Table of Contents

Chapter I. A Crafty Robbery
Chapter II. Concerning Señora Cervera
Chapter III. The Kilgore Diamond Gang
Chapter IV. Getting Down to Work
Chapter V. Behind the Scenes
Chapter VI. A Shot in the Dark
Chapter VII. A Strategic Move
Chapter VIII. Found Dead
Chapter IX. Nick Strikes a Startling Clew
Chapter X. On the Trail
Chapter XI. The Crime and the Means
Chapter XII. Closing In
Chapter XIII. Crafty Cervera
Chapter XIV. In a Warm Corner
Chapter XV. The Diamond Plant
Chapter XVI. The Cunning of Jean Pylotte
Chapter XVII. The Game Uncovered
Chapter XVIII. At Cross-Purposes
Chapter XIX. Hands Showed Down
Chapter XX. The Boot on the Other Leg
Chapter XXI. An Only Resource
Chapter XXII. The Last Trick

Chapter I.
A Crafty Robbery

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“Mr. Venner, sir?”

“Mr. Venner—yes, certainly. You will find him in his private office—that way, sir. The door to the right. Venner is in his private office, Joseph, is he not?”

“I don’t think so, Mr. Garside, unless he has just returned. I saw him go out some time ago.”

“Is that so? Wait a moment, young man.”

The young man halted, and then turned back to face Mr. Garside, with an inquiring look in his frank, brown eyes.

“Not here, sir, do I understand?” he asked, politely.

Mr. Garside shook his head. He was a tall, slender man of forty, and was the junior partner of the firm of Rufus Venner & Co., a large retail jewelry house in New York City, with a handsome store on Fifth Avenue, not far from Madison Square.

It was in their store that this introductory scene occurred, and proved to be the initiatory step of one of the shrewdest and most cleverly executed robberies on record.

It was about eleven o’clock one April morning. The sun was shining brightly outside, and at the curbing in front of the store were several handsome private carriages, with stiff-backed, motionless coachmen, in bottle-green livery, perched on their boxes, all of which plainly indicated the very desirable patronage accorded the firm mentioned.

In the store the glare of sun was subdued by partly drawn yellow curtains, which lent a soft, amber light to the deep interior, and enhanced the dazzling beauty of the merchandise there displayed.

The store was a rather narrow one, but quite deep, with a long-counter on each side, back of which were numerous clerks, some engaged in waiting upon the several customers then present.

At the rear of the store was an office inclosure, with a partition of plate glass; while at either side of this inclosure was a smaller room, entirely secluded, these being the private offices of the two members of the firm.

Mr. Garside was standing about in the middle of the store when the young man entered and inquired for Mr. Venner. As he turned from the clerk who had informed him of Venner’s absence, he added, half in apology, to his visitor:

“I was mistaken, young man. My clerk tells me that Mr. Venner is out just now. Do you know where he has gone, Joseph?”

“No, sir, I do not.”

“I think he will presently return,” said Garside, again reverting to the caller. “Is there anything that I can do for you? Or will you wait until Mr. Venner comes in?”

“I will not wait, Mr. Garside, since you are one of the firm, and probably know about this matter,” replied the young man, drawing a small cloth-covered package from his breast pocket. “Here are the ten diamonds for which Mr. Venner sent us an order this morning. I come from Thomas Hafferman, sir, and will leave the stones with you.”

The man mentioned was also a jeweler, and a large importer of diamonds and costly gems.

Mr. Garside’s countenance took on an expression of mild surprise.

“From Hafferman? An order from Venner?” he murmured, inquiringly. “I was not aware that Venner sent out any order for diamonds this morning.”

“One of your clerks brought the order, sir, and requested Mr. Hafferman to send the stones here as soon as convenient,” replied the messenger. “Mr. Hafferman did not know your clerk personally, so I was sent here to deliver the stones.”

“What is your name, young man?”

