"I don't understand this proceeding at all," he said, "and I claim my liberty. What authority have you for arresting me in my own house?"
"I have the authority, and that is sufficient," I replied, coolly. "If you desire to be taken at once to jail, I have no objection to granting your request; but I thought, perhaps, you might first prefer to hear what these gentlemen have to say."
I have arrested and have watched a great many criminals, but I have never seen one who, having carried out such an extensive scheme of villainy, was so utterly broken down as this man was. I had feared that his nerve might be firm enough to answer my threats with defiance, and force me to bring him to trial in Gloster; but I saw that there was no danger of such a misfortune, and so I stood aside while the Peruvian Minister addressed him.
"Juan Sanchez," said the Minister, "I have come here to obtain your removal to Peru, that you may be tried there for your numberless forgeries in that country. A Peruvian war-ship is now in New York harbor, and you will be placed on board of her for transportation to Peru. Mr. Pinkerton's superintendent will proceed with you to-night."
The Don was speechless for a moment, and then, glancing up, he said, in a sullen voice:
"I want to know what I am charged with, and by what right you send me to Peru. I am entitled to a hearing, and a lawyer to defend me."
"My friend, Judge Key, who is present, is a most able lawyer," I replied, "and you can consult with him if you wish advice; but first let me show you your true position. Your real name, Don José Gomez, was given you in Brazil, where it is remembered only to be cursed; Don Juan Sanchez was your name in Peru, and your crimes there are also well known; as Don José Michel, there are serious charges against you in San Francisco; Don Pedro Michel is badly wanted in Quito, where he would probably be shot, as they treat criminals there rather unceremoniously; and Don José Arias would undoubtedly be transported for life if the London detectives should discover his present hiding place, to say nothing of a lively interest which the French gens d'armes take in the same person. All of these people are now informed that the person whom they wish to find is living in Gloster as Don Pedro P. L. de Morito, and they are at this moment hastening agents here to arrest him. By chance, the Peruvian authorities are the first to arrive, and they have, therefore, the happy privilege of making the arrest. Now, as you are probably aware, the Minister will have some difficulty in obtaining an order from Washington authorizing me to send you to Peru, for want of an extradition treaty; but while you are under arrest here, we can easily get warrants from either California, England, or France, and then you can take your choice between being shot by vigilantes in California, transported to Van Dieman's Land by England, or sent to work in the galleys by France. This is your present situation, and I am perfectly indifferent which course you prefer. If you decide to go with the Peruvian Minister, you must agree to do so voluntarily, until you are placed on board the Peruvian vessel, and you must make an assignment of all your money and property here to reimburse the people whom you have swindled by the sale of fictitious diamond-fields. If you are willing to comply with these conditions, you will sign all the necessary papers at once, and you will leave for New York to-night, before the English extradition writ arrives; if you refuse these conditions, I shall hold you until that writ, or one from California, arrives."
The Don was evidently in no mood for defiance: the knowledge of his past history which I displayed had wholly cowed him, and my allusions to the vigilantes of California, and the galleys of France, made him tremble like a leaf. He knew perfectly well