The Columbian. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, February 17, 1910, Page 2, Image 2

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    THE COLUMBIAN. BLOOMSBURfi. PA
UII (IIII
lie Was Really A
Great Detective
6
Mrs, Parmenter 'mil telephoned to
her husband at toon, to tell him that
the diamonds had not been found. Pnr
fiienter left hia office and went over
to see Sweazey about It at oni o.
The stenographer, who had been
Very sympathetic, had reeorniiior.'oil
Sweazey's Rgomy. She did not know
Sweazey herself, but a young woman
friend of hers was Sweazey's coun:n,
and she knew that he was Just err nd.
1'arnienter expected to see n gontlo
man with a high, intellectual brow, a
grave, inscrutable face the face of a
Mtudent and an eye that had a habit
of suddenly leaping from sleepy lids
into a penetrating luminosity, and he
was a little disappointed when the
Kreat detective proved to bo dumpy In
figure, pop-eyed nnd fat faced. His
heavy mustache, which was of a 'et
ty blackness, except near the roots,
where it had a rather rusty tinge, was
also in the nnturs of a disillusionment
to Tarmenter; so was the Hat, black,
seml-clrculnr rurl that decorated
Sweazey's forehead.
SM11, if Sweazey wan a disappoint-V-.'T.t
in o'i'.er rc.-pe. his Inscruta
bility left nothing to b: desired. A
wooden Ir.dir.n Ftr.ndMi" !n fvent cf a
cigar store Is not more lascra'able
than Swenzey wa.i.
lie waved Pr.rmcn'cr to a ricVrty
chnir in his desk and invited hln !o
statfl the ca::o. Tli'on he tt'.'t the
stump of an evll-snu-llir.g i tsar. ::r.il
composed hlnuelf In a listening atti
tude, with his feet en his de.sk.
There was rot much to tell. Mrs.
Tarmenter had worn the dinmonda to
the theatre. She remembered per
fectly that she took them oiT when she
retired that nlyht, but the follow!;);;
nft.'inoon she had been unable to find
them.
It had happened that in the morning
a young man applied for assistance
at the Tront door. The poor fellow had
Just been discharged from the hospi
tal and he asked for some cast-off
garments. The maid had incautious
ly left the door open while she went to
tell the mistress, and had then re
timed to the kitchen, still leaving the
door open, while Mrs. Parmenter rum
maged for some old clothes In the
garret.
There had been ample time for the
young man to ransack the house, as
Mrs. Parmenter recalled when she
missed her jewels.
Sweazey chewed his cigar reflective
ly and frowned at the almanac on the
wall.
Presently he turned suddenly on
Parmenter and the pop eyes bored
Into that gentleman's inmost soul.
"Have you told me everything you
know?" he asked.
."I think that is everything," replied
Parmenter.
"You think. But are you sure?" de
manded the great detective.
"Everything that is material," said
Parmenter.
"See here, Cap," said Sweazey, "a
guy that ain't in the business don't
know what's material and what aint.
Yoi: tell me all there is to tell See?
Or. I tell you what I'll do. There ain't
none of ray men around Just now, so
I guess I'll take this case myself. We'll
go to lunch and you can get busy giv
ing me the rest of it while we chew."
They went to lunch. Sweazey was
an expensive feeder. As he explained
to Parmenter, the best was none too
good for him and he liked lots of it
especially when another feller is foot
ing the bill," he aded, humorously.
Meanwhile he put a number of ques
tions to Parmenter, eliciting the fact
that Mrs. Parmenter ocasionally play
ed bridge whiBt.
"Not that I can see how Mrs. Par
menter's amusements can be any con
cern of yours," said Parmenter, with
considerable heat.
"Certainly not; certainly not," slid
Sweazey, soothingly. "I was just ask
ing. There's nothing in that. My wife
plays bridge herself. She can put it
all over me at seven-up. Now, as to
the hired girl of yours "
"There's another thing I want to
speak to you about," said Parmenter.
"We haven't the slightest suspicion
of the maid. We think everything of
her and we wouldn't have her feelings
hurt for the world. If you have to
question her, I should like you to be
very tactful."