“Harry Boyden, sir. I have worked for Mr. Hafferman for nearly five years. I think you will find that the order was properly sent.”

“Wait just a moment, Mr. Boyden,” suggested Garside, smiling.

Then he hastened to the rear of the store, and spoke through the open window near the cashier’s desk.

“Do any of you know of an order sent out by Mr. Venner this morning?” he inquired, addressing the several clerks at work in the office. “An order to Thomas Hafferman for ten diamonds.”

Only a girl stenographer, seated at a typewriter near the office door, replied:

“I think Mr. Venner sent Spaulding out about half an hour ago, sir,” she replied. “I saw him give Spaulding several letters.”

“Ah, doubtless it’s all right enough,” bowed Garside; “yet I wonder that I had heard nothing about it. Joseph, has Spaulding been here within a few minutes?”

“No, sir,” replied the clerk, the same who had at first been questioned. “I saw him go out just before Mr. Venner departed, and he has not yet returned.”

Garside had now reached the middle of the store again, where Boyden was still waiting.

“Are you quite sure that the order came from Mr. Venner?” he again inquired. “How long ago was the messenger at your store?”

“About half an hour ago, sir,” Boyden readily answered. “The order was, I presume, signed by Mr. Venner.”

“Was it our man Spaulding who delivered the order? Do you know him by sight?”

“I do not, sir. Joseph Maynard, yonder, is the only clerk here with whom I am acquainted, and I think he will vouch for me,” said Boyden, now beginning to smile at Garside’s manifest caution over receiving the diamonds. “Surely, sir, no harm can come from your keeping the stones until Mr. Venner returns, since I am willing to leave them with you,” he added, laughing.

“Oh, no, no—I wasn’t thinking of that,” Garside quickly answered. “I wished only to avoid the needless trouble of returning them, in case the order did not come from us.”

“I think the order was all right, Mr. Garside. Besides, sir, I saw Mr. Venner yesterday at our store, examining some diamonds. Doubtless these are the same.”

“Oh, if that’s the case, leave them, by all means,” Garside cried. “I was not aware that he had called there. Probably they are for some order of which he has personal charge. Yes, yes, Mr. Boyden, leave them, certainly. Here, Joseph, place the package in one of the vault drawers, and hand it to Mr. Venner when he returns. Sorry to have detained you so long, Mr. Boyden. Had you begun by stating that Venner called yesterday upon Mr. Hafferman, I should not have demurred over the matter.”

“There’s no harm done, Mr. Garside, none whatever,” replied Boyden, bowing and smiling. “I appreciate your caution, sir. If there proves to have been any mistake in ordering them, you can easily return the stones. Good-morning, sir.”

Garside replied with a nod over his shoulder, having turned to hand the parcel to his clerk back of the counter, and Boyden immediately departed.

“Is that young man an acquaintance of yours, Maynard?” inquired Mr. Garside.

“Yes, sir. He has been with Hafferman for several years.”

“Doubtless it’s all right, then. Odd, though, that Venner should have made no mention to me of this order. Hand him the package as soon as he comes in.”

“I will, sir, at once.”

Maynard had already placed the small parcel in a drawer of the huge steel vault back of the counter, and he now resumed the work at which he had been engaged.

Mr. Garside sauntered toward the front of the store, and presently greeted a lady who entered.

Twenty minutes passed, and the incident of the diamonds was almost forgotten by both employer and clerk.

Soon both were reminded of it, however, by the entrance of another man—a smooth-featured young fellow, with pale blue eyes, a sallow complexion, slightly pock-marked. He was of medium height, and well put together, and was clad in a neat business suit of fashionable appearance.

Quickly approaching Mr. Garside, who was then disengaged, he tendered one of Thomas Hafferman’s business cards, and said, glibly, while bowing and laughing lightly:

“Excuse me, Mr. Garside, but we rather owe you an apology. Our Mr. Boyden left some diamonds with you a short time ago, which should have been delivered to Tiffany & Co. Mr. Hafferman read the order without his spectacles, and it’s rather a good joke on him, for he thought it was signed Venner & Co. The blunder was partly owing to the fact, no doubt, that Mr. Venner called to see him yesterday about some diamonds.”

