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DETECTIVE STORIES.
From the Diary of a New York Detective.
EDITED BY FRANK PEMMON.
Betrayed by a Dog.
Animals, especially dogs, have played animportant part in the affairs of men. Thereis now in Chicago a dog that has become thecompanion and assistant of a policeman, andreally does help his friend to detect and ferretout thieves and other evil doers. I was onceconcerned in a case in which a dog played amost important part, and led finally, throughno fault of his own, however, to the detectionof his master.
The store of John Camden had been brokeninto and the safe blown open and robbed ofa large sum of money. The cash had beenreceived that day too late to be deposited inthe bank. Next morning it was gone, and notrace of the thief was to be found. At least,Mr. Camden and his clerks and the policeofficials found no trace of him. Not so withme. I was sent to look up the affair. I foundthe office in a state of confusion. The door ofthe safe had been blown off and the contentslay scattered over the floor. I asked Mr.Camden if he had disturbed anything. Hesaid he had not, except to satisfy himself thatthe money was gone.
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Near by was a cat, dead, her throat cutevidently by a hatchet that lay close at hand.This seemed to me to be the basis of a clue.Why had the cat been killed? It is not necessaryto kill cats in order to prevent themfrom telling tales. I examined the unfortunatefeline more carefully. In addition to the uglycut on the throat there were other and moresignificant marks upon the back. A saucer,evidently having recently contained milk,stood near by. Also an overturned can fromwhich pussy’s supply of milk had evidentlybeen obtained. The contents of this had beenconsumed. Mr. Camden informed me thatthis can had been filled with milk only theprevious evening. Among the papers scatteredupon the floor was one that attracted myattention. It was a portion of a note writtenin French. I was aware that Mr. Camden didnot write or speak French. I questioned himabout it. He could give me no information.He had never seen it before.
“Did any one know you had a large sum ofmoney in the safe?” I asked.
“Yes, a number of people knew of the fact.I had been expecting to receive the money forthe past two weeks.”
“Who are those who know you had it?”
“My wife, brother, the man I sold theproperty to (that is how I came to have sucha large sum at one time) and