"You leave that to me, Cap," said
Sweazey, reassuringly. "I don't sup
pose your good lady noticed whether
that guy that come to the door for a
handout had a mole on the back of
his neck a brown mole?"
"She didn't mention It," replied Tar
nieuter. "Why?"
"It looks to me like Rat-Tail Roll
ly's work," said Sweazey. "If he had
that mole, it was Rat-Tail and, you
see that finger?"
He held up a stubby and rather dir
ty forefinger for Parmenter'g distin
guished inspection.
"I can put that finger right on
Rellly," said the detective Impressive
ly. "Any time I want him, I can put
that finger right on him."
They went down to Dlbberley
Heights together, Mr. Sweazey enliv
ening the journey with anecdotes Il
lustrative of his professional sagacity.
At the station Mr. Sweazey Interview
ed the agent regarding "Rat-Tall"
with great effect, so that the agent,
the baggageman and two casual pas
sengers stood on the platform to
watch his departure and three small
boys followed him to the very door
of the Parmenter residence, where
they were driven away with dlfficul.y
After going all over the ground
again accompanied by Mrs. Parmer
ter, Sweazey asked to bo atlowed to
Interview Elise in the kitchen. Par
mouter and his wife listened.
"See here, little one," said the detec
tive tactfully, "I'm Sweazey. I'm a de
tective, and I'm here after them dia
monds. What's more, I'm wise to you
See? Now, all you've got to do is
Just toll me where you've put them
See? We won't hnve no trouble, you
and me. All you've got to do is to
own up and you'll be let off easy. You
try any funny business with me and
At this Juncture Parmenter and his
wife Interfered, and Sweazey rather
sulkily desisted.
"Is there anybody else In the
house?" he asked.
"The furnace man," replied Par
menter, "but he"
"Now, Cap," said the detective. "If
you want me to get you them dia
monds, you've got to let me go about
It my own way. Is your furnace ir.an
down in the basement7 This In tho
door, ain't it? I'll go down. Don't
you trouble."
He went down and Mrs. Parmenter
soothed the weeping Ellse, while her
husband stood looking helplessly on.
In a few moments there was a bang
and a clatter of broken glass be'ow
and the detective rerppoarcd, with a
very red face and breathing hard from
his hurried ascent of the stairs.
"He threw the ash sifter at me and
It knocked some boales off n cliolf."
explained Sweazey. "I believe I've
gat Hie right clue, but that man r.;i:st
not be allowed to pyt away."
Thrre'ipon he began a systemntlc
r.raiel), beginning nt the gariet. He
feit along the rafters, he examined
the Honrs, he ransacked trunks that
had not been opened In youra. he
pawed over lira. Parmcnter's party
fro:ku nnd hummaged among her
tolle', articles.
To Mrs. Prrmentcr's eminently nat
ural protests he answered, not unvea
.'.o:;nb!y, that when he had found out
all the places that the diamonds were
not, it was a pipe that he'd know the
place where they were.
By that time he had worked dor;n
to the parlor.
' Oh, go ahead," said Parmenter, In
a rV-hcr disgusted tone, and went out
of the room.
Thereupon Sweazey turned to Mrs.
Parmenter. "Excuse me, but yor've
been losing money at bridge wl.ict
lately, haven't you?" he said.
Mrs. Parmenter stared at hlra,
speechless with amnzement.
"I had a hunch that them diamonds
wsn't lost right from the sta. t,"
s&id Sweazey, with a confident smile.
"I know you ladies get up against it
once in a while and have to get money
somewhere. Particularly when tholr
husbands is a little on the tight wad
order. Understand. I ain't blaming
you. Them diamonds was yours
and"
"Margie!" called Parmenter from
upstairs, "I've got them."
The next moment he came running
most recklessly down the stairs with
a chamois-skin bag in his hand.
"They'd get among the bedsprlngs,"
he said. "You must have put them
under your pillow when you went to
bed, and they managed to slip down.
You know, I told you that perhaps
they might be under the springs, Mr.
Sweazey."
"Sure," answered the detective, im
perturbably. "I was Just going to
ask you to help me take them springs
of. Let me have a look at them dia
monds, If you don't mind."
