Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling But True - free ebook by James Anderson Peddie

DANGEROUS DILEMMAS:

STARTLING BUT TRUE. BY JAMES PEDDIE, AUTHOR OF "SECRETS OF A PRIVATE ENQUIRY OFFICE," ETC., ETC., ETC. LONDON: CHARLES H. CLARKE, 11 RED LION COURT, FLEET-STREET. Perth: S. COWAN AND CO., STRATHMORE PRINTING WORKS....

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CHAPTER I. THE ORIGIN OF "DANGEROUS DILEMMAS."

The gambling tables at Spa— Compulsory mud bath—Saving one's life by exchanging an overcoat—A fortunate shipwreck. "You are in a vein of luck and yet cease to play," said the Dutch banker Oppenheim to me over my shoulder at the roulette table at Spa. Since that bright autumn day both Germany and Belgium have seen the evil results attending public gambling when practised by weak-minded individuals, and have banished the too fascinating game to Monaco, to the great delight of the prince of the sma

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CHAPTER II. THE CHRISTMAS WINE-HAMPER FRAUD.

Advertising pays— giving a Dinner with an object—obtaining the confidence of the public—an extraordinary bargain—a great swindle. The tricks of "the trade" in London never fail to amuse me. When a fraud is thoroughly exploded and no longer pays, it is dropped until it is forgotten, and then revived. Solomon was quite right in saying there was nothing new. Akin to the fashions, these combinations to deceive the ever-confiding public have their apogee, their decline and fall. Like the gourd, they

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CHAPTER III. MT FIRST AND ONLY APPEARANCE AS AN AUCTIONEER.

The force of Circumstances— An infallible System—Led to Ruin—Getting Out of One Scrape into Another—A Lucky Escape. In my lifetime I have played many parts, successfully and otherwise, but it was only on one occasion I officiated as an auctioneer. The circumstances connected with this position were too many for me, and I ascended the rostrum much against my inclination. The rostrum consisted of a small table, uncertain about the legs, with a worm-eaten desk upon it. It would have been a piece of

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CHAPTER IV. THE TWO MYSTERIOUS DOMINOS.

Peter Dodd makes another proposal— Carnival time at Boulogne— The scene in the supper-room—"All's well that ends well." While I am about it I may as well relate to you another of the scrapes into which I was led by the volatile but good-natured Peter Dodd. It was not a question of making or losing money this journey, but the peace of two families which was threatened. When you learn the surprise that was so carefully planned for us, you will admit that most people similarly situated would have l

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CHAPTER V. THE FIFTEEN POSTAGE-STAMP PUZZLE.

The two Conspirators— The Destitute state of the Finances—Swindle concocted—A polite Speech—The golden Harvest. It is a threadbare saying, but a very true one, that nothing succeeds like success. Be the money made in questionable ways, such as by a little piracy in Chinese waters, selling guns never intended to shoot to North American Indians, or by a quack medicine, which professes to cure all diseases humanity is heir to, the man himself, the millionaire, will be glorified. As in America, so i

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CHAPTER VI. A HEAD DEFEAT; AN ATTEMPT TO WIN THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE.

The great trial— the lightweight apportioned by the Admiral—the heavy commission successfully worked—newspaper reports about the horse—his short price in the betting—the sudden unaccountable opposition to him—a young lady discloses the plot—the Jew outwitted, and obliged to give up the scratching order—standing to win a fortune to nothing—a very reliable partner. No, my inquisitive friend, a pair of blue eyes did not occasion the difficulty; on the contrary, my partner and myself would have been

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CHAPTER VII. THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE AND STRANGER RECOVERY OF THE COUNTESS'S DIAMONDS.

A barefaced robbery— The police at fault—I form a theory—success crowns my efforts—the restoration of the valuable dressing-case. All London was talking about the robbery. It was the most barefaced theft attempted for many years. In broad daylight at a busy London station a dressing-case containing jewels of the value of £50,000, some of them impossible to replace, vanishes as if by magic, and notwithstanding the extraordinary exertions of detectives both public and private, not a trace of it ca

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CHAPTER VIII. CREMORNE: A ROMANCE OF THE DERBY.

My Bad Derby Book— Backing Cremorne at Ruinous Prices—Death of Agent in Derby Week—Loss of £10,000—Agent comes to Life—Detection of the Gross Fraud. The extraordinary circumstances about to be related for the first time in print occurred in my green and salad days, and had a lasting influence on my life. Some of the particulars are known to a few men in London, and they own, as will the public when they learn the facts, that a more carefully concocted fraud has seldom been heard of. The man at t

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CHAPTER IX. HOW TO SATISFY ONE'S CREDITORS WITH WASTE PAPER.

Payment suspended— Sympathy for the ruined man—An important letter—How worthless shares enabled a man to deceive his creditors and make a fortune. The following unpleasant circular was placed in my hands one morning some ten years ago:— "Dowgate Hill, E.C., "February, 7th, 1870. "Sir,—It is my painful duty to inform you of the suspension of my business. The liabilities are more than covered by securities, but which, unfortunately, cannot be realized at present. I have placed my books in the hand

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CHAPTER X. LORD SEAMORD'S FALSE FUNERAL.

The stealing of the body— The large reward—The tragical and mysterious disappearance—Death of Mdlle. Rousell—The dead lord comes to life in New York—The extraordinary disclosures. "I never was so astonished in all my life!" said D——, the well known detective, whom I met accidentally in the Strand. "I thought men of your experience were never surprised at anything," was my answer. "But this is such a peculiar, out of the way case." "It is not the loss of a dressing-case, then, nor a mysterious mu

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CHAPTER XI. TAKING A MEAN ADVANTAGE OF A FIRE.