“There!” exclaimed Garside, as if quite pleased to discover that he had been so nearly right. “I knew well enough that Venner had not sent out any order without mentioning it to me. Yes, your Mr. Boyden left the stones here. For Tiffany & Co., eh?”

“Yes, sir, and they should have been delivered long ago,” was the reply, with a conventional laugh. “If you please, I’ll leave them there on my way back. Deucedly stupid blunder on Hafferman’s part, I’m sure; and I hope—”

“Oh, there’s no harm done, I guess, and but little time lost,” interrupted Garside, joining in the other’s laugh. “You will deliver them, you say?”

“If you please.”

“Here, Joseph, hand me that package of diamonds left here by Boyden. They were sent to us by mistake. I knew it well enough at the time. Here you are, Mr. ——”

“Raymond, sir. I am cashier at Hafferman’s. Many thanks. Sorry to have troubled you—very sorry.”

“No trouble at all,” laughed Garside, accompanying Mr. Raymond toward the street door. “The trouble has been all yours, sir.”

“That’s quite true,” smiled Raymond, as he bowed himself out with the package of diamonds in his hand. “But now the pleasure is all mine!” he added to himself, upon reaching the sidewalk.

Then he strode rapidly away, quickly losing himself in the midday stream of people thronging the famous New York thoroughfare.

Less than five minutes later, before any misgivings had crept into the mind of Mr. Garside, the senior member of the firm came hurrying into the store.

“Oh, I say, Venner!” exclaimed his partner, stopping him near the office door. “What diamonds are you thinking of buying of Hafferman?”

“Of Hafferman?” echoed Venner, with a look of surprise.

“Weren’t you looking at some stones there yesterday?”

“Yes, certainly. Some very choice diamonds. I want ten of the first water, a little larger and more perfectly matched than any we have in stock at present. But how did you learn that I had called there?”

Mr. Garside quickly informed him of the several incidents of the past half hour, when, to his consternation and dismay a look of sudden apprehension swept over Venner’s face.

“Raymond—the name of Hafferman’s cashier!” he cried. “Nothing of the sort, Philip. Their cashier is named Briggs. I know him well.”

“Briggs! Briggs!”

“Briggs—yes, Briggs!” reiterated Mr. Venner, excitedly. “By Heaven, there must be something wrong here!”

“Dear me! If this Raymond was an impostor, we are done out of—”

“Wait—wait!”

Checking his partner with an impulsive gesture, Venner rushed into his private office and seized his desk telephone, quickly calling up the firm by which the diamonds had been sent.

Garside followed him into the room, only to hear the questions hurriedly asked over the wire by his excited partner, who presently dropped the telephone and leaped to his feet, crying loudly, so loudly that his voice filled the entire store, and brought all hands hurrying in his direction:

“There’s no doubt of it, Garside, none whatever. You have been duped—swindled—robbed of four thousand dollars’ worth of gems! Raymond was an impostor—a crook—”

“Venner—hush! You are losing your head,” protested Garside, white with dismay. “It’s enough that we have lost the stones, so at least keep your head. Waste not a moment. Notify the police. Telephone at once for men from the central office.”

“Blast the police! The central office be hanged!” cried Venner, choking down an oath of wrathful contempt. “I’ll have none of your police—none of your central office men! I want a detective—not an effigy of one!”

“Rufus—”

“Silence, Garside, and leave this affair to me,” Venner harshly interrupted. “You’ve had fingers enough in it already.”

With which rebuke Mr. Rufus Venner strode passionately out of the office and into the store proper, shouting loudly to the clerk previously mentioned:

“Maynard—here you, Maynard! Call a cab at once and go for Nick Carter! Lose not a moment! Don’t wait to ask questions, you blockhead! Away with you, at once! Bring Nick Carter here with the least possible delay!”