Parmenter handed him the bag and
ho emptied it into his palm and ga?ed
at the Jewels long and earnestly. Then
he put them back into the bag and
handed them to Mrs. Parmenter.
"There are your diamonds, ma'am,"
he said, with an air. "I'll know them
diamonds anywhere if it's twenty
veers from now. If ever you lose
Lhrni again, you must send for mc."
C.veazey"s bill for hi3 valued ser
vices was $2.".-KENNBTT IIAUTU3.
The Same Stock.
People who knew tho Huntley fam
ily, "root and branch," always said
t'r&t there could be only one other
perron In the world as blunt nnd tact
les.3 as James Huntley and that was
hia o".s!n William. James lived in
S( 7f York and William in Boston. One
Ja" James appeared at William's
ho'no Just at dlnner-tlnio.
"Well, this is a surprise!" said Wil
li fm. "You're the last person ia the
world I should have expected to see
to-n'ght! Cot tired of home?"
"You wouldn't have Been me If I
could have got through my business
In time to catch the three o'clock
train," said James. "I tried hard
enough."
The cousins looked cheerfully at each
other and were quite unaware of the
frHntic efforts made by Mrs. William
to guide tho conversation into a
smooth channel." Seated at last at the
dinner table, and attacking the roast
beef, the host said:
"If I'd known you were going to
drop In on us this way, without any
warning, I'd have ordered a better
dinner."
"Don't trouble about that," said
James, heartily. "It does well enough
and next time I'll be sure to let you
know beforehand."
The Same Dimensions.
The bride-to-be had the air of one
who Is unreconciled to the existing
state of affairs. "Can't we take a wed
dln1; trip, as we'd planned?" she ask
ed, plaintively.
"Not Junt now," said the young man,
"on account of my partner's fllncss."
"I thought it would be such fun, tak
ing that six days' journey in the cars!"
she sighed.
"Well, now, see here," said the
young man. "If we take the flat I
looked at yesterday, It'll be Just the
same as living In the parlor-car state
room, except that the scenery won't
change."
CHINESE SMUGGLE!
15 VEJY CLEVER
In No Part of the World Art
1 They So Daring a in the
Canton Delta
KITTENS FILLED WITH OPIUM
Many Ways In Which the Seductive
Drug Is Brought In Contraband A
Surprised Night Patrol Even Out
cast Lepers Used.
In nil countries the evnsion of fis
cal obligations Is considered no wrong-,
nnd "passing the customs" is general
ly regarded as a tax upon personal
rights. So much Is this the case that
those who' render unto Caesar that
which is Caesar's generally do so to
escape a worse evil, and seldom fi!)i
any moral conviction as to what l.t
right and what Is wron;;. In this one
respect, at least, K.ist nnd West tuny
be said to have met. for in no country
in the world has the art of smuggling
reached a higher standard than in
China and In no part of China have
smugglers become so daring or 30 in
genious as in the famous Canton delta,
whoso innumerable' and intricate wa
terways spread their welcome arms
to shield wrongdoers nnd embarrass
pursuit.
John Chinaman is a born cambler.
nnd as often as not stakes his acute-
ness against lawful authority merely
for the love of play.
The heavy duty on onium nnd the
comparative ease with which it can
be secreted naturally place it In tho
front rank of desirable contraband.
nnd many a ball of the seductive drug
has found Its way Into Canton from
that acknowledged base and happy
hunting ground of criminals, the Iirit-
Ish free port of Hong Kong, without
his imperial majosty Kuans Hsu beins
a cent the richer.
Many are the methods ndontod and
the precautions taken by those nimble
evaders of the law. Floats nnd Kinks.
the outcome of the most fertile imagi
nation and the most careful study, are
the most frcauent means used and at
a given signal from the shore the
whole consignment is dropped over
board from one of the palatial river
steamers running between Canton and
Hong Kong, to be eventually picked
up at a convenient time by receivers
on land.