Important disclosures— The fire at the theatre—The evidence of the opera glasses—The startling meeting at the Inns of Court Hotel. The dreadful disaster at Vienna brings back vividly to my mind strange incidents connected with the burning down of the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, sixteen years ago. "I am in a terrible mess, old fellow!" exclaimed Augustus Graham, as he hurriedly entered my office in Edinburgh one morning in the year 1865. "Sit down," I said, "and let us put our heads together. Perha

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CHAPTER XII. THE ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE AIR.

The proposal to go up in a balloon accepted— Green's young and pretty wife— A very strange conversation—An unpleasant looking knife— Jealously—Madness and attempted murder. People may have thought differently, but there was really no occasion for his jealousy; the man was mad. Knowing his eccentric habits, you ask me how I could have been so foolish as to accompany him alone in that terrible balloon ascent, and I reply that it never occurred to me that he believed that I was in love with his wif

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CHAPTER XIII. MY TWO MATCHES, OR WATERLOO AVENGED.

A man with a history—Was it murder?— Clotilde avenges Waterloo— The winner of the Two Thousand makes a good hack. It was difficult to say to what nationality Monsieur H—— belonged, as he spoke as many different languages as a Pole or a Russian, but probably Switzerland had the honour of producing the keen-eyed, wiry little man. He was not, even in his most friendly moments, very communicative about his antecedents, and, if that jade rumour did not belie him, he had good reasons for his reticence

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CHAPTER XIV. UNFORTUNATE POSTAGE-STAMP.

A street acquaintance— The fascinating widow—Fatal marriage—Marrying another man's wife—A question of damages—Lucky hit at Ascot. "Do you know that you have married my wife?" This somewhat extraordinary piece of intelligence was communicated to my friend Alfred Drummond in his own home about three months after he was married. The person who claimed a prior right to the lady had scamp plainly written on his bloated features, and he looked all over a man who lived by his wits. I thought it an ill-

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CHAPTER I.

An Introduction to Billy Platt. It was the eve of the Wincastle races which were first started in that period so fruitful of duchesses—the reign of old Rowley. Historians differ as to whether the Merry Monarch did or did not, on a certain occasion, actually patronise this meeting in person, accompanied by a notorious play actress; but that does not matter. Historians, as well as doctors, agree to differ. The quaint country town of Wincastle was full to the over-flowing, and the oldest inhabitant

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CHAPTER II.

Billy Platt shows his hand, and receives an unexpected but well-deserved blow. "Have you any idea how much you owe me?" asked Platt, as soon as the sitting-room door was shut. "I have not my book with me—it has become rather a large sum, as I have not had a single winning week since Goodwood," replied Mr. Moordown. "Some people would think it a large amount, but it is a mere flea-bite to you rich landowners." "What is the total?" "£1725, and I want the money." "It is more than I thought, but nev

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CHAPTER III.

A Woman comes to the Rescue. While Sir Hew Mainfly and Billy Platt were plotting the ruin of Ivan Moordown, the fair Duchess of Wincastle was busy arranging her house for a grand ball to be given that evening. All the county magnates had accepted, and amongst the "contents" were her Grace's two reputed suitors, Sir Hew Mainfly and Mr. Moordown, so it will be perceived that there were other interests linked with the winning of the new prize instituted by the duchess, which did not at first meet t

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CHAPTER IV.

Broken bones and successful love. They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke. Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth. "Where on earth did he get the money?" "Who could have found such a large amount in a night? It must have been the duchess. They do say she is sweet on him," muttered Platt. "Nonsense! I don't believe a word of it; but where the cash came from is a mystery," said Sir Hew. "Will this talk help me to get back

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CHAPTER XV. MY REVENGE AT BILLIARDS.

Enticed to Liverpool with a Burlesque Troupe— The comic Murderers—a nice Amateur—the unknown Friend— the Champion of England. "Look here, Jack, you know Pattie Hastings?" said Horace Brown, as he entered my apartments hurriedly one morning. "I have certainly set eyes on that young lady," I replied. "She is not here?" "Who said she was? Why, you old hypocrite, you were mad about her last winter, and even now the recollection of these beautiful sonnets you used to send her, to say nothing of the b

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SECRETS OF A MATRIMONIAL AGENCY.

"You have saved my life." "Nonsense," I answered; "the scoundrels were cowards and bolted the moment I came in sight." "I tell you, sir, they would have murdered me, and flung my body into the river, where I should have become another 'Thames Mystery,' There were three of them—the wretches!" "Valuables safe?" I asked. The man felt his pockets. "Lost my watch and chain," he said. "Easily replaced; but, if they had taken my life, who would have carried out my mission?" "Your mission? May I inquire

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CRUEL WORK OF AN INTIMATE FRIEND.

Public sympathy was entirely with the accused, yet the verdict pronounced—that of Guilty—was generally expected. The evidence put forward by the prosecutor was so conclusive. There was not much chance for the prisoner when two witnesses swore that he (Edward Fraser) had said in their hearing that he would do the deceased (Sydney Marshall) some deadly harm, and when three more individuals were placed in the box to prove that they beheld the struggle between the two men, and saw the person in cust

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THE MISSING "RAJAH" DIAMOND.

About ten days or a fortnight after Fraser met his sad fate, I was summoned to the private room of the chief. "Have you anything particular in hand?" he asked. "Nothing, chief," I replied. "Then you are really disengaged? The matter I am going to entrust you with must be inquired into with the utmost circumspection." "I will be extra careful." "Lady B—— has been here this morning in a great state of agitation. A diamond, known as the 'Rajah,' and worth something like twenty-five thousand pounds,

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