Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1911 — The Sale of an Autograph [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Sale of an Autograph

It Brought a Fortune to a Family That It Had Impoverished

By ARTHUR TURNER BEALE

When I went into my new house I desired to have one room in it as antique as possible. That room is my library. Among the furniture I desk ed was a desk. I looked about everywhere for one that I could be sure was very old and at last found one that filled my wishes. Upon getting it into my library I unlocked every drawer and after dusting it wiped it with a damp cloth. I noticed that every bit of space in the desk was converted into use except a rectangular area which seemed to have been omitted. A bit of veneering as large as the tip of my finger had become loosened. In pressing on it I released a secret drawer. There was only one piece of paper in the drawer, but it

was important It was addressed on the back to j Peter Driscoll and was dated April 5, 1895. It read: Send the glance of the property at once or take the consequences. NEMO. I- am endowed with a fair amount of curiosity and, fortunately for me, have the means to gratify it I telephoned a prominent detective agency to send me a good man. It sent me Evan Hunt Showing him my desk, I told him where I had bought it and directed him to trace Its ownership. The next day he reported that the storekeeper from whom I had purchased it had obtained it from the estate of Peter Driscoll, a man, who had been found murdered one morning in his bed. I was very much moved by the news. I saw at once that the discovery of the paper placed upon me an obligation to turn the letter over to the authorities. But as I am of a retiring disposition I did not relish being mixed up in a murder case. I concluded to prosecute my investigations further before making the matter public. Pledging my detective to secrecy, I showed him the paper I had taken from the desk and directed him to find the writer. The signature “Nemo” was undoubtedly assumed. But the detective believed the handwriting was that of the person who had made the demand since those who levy blackmail are not likely to impart a knowledge of what they are doing to any one else. It was fully a month before he reported that he had found a man whom he believed to be the writer of the letter. No clew had ever been found to lead the police to the murderer of Peter Driscoll. Hunt had secured an acquaintance with Driscoll’s family. They had been rich, but discovered at the death of their father that the property, which had consisted of Interest bearing stocks and bonds, had disappeared. They had concluded that he had been speculating and lost it. They had been obliged to give'up the handsome house in which they lived and had sold their furniture at auction. Hunt questioned them to discover if they suspected their father’s property had passed to the man who had written the letter, but found they had never heard of him.

' A great many discoveries are stumbled on. Hunt stumbled on the man who wrote the letter. He talked with every one who had known Driscoll and learned incidentally from one of Driscoll’s acquaintances, a banker, that Driscoll had kept an account with him. Hunt succeeded in inducing the man to let him have a peep at Driscoll’s account. One man. an Italian named Veehi, had received large amounts for which there was no explanation. Hunt then asked Driscoll’s widow to permit him to look over her husband’s papers. Among them he found a letter the handwriting of which corresponded with that of the note I had discovered. In the note it was disguised, but not so successfully but that Hunt suspected it was the same as in the letter he had compared it with. An expert proved that he was right Vechi lived as a poor man, keeping a shop in which he dealt in odds and ends, cariosities, and did something in the way of autographs of prominent persons. When we had laid onr plans I went with Hunt to Vechi’a shop. The Italian had as disagreeable a face as any

man I ever knew. T shuddered at his knowing we possessed his secret lest he murder us to prevent our giving it to the authorities. Hunt said to him: “Do you buy autographs here?" ? “Sometimes.” “I have one I would Uke to sell you.’* “"Whose autograph is it?” “Not a very distinguished person. Nevertheless we ask a large price for it" ’ “I don’t wish to bny any autograph for a large price.” “You will pay a fortune for this one, I am sure, when you know whose it is.” iV: “Whose is it?” -Ms '■ “Your own." The man gave an involuntary start. Up to this time he did not suspect we had any other motive than to sell a bona fide autograph. Hunt’s words “Your own” and the way the detective looked at him assured him that we had come on a very different errand. “Let me see it,” said the autograph dealer in a low voice. * ,

“I will read you the note to which it is signed,” said Hunt, I had arranged with Hunt that when he drew the note t was to put my hand in my side pocket and grasp a revolver. I did so, and Hunt, standing well away from the Italian that he might not snatch the paper, read what was written, ending with the word “Nemo.” Vechi heard his doom in the words and turned ghastly white. Hunt waited for him to speak, keeping his eyes riveted on him the while. “How much do you ask for it?” finally Vechi asked. “My friend here,” replied the detective, pointing to me, “is its owner. Hf intends to give the proceeds of its sale to the family of the man to whom this note was addressed and who was”—-

Vechi staggered. Hunt continued: “The price is certain stocks and bonds that passed to this man Nemo. If they are all returned the note will be returned to the writer to do what he likes with it and no steps will be taken in the case. If every security is not given up Nemo will be arrested before he can leave his shop.”

Vechi seemed to be thinking for a few moments, after which he asked:

“Tell me he amount.” We did not know the amount, bnt had provided for this.

“You alone know the amount at present, but since we know that this property has passed into the possession of Nemo we can at any time discover the exact amount. If we discover that he has withheld any of it we may reopen the case.” Vechi stood wavering. Whether he was hesitating as to the amount he would return or whether to defy us I don’t know. Presently he said: “I will buy your autograph, gentlemen, but I have-not the price here. You must go with me to my We went with him, as he suggested, I walking on one side of him, Hunt on the other, Hunt and I each having a band on a revolver concealed- When we reached the house Vechi took us into a room, locked the door and said: “What guarantee have I that you will keep your word?” “None whatever,” said Hunt “You must rely on the promise of a gentleman.”

Making a virtue of necessity, he opened a closet door, exposing a safe timbedded in the wall. The safe being painted like the wall, only its keyhole was perceptible. Introducing the ltey, he opened the safe door and took out a large bundle of securities, I looked them over and knew the value of most of them. I judged they were worth between $350,000 and $400,000. They were mostly coupon bonds, not the same property that had been transferred by Driscoll to Vechi. “Is this all?” asked Hunt.

“Everything,” replied Vechi. “I have no desire to leave anything amiss that will reopen this matter.” “Perhaps my friend,” said Hunt, “may wish to know the hold you had on Driscoll.”

“I have no snch desire,” I said. “The property is returned, and that is sufficient. The secret of blackmail if told might bring distress on an innocent family. Goodby, Mr. Nemo. So far as this mattjer is in my possession you may consider it closed.” We went from the shop to the Driscolls’, where Mrs. Driscoll answered my card in person. I said to her: “Madam, I have an important announcement to make to youi and I desire that you call into the room your sons and daughters to bear it”

Surprised, she complied with my request, and her children, mostly grown, were summoned. When they were all assembled I told the story of my purchase of the desk and the finding of the paper in the secret drawer. Then I entered upon Hunt’s investigations (some of them recognized him) and lastly told of our vLsit to Vechi’s shop. It was interesting to watch their features during my recital of our Interview with the blackmailer, they growing more and more intent till the delivery of the property. When the recital was finished I took the securities from my pocket and handed them to Mrs. Driscoll, saying: “There are securities affording an annual Income of $20,000, In consideration of which we hare taken the liberty cjf giving indemnity against prosecution for blackmail and”—

I shrank from speaking the dreadful word murder. .

Every member of the family approved of all I had done and acknowledged in every possible way their indebtedness for the great favor I had done them. Before I left the house every one of ns took an oath never to reveal anything of what had happened. Mrs. Driscoll afterward informed me that so far as she could discover the equivalent of ail the securities her husband had possessed was returned. Some SB,OOO lii cash was unaccour ted for. '

VECHI HEARD BIS DOOM.