On one occasion a handsnmn rut
with kittens, was noticed on board
one of these steamers, and after a
time It was remarked that the kit
tens did not appear to grow any larg
er. An inaulsltive custom house offi
cer In Canton found upon examination
that they were all uummies, filled with
opium, and it was recalled that this
lucrative Imposition had been going
on for weeks.
Again, the Canton customs night pa
trol going the rounds of the crowded
harbor took shelter one night from a
Wolent summer squall under the huge
paddle sponsons of a well known riv
er steamer. "Is that you?" Inquired a
voice from above in Chinese. "Yes,"
replied the customs officer, with quick
perception. "Then catch," answered
tho mysterious interlocutor, passing
down half a dozen balls of opium, the
share of which meant much prize
money for the lucky gig's crew. The
smuggler was, of course, waiting for a
confederate whom the customs ofllcer
unwittingly forestalled.
On another occasion the inspector
general of customs. Sir Robert Hart
himself, was visiting Canton, and in
the evening at dinner was obliged to
apologize to his hostess. "You must
excuse my costume," he said, "for the
customs have seized my boxes." It
was indeed true, as one of his Chinese
servants, never suspecting that the
Inspector general's personal effects
would be disturbed, formed a syndi
cate with some enterprising friends,
and half-filled one of the trunks in
his charge with contraband. ,
Salt, that daily necessity of life, be
ing a government monopoly In China,
is subject to official regulations which
add to its cost and lessen its quality.
Tho duty indirectly paid on this arti
cle may be styled the Income-tax of
China, since all muBt use this every
where indispensable commodity. Salt,
therefore, naturally comes within the
scope of the contrabandist, and smug
gled salt, by reason of Its cheapness,
commands a ready sale. It differs
from opium, however, Inasmuch as Its
bulk renders concealment difficult and
landing it at Its destination risky. The
majority of salt smugglers, are, there
fore, the Chinese crews of the carry
ing vessels, working in conjunction
with accomplices ashore. It Is as often
as not concealed among the bunker
coal, and kept there until a favorable
opportunity for landing presents Itself.
At one of the river ports some years
back the crime of "salt running" as
sumed such startling dlmentions that
extraordinary precautions to put a
stop to it were Introduced, which prov
ed efficacious for a time. Later, how
ever, It was noticed that sampans, or
small boats, manned by those unhappy
outcasts, lepers, were becoming more
numerous, and it was soon discovered
that they were engaged to land the
salt, as it was perhaps not unreason
ably assumed that customs officers,
however zealous, would at least re
spect the inviolability of these fatal
craft, and it was not until the aid of
the local magistrate was Invoked that
these adjunctive smugglers were for
bidden the port.
MISSION WORK IN HAWAII.
Educational System Results of the
Labor of the Missionaries.
Most Americans will admit that It
was fortunate for tho predominance
of American civilization In Hawaii
that the American Missionaries were
the first on the ground and wero
thoroughly established there In ad
vance of any competing religion, say
the Honolulu Adveitlser. They
brought the rugged old tenets of
their Puritan ancestors. They taught
them . with Intense conviction and
flaming zeal. They soon established
complete ascendancy over the ml:id:i
of chiefs and people. In 25 years
their labors had converted the social
system of Hawaii from barbarism to
civilization; Its political, from despot
Ism to constitutional liberty.
Hawaii thus became a welcoming
homo for civilized t:iterprii!o nnd free
American activity In time for tne new
California era in the Pacific. Tim
numerous nilsion families with their
churches and schools formed a fav
oring nucleus for the establishment
of a growing white community :f a
high social order, the parent of the
delightful social status n:w found on
all the islands.
Conspicuous nmong the leading
fruits of missionary labor is our
splendid system of education which
reaches every child of whatever race,
guiding him Into famil arity with Kng
llsh. and upward tiwnrd free educa
tion In the high school. And here It
Is simply due to recognize the efilcl
.n c ooperation of the Rom.in Cath
olic mission. Although of French
race., those good men nnd women
have applied themselves wltii z-al
and ability to the promotion of Ens
li:;h education. To nttest this is the
great St. I.ouls College, In whlc't a
corps of highly trained American
brothers for many years have educat
ed many hundreds of successful pu
pils. Alno the Convent of the Sacred
Heart, where the sisters have given
pure and graceful cuTture to many
hundreds of Hawaiian girls.
