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whatever to the robbers could be obtained. Several parties were arrested

on suspicion, but nothing could be proved, and the mystery remained

unsolved.



"Mr. Richards, being a member of one of our most prominent churches,

made it a subject of constant prayer, that the Lord would wholly prevent

the thieves from any use of the property and cause it to be returned to

him. When asked if he was ever incredulous, he said, 'No, I have never

lost my faith in recovering this property. I believe in prayer, and I

have made it from the first a subject of prayer, and it will be

answered.'



"Meanwhile some curious influences must have been at work among the

thieves, for they acted in an extraordinary manner as follows:



"One day last week a stranger, well dressed, modest looking,

gentlemanly, walked into the office of Elliott F. Shepard, Esq., one of

Messrs. King's counsel, and tendered his services for the recovery of

the property, asserting he knew nothing about the robbery, nor the

thieves, but that he could get the treasure. He was told that a reward

would be paid for the capture of the thieves, but he earnestly protested

that it was entirely out of his power to obtain any clue to the person

or whereabouts of the thief; and no inquiries ever disclosed that this

was not a perfectly true statement. Indeed, it proved that he had been

selected as an agent to do this work, and that there were at least five

or six connecting intermediaries between him and the robbers, each

exercising that virtue which is called honor among thieves, and which on

this occasion proved a wall of adamant to every attempt to pierce it or

break it down.



"True to his word the stranger caused the delivery at Mr. Shepard's

office, at the appointed hour to a second, of an ordinary pasteboard

bandbox, wrapped in newspaper, by the hands of a little boy. He had come

in a pelting rain-storm, and part of the newspaper had become torn, and

disclosed the blue, unsuspected hat box. The boy knew nothing about it,

except that a gentleman had given him a dime in the street to bring the

box.



"Mr. Richards being present, opened the bandbox, examined and checked

off the contents with one of Messrs. King's head clerks, and found every

single item of his missing securities, stocks, bonds, mortgages,

accounts, bank books, wills, everything. A most remarkable thing! The

parties could hardly believe their eyes."