Maynard had already seized his coat and hat, and was hurrying out of the store.

And thus began one of the most stirring and extraordinary criminal cases that ever fell within the broad experience of the famous New York detective mentioned.

Chapter II.
Concerning Señora Cervera

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Joseph Maynard arrived at Nick Carter’s residence just as the famous New York detective was about preparing for lunch, and quickly stated his mission, disclosing the superficial features of the crime.

Nick Carter habitually looked below the surface of things, however, and in trifles he invariably discovered more than the ordinary man. Before Maynard had fairly outlined the case Nick keenly discerned that the robbery could not have been committed by any common criminals, and he at once decided not only that he would take the case, but also that it gave promise of something far more startling than then appeared aboveboard.

Yet even Nick’s keen discernment utterly failed, at this early stage of the affair, to anticipate its actual magnitude and tragic possibilities.

Having consented to accompany Maynard to the scene of the crime, Nick turned to Chick Carter, his reliable chief assistant, who also had been an attentive listener to Maynard’s disclosures.

“You had better come with me, Chick,” said he. “This affair has rather a bad look, and in case quick work is imperative, I may need your assistance.”

“Go with you it is, Nick,” Chick heartily cried, hastening to put on his coat and hat.

“From the circumstances disclosed by Maynard, however,” added Nick, “I am inclined to think that these rats have very carefully covered their tracks, and that a still hunt for their trail may prove to be our stunt. Yet you had better go along with me.”

“I’m ready when you are, Nick.”

“Very good. Come on, Mr. Maynard. I see you have a carriage at the door. We will not delay even for lunch, but will snatch a bite later.”

Together the three men left the house, and it was precisely one o’clock when Nick was ushered into the private office of Venner & Co., where the two members of the firm then were seated, apparently still engaged in discussing the audacious robbery.

Mr. Rufus Venner, it may be here stated, was a man of about forty years of age, and was a very well-known man about town. Darkly handsome, with an erect and imposing figure, an habitué of the best clubs, a man still unmarried, yet of whom hints were frequently dropped that he was very popular with the fair sex, whom he was known to lavishly entertain at times—this was the senior member of the firm of Venner & Co., and the man who, quickly arose to greet Nick Carter and Chick when the two detectives entered.

“Your clerk has already given me the main facts of the case, Mr. Venner, so we will dispense with any rehearsal of them, and get right down to business,” Nick crisply observed, immediately after their greeting. “There are a few questions I wish to ask you, and concise replies may expedite matters.”

“I will respond as briefly as possible, Mr. Carter,” Venner quickly rejoined, as they took chairs around the office table. “I do not fancy being robbed in this scurvy fashion, sir, and you may go to any reasonable expense to discover and arrest the thieves. Now, Detective Carter, your questions?”

“To begin with,” asked Nick, with a steadfast scrutiny of Venner’s darkly attractive face, “what is the value of the stolen diamonds?”

“About four thousand dollars.”

“Ten in number, I was told.”

“Precisely.”

“Are they of uniform value?”

“Nearly so. They are splendid gems, and perfectly matched, and are worth about four hundred dollars each. I wanted them for a special purpose, which—”

“Which I will presently arrive at,” Nick courteously interposed. “I understand, Mr. Venner, that you called yesterday at the store of Thomas Hafferman and made some inquiries about these stones?”

“I did, and also examined them.”

“In what part of Hafferman’s store were you at the time?”

“In his private office.”

“Were any of the clerks present?”

“Not any—Stay! One of the clerks brought in the diamonds to Mr. Hafferman, but he did not remain. Only Mr. Hafferman himself remained with me while we discussed the matter.”

“Do you know the clerk’s name?”

“Boyden, I think, he was called.”

“The same who brought the diamonds here this morning,” put in Mr. Garside. “His name is Harry Boyden.”