The mission also supplies a most
wholesome supervising and parental
Influence in our largo Portuguese com
munity, whose orderly nnd Industri
ous character Indispensably needs
such supervlsino and nurture. In
this and other ways the strong pol'ce
power of the Catholic pastors be
comes of high public value.
Tlw Protestant churches make the
claim of upholding a higher standard
of domestic and social life, after the
New England rather than the French
patterns. As an example it was
claimed during the epidemic of chol
era 10 years ago In Honolulu that
owing to their superior Intelligence
and more sanitary home life no case
of cholera appeared In any household
of the Protestant church members.
But we believe that every Protestant
worker would readily admit that the
competition of the Catholic religion
hr.s been to them a wholesome stimu
lus to pastoral activity and antidote
to sluggish proclivities. The two
types of the Christian religion are
evidently destined to a long continu
ance in Hawaii.
Raising Blue Foxes In Alaska.
But one litter Is born each year,
and that In May, says Forest and
Stream. The number of cubs ranges
from four to as high as eleven. The
average number that reach maturity
Is about two or three to the female.
The fox lives and brings forth Its
young In a burrow or den about like
that of a red fox, except that the blue
fox Is very fond of dlgg'ng under tne
buildings on tho islands. If there is
a floor they are sure to have one or
two dens under It if permitted to do
so. They will nlso den tinder suitable
piles of old lumber, logs or trash of
any kind that will keep the water
off.
They are very suspicious of any
person or thing com'ng near then
burrows. If they are at all disturbed
while their pups ere young, they are
said to move their young to another
burrow. This Aa one reason why It
Is a bad plan to keep cattle on the
same island with or on that part of
the island frequented by the fo.wi
and used for burrows. They are not
quarrelsome or vicious like other
foxes. In close confinement they will
kill and eat one of their own kind
that is injured or weak nnd I sup
pose if starved to it would eat each
other.
It Is difficult to learn very much
about their habits where they are
running loose on an Island. They now
and then have "Bcraps." Let a fox
go where he does not belong and you
wil soon hear a great racket. You
will think a fox was being killed and
If In s'ght will soon see one getting
away as fast as possible, yelping
like a whipped dog.
Colors That Cure Consumption.
The value of light as an agent in
curing dl3eases Is becoming Increas
ingly recognized. The latest develop
ment of the Idea is the assertion of
a medical man that the clothes worn
by consumptives should be of a color
which will allow the light to pene
trate the body. White materials, It
is found, are best for this purpose,
and consumptives are consequently
advised to clothe themselves in
snowy raiment, either of linen, velvet,
cotton, or cloth. Silk, however, is
barred. Next in curative value comes
blue, hut It is far inferior to white.
Materluls of black, red, yellow, or
green are Bald to be useless, as they
prevent tho passage of the germicidal
rays. London Exchange.
Times are dull for the reformers
when they are good for eveiy one else,
the wonderful career of Napoleon.
The Kind Ton Ilavo Always
in use for over 30 yean,
- and has been made under his per
fvfZf. Bonal supervision since Its infancy.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and Just-as-good ' aro but
Experiments that trlflo with and endanger tho health of
Infants nnd Children Experience against Experiment
What is CASTORIA
Cnstorla is n harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Pare
gorlc, Drops and Soothing Syrups. ' It is Pleasant. It
contains neither Opium, Morphine- nor other Narcotlb
oiibstancc. Its ago Is its guarantee. It destroys Worms
nnd nllnys Fcrerlshncss. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind
Colic. It relieves Teething Troubles, cures Constipation
nnd Flatulency. It assimilates the Food, regulates tho
Stomach nnd Dowels, giving healthy and natural sleep,
Tho Children's Panacea Tho Mother's Friend.
GENUINE CASTORIA ALWAYS
7
Bears the
The Kind You Have Always Bought
In Use For Over 30 Years.
' TMt etNMUR COMMNV, T MUMMY T TT, NtW OH OfTV.
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Every Issue Contains an Original Poem by SOLON G000E
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