’ vanishin’ marvelllous an’ onaccountable? Take ut aisy, is utT sez I. ‘Well, me frind,’ sez he, ‘I can’t help ye. That’s the marvelllous an’ onaccountable departmint up the stairs forninsf ye. Mlsther Hewlit ut is,’ sez he, ‘that attlnds to the onaccountable departmint, him as wint by a minut’ ago. You go an’ bother him.’ That’s how I was towld, sor.” Hewitt smiled. "Very good,’’ he said, "and now what are these extraordinary troubles of yours? Just say in ten words, If you can, what they’ve done to you.” "I will, sor. Wan day had I been in London, sor—wan day only—an’ a low scutt thried to poison me dhrink. Next day some udther thief av sin shoved me off av a railway platform undher a train, malicious and purposeful. Glory be, he didn’t kill me, but the very docther that felt me bones thried to pick me pockut, Idu b’lieve. Sunday night I was grabbed outrageous in a darrk turnin’, rowled on the groun’, half strangled an’ me pockuts nigh ripped out av me trousles, an’ this very blessed mornin’ av light I was strook onsensible an’ left a livin’ corpse an’ me lodgin’s penethrated an’ all the thruck mishandled an’ bruk up behind me back. Is that a panjaudhery for the polls to lass at, sor?” Hewitt appeared strangely interested. "Did they steal anything?” he asked. "Divil a shtick but me doorkey, an’ that they tuk home an’ lift In the door.” Hewitt opened his office door. “Come in,” he said, “and tell me all about this. You come, too, Brett.” The Irishman and I followed him into the inner office, where, shutting the door, Hewitt suddenly turned on the Irishman and exclaimed sharply, “Then you’ve still got it?” He looked keenly into the man’js eyes, but the only expression was one of surprise. “Got ut?” said the Irishman. “Got fwhat, sor? Is ut you’re thinkin’ I’ve got the horrors as well as the polls?” Hewitt’s gaze relaxed. “Sit down, sit down!” he said. “You’ve still got your watch and money, I suppose, since you weren’t robbed?” “Oh, that? Glory be, I have ut still.” "Now,” said Hewitt, “I want a full, true and particular account of yourself and your doings for the last week. First, your name.” “Leamy’s my name, sor—Michael Leamy.” “Lately from Ireland?” “Over from Dublin this last blessed Wednesday.” “Looking for work?” “That is my purshuit at prisint, sor.” “Did anything noticeable happen before these troubles of yours began—anything here in London or on the journey?” "Sure,” the Irishman smiled, “part av the way I thraveled first class by favor av the gyard, an’ I got a small job before I lift the train.” “How was that? Why did you travel first class part of the way?”

“There was a station fwhere we shtopped afther a long run, an’ I got down to take the cramp out av me joints an’ take a taste av dhrink. I overshtayed somehow, an’ whin I got to the train, begob, It was on the move. There was a first class carr’ge door opin right forninst me, an’ into that the gyard crams me holus-bolus. There was a juce of a folne jintleman slttln’ there, an’ be stares at me umbrageous, but I was not dlshcommoded, bein’ onbashful by natur’. We thraveled along a heap av miles more till we came near London. Afther we had shtopped at a station where they tuk tickets we wlnt ahead again, an’ prlslntly as we rips through some udther station up jumps the jintleman opposite, sweatin’ hard under his tongue, an’ looks out at the windy. T thought this train shtopped here,’ sez be.” “Chalk Farm,” observed Hewitt “The name I do not know, sor, but that’s fwhat he said. Then he looks at me onaisy for a little, an’ at last he sez, ‘Wud ye iolke a small job, me good man, well paid?’ “ ‘Faith,’ sez I, ‘ ’tis that will suit me well.’