Nick made a note of it in a small book which he drew from his pocket.

“Did you make any deal at that time regarding the diamonds?” he inquired.

“I only had them reserved for me a day or two, stating that I would either call again or send an order for them, if I decided to purchase them,” replied Venner.

“Are you quite sure that only Mr. Hafferman heard you make that statement?”

“Sure only in that the office door was closed, and that he alone was with me. If there were any eavesdroppers about I did not suspect it.”

“Naturally not,” smiled Nick. “Now, then, for what special purpose did you want those particular diamonds? I think you referred to one.”

A slight tinge of red appeared in Venner’s cheeks when he replied, a change which by no means escaped Nick’s observation.

“I wanted the stones, or then thought I might, for a customer who contemplated giving me an order for a valuable diamond cross, to be worn upon the stage. We happen to have in stock no diamonds perfectly adapted to her requirements, and so I called upon Hafferman to learn if he could supply me.”

“Who is the customer, Mr. Venner?”

“I do not see how her identity can be at all essential to the investigation of this affair, yet I have no objection to disclosing it,” said Venner, frowning slightly.

“Why demur over it, then?” demanded Nick, bluntly.

“Only because of an aversion to bringing the lady into the case, of which she, of course, knows nothing,” retorted Venner. “I expected the order from Señora Cervera, the Spanish dancer.”

“Ah! Is she not a member of the Mammoth Vaudeville Troupe, which has been playing here to packed houses for several months?”

“She is, yes.”

“I have heard that she makes a great display of diamonds.”

“That is true, Mr. Carter. She possesses a magnificent collection of jewels, and wears them with an abandon against which I frequently have cautioned her.”

“By way of explanation,” put in Mr. Garside, with an odd smile, “Venner might add that he enjoys quite friendly relations with the Spanish señora.”

“I see no occasion, Garside, for comments upon my interest in Sanetta Cervera,” declared Venner, with a frown at his partner. “My relations with her, Detective Carter, are only those of a friend and a gentleman. She called here several weeks ago to have some diamonds reset, when I met her personally, and was deeply impressed with her extraordinary grace and beauty. I since have shown her some attention.”

“Quite natural, I am sure,” observed Nick, smiling indifferently. “As you remarked, however, none of that appears to be material. I understand, Mr. Venner, that you were absent when Boyden brought the diamonds here this morning.”

“I was,” bowed Venner. “I received a note from Señora Cervera this morning, asking me to call upon her at eleven o’clock at her rooms, and to bring with me a diamond pendant which we have in stock, and which I had the pleasure of showing her a few days ago.”

“Ah, I see.”

“She stated in her note that if I would call upon her at the hour mentioned, she would decide whether to purchase the pendant, or have us make the diamond cross for her.”

“You complied with her request, Mr. Venner, and went to call upon her?”

“Certainly.”

“Where is she quartered?”

“She rents a furnished house uptown.”

“Does she live alone?”

“With her servants only.”

“How many?”

“She keeps a butler, a male cook, and two housemaids. Also a girl to look after her wardrobe and act as her dresser at the theater.”

“Evidently Señora Cervera is wealthy,” said Nick.

“Well, not exactly wealthy,” rejoined Venner. “She is the popular craze just now, and from her professional work she derives a very large income which she scatters as if dollars were dead leaves. In a word, Detective Carter, Señora Cervera is an arrant spendthrift.”

“So I have heard,” nodded Nick.

“You have?”

“Oh, yes!” laughed the detective. “That appears to surprise you. It will not, when I tell you that there are very few public characters in New York of whose general habits I am not tolerably well informed. Of course, Mr. Venner, you have no doubt of this Spanish dancer’s honesty?” Nick added, bluntly.

Venner flushed deeply, and instantly shook his head.

“Most assuredly not,” he cried, with some feeling. “Señora Cervera dishonest? Impossible!”