“ ‘Then, see here,’ sez he, ‘I should have got out at that station, havin’ particular business; havin’ missed, I must sen’ a telegrammer from Euston. Now, here’s a bag,’ sez he, ‘a bag ful' of important papers for my solicitor, an’ I want ’em tuk on to him. Take you this bag,’ he sez, ‘an’ go you straight out wid It at Euston an’ get in a cab. I shall stay in the station a bit to see to the telegrammer. Dhrive out av the station, across the road outside, an’ wait there five minute by the clock. Ye ondershtand? Wait five mlnuts, an’ maybe I’ll come an’ join ye. If I don’t, ’twill be bekase I’m detained onexpected, an’ then ye’ll dhrive to my solicitor straight. Here’s bls address, If ye can read wrltln',’ an’ he put ut on a piece av paper. He gave me half a crown for the cab, an’ I tuk his bag.” “One moment—have you the paper with the address now?” “I have not, aor. I missed ut afther the blayguards overset me yesterday, but the solicitor's name was Hollams,

an* a liberal jintleman wid his money ha was, too, by that same token.**' “What was his address?” “’Twas In Chelsea, and ’twas Gold or Golden something, which I know by the good token av fwhat he gave me, but the number I misremember.” Hewitt turned to his directory. “Gold street is the place, probably,” be said, “and it seems to be a street chiefly of private houses. You would be able to point out the house if you were taken there, I suppose?” “I should that, sor; indade, I was thinkin’ av goln’ there an’ tellln’ Mlsther Hollams all my throubles, him havin’ been so kind.”

“Now, tell me exactly what instructions the man in the train gave you and what happened?” "He sez: ‘You ask for Mlsther Hollams, an’ see nobody else. Tell him ye’ve brought the sparks from Mlsther W.’ 5 “’Sparks?’ sez I. ‘Yes, sparks*’ sez he. ‘Mlsther Hollams will know. ’Tis our jokin’ word for ’em. Sometimes papers is sparks when they set a lawsuit ablaze.’ And he laffed. ‘But be sure ye say the sparks from Mlsther W.,’ he sez again, ‘bekase then he’ll know ye’re jlnuine, an’ he’ll pay ye han’some. Say Mlsther W. sez you’re to have your reg’lars if ye like. D’ye mind that?’ “ ‘Aye,’ sez I, ‘that I’m to have me reg’lars.’ “Well, sor. I tuk the bag and wlnt out of the station, tuk the cab an’ did all as he towld me. I waited the solve minuts, but he niver came, so off I druv to Mlsther Hollams, and he threated me han’some, sor.” “Yes, but tell me exactly all he did.” “‘Mlsther Hollams, sor?’ sez I. ‘Who are ye?* sez he. ‘Mick Leamy, sor,’ sez I, ‘from Mlsther W. wid the sparks.’ ‘Oh,’ sez he, ‘thin come in.’ I wint in. ‘They're in here, are they?’ sez he, takin’ the bag. ‘They are, sor,’ sez I, ‘an’ Mlsther W. sez I’m to have me reg’lars.’ ‘You shall,’ sez he. ‘What shall we say now—a finnip?’ ‘Fwhat’s that, sor?’ sez I. ‘Oh,’ sez he, ‘I s’pose ye’re a new hand. Five quid—ondern.l that?’

“Begob. I difl ondershtand it, an’ moighty plazed I was to have come to a place where they pay five pun’ notes for carryin’ bags. So whin he asked me was I new to London an’ shud I kape in the same line av business I towld him I shud for certin or anythin’ else payin’ like it. ‘Right,’ *Let me know whin ye’ve got anythin’. Ye’ll find me all right. I’ve a smart family about me,’ sez he, ‘an’ I treat ’em all fair an’ liberal.’ Thin he asked me where I was livin’ in Lou don, an’ whin I towld him nowhere he towld me av a room in Musson street, here by Drury lane, that was to let in a house his fam’ly knew very well, an’ I wint straight there an’ tuk ut, an' there I do be stayin’ still, sor.”