“Improbable, Mr. Venner, no doubt; but not impossible.”

“It is, sir,” declared Venner, positively. “I know her well. Such an idea is absurd. Drop it at once, Detective Carter. Indeed, sir, if I thought her name was to be dragged into this affair, or her reputation to be in any way imperiled, I would quietly suffer the loss of these diamonds, and cease this investigation at once.”

Nick laughed softly, and suppressed the response that, nearly rose to his lips.

“Don’t do it, Mr. Venner,” said he, complacently. “My observation was not intended to cast any reflection upon Señora Cervera. I have no doubt that she is perfectly honest.”

“I should hope not, sir.”

“By the way, have you the note she sent to you this morning?”

“Yes. Here it is.”

“By mail, or a messenger?”

“A messenger brought it.”

“Ah!” murmured Nick, briefly studying the written page. “Plainly a foreign hand. Very firm and forceful. It indicates a strong and determined character. I should say that Señora Cervera is a woman of rare qualities.”

“That is perfectly correct, sir. She is a woman of rare qualities.”

“What did she decide to do about the diamonds, Mr. Venner?”

“She gave me an order for the cross, Detective Carter, to be made and delivered as soon as possible.”

“This was during your call upon her this morning?”

“Certainly.”

“You had previously sent no order to Hafferman for the stones?”

“Surely not.”

“Yet a written order was received by him, or he would not have delivered the goods.”

“In which case, then, it was a forgery.”

“No doubt of it,” Nick readily admitted. “Chick.”

“Yes, Nick.”

“Take a carriage and go at once and interview Hafferman. See what you can learn from him. Get the written order received by him, and bring it here. Have a look at young Boyden, and see what you make of him. Also get the written signature of Mr. Hafferman, and that of each person employed in his store. Understand?”

“Sure thing!” nodded Chick, already seeing clearly the line Nick’s investigation was taking, though neither Venner nor his partner yet perceived it. “I will return as quickly as possible.”

“You will find me here,” nodded Nick. “Wait a moment!”

“Well?”

“Also get a description of the party who delivered the written order at Hafferman’s store. Inquire what he said at the time, and why he did not attempt securing the diamonds then and there.”

“Probably he was not known there, and knew he could not get them,” observed Venner, by way of explanation.

Nick made no reply to this, however, and Chick hurriedly departed.

Chapter III.
The Kilgore Diamond Gang

Table of Contents

“Now, gentlemen, only a few more questions, and I then shall be ready to go at this case in a more energetic fashion,” said Nick Carter, immediately after Chick’s departure. “Were any of your clerks absent from the store, Mr. Venner, at the time of this robbery?”

“As I was absent myself, I cannot say,” replied Venner, rather dryly. “How about it, Garside?—you were here.”

“Only one clerk, a young man named Spaulding, was out of the store.”

“Was he out on business?”

“Yes, under my instructions,” Venner quickly explained. “We have numerous old accounts on our books, and just before I went uptown I sent Spaulding out to try to make a few collections. I think he has returned by this time.”

“It does not matter, since he was out under your instructions,” said Nick, closing his notebook. “Now, Mr. Venner, who among your employees knew you thought of buying this lot of diamonds from Hafferman, or that you had called at his store to examine them?”

“Not a soul,” was the prompt reply.

“Are you sure of that?”

“Absolutely. I had said nothing of the matter, even to my partner, there being nothing definite about it before I saw Señora Cervera this morning. I am sure that none of my clerks had any idea of my intentions.”

Nick was not so sure of it, yet he did not say so. He arose and took from Venner’s desk a block of plain paper, which he laid upon the table.

“Gentlemen,” said he, “I want the signature of your firm, in the handwriting of each of you. Kindly let me have this.”

“What’s that for?” demanded Venner, abruptly.

“I wish to make a comparison with the forged order which my assistant will presently bring from Mr. Hafferman,” Nick coolly explained. “I would suggest that you do not delay me.”