I hadn’t understood at first why Hewitt took so much Interest In the Irishman’s narrative, but the latter part of it opened my eyes a little. It seemed likely that Leamy had, in his Innocence, been made a conveyer of stolen property. I knew enough of thieves’ slang to know that “sparks” meant diamonds or other jewels; that “regulars” was the term used for a payment made to a brother thief who gave assistance in some small way, such as carrying the booty, and that the “family” was the time honored expression for a gang of thieves. “This was all on Wednesday, I understand,” said Hewitt. “Now tell me what happened on Thursday—the poisoning or drugging, /on know?” “Well, sor, I was walkin’ out an’ toward the evenin’ I lost mesllf. Up comes a man, seemin'ly a sthranger, an’ shmacks me on the showldher. ‘Why, Mick!’ sez he. ‘lt’s Mick Leamy, I du b’lieve!’ “ ‘I am that,’ sez I, ‘but you I do not know.’ “ ‘Not know me?’ sez he. ‘Why, I wlnt to school wid ye!’ an’ wid that he hauls me off to a bar, blarneyin’ an' minowdherin’. “ ‘Can ye rache me a poipe loight?’ sez he, an’ I turned to get ut, but, lookin’ back suddent, there was that onblushin’ thief av the warl’ tippin’ a paperful av powdher stuff into me glass.” “What did you do?” Hewitt asked. “I knocked the dhirty face av him, sor, an’ got away home.” “Now the next misfortune?” “Faith, that wag av a sort likely to turn out the last av all misfortunes. 1 wlnt that day to the Crystial Palace. Cornin’ home at night there was a juce av a crowd on the station platform, consekins av a late train. Shtandln’ by the edge av the platform at the fore end, just as the thraln came In, some onvisible murdherer gives me a stupenjus dhrive in the back, an’ over I wlnt on the line, mldbetwixt the rails. The engine came up an’ wlnt half over me wldout glvln’ me a scratch, bekaze av my centraleous situation, an’ then the porther men pulled me out, nigh sick wid fright, sor, as ye may guess. A jintleman In

the crowd sings out, ‘l’m a medical man!’ an’ they tuk me In the waitin’ room, an’ he investigated me, havin’ turned everybody else out av the room. There wuz no bones bruk, glory be, an’ the docthor man he was tellin’ me so, after feelin’ me over, when I felt his hand In me waistcoat pockut. “ ‘An’ fwhat’s this, sor?’ sez I. ‘Do you be lookin’ for your fee that thief’s way?’ “He laffed an’ said: ‘I want no fee from ye, me man, an’ I did but feel your ribs,’ though on me conscience he had done that undher me waistcoat already. An’ so I came home.” < “What did they do to you on Saturday?” “Saturday, sor, they gave me a whole holiday, an’ I began to think less av things, but on Sunday night In a dark place two blayguards tuk me throat from behind, nigh choked me, flung me

Sown an’ wlnt through' iff mepockets in about a quarter av a minut*.” “And they took nothing, you aayF* “Nothing, aor. But this mornin’ I got my worst dose, I was trapesing along dlstreshful an’ moighty sore tn a street just away off the Strand here whin I observed the docthor man that was at the Crystal Palace station a-smilln' an’ beckonin' at me from a door. “ ‘How are ye now?’ sez he. ‘Well,’ sez I, ‘l’m moighty sore an* sad bruised,’ sez I.* ‘ls that so?* sez he. ‘Shtep In here.’ So I shtepped In, an’ before I could wink there dhropped a crack on the back av me head that sent me off' as unknowledgable as a corrpse. I knew no more for awhile, sor, whether half an hour or an hour, an’ thin I got up in a room av the place marked ‘To Let.’ ’Twas a house full av offices, by the same token, like this. There was a sore bad lump on me head. See ut, sor? An’ the whole warl’ was shpinnlu’ roun’ rampageous. The things out av me pockets were lyin’ on the flute by me, all barrin’ the key av me room. So that the demons had been through me posseshins again, bad luck to ’em.” “You are quite sure, are you, that everything was there except the key?” Hewitt asked. “Certin, sor! Well, I got along to me room, sick an’ sorry enough, an’ doubtsome whether I might get In wid no key. But there was the key in the open door, an’, by this an’ that, all the shtuff in the room—chair, table, bed an’ all—was shtandin’ on their heads twisty ways. The chist av drawers was lyin’ on uts face, wid all the dhrawers out an’ emptied on the flure.” “But still nothing was gone?” “Nothin’, so far as I investigated, sor. But I didn’t shtay. I came out to spake to the polls, an’ two av them laffed at me—wan afther another!” [TO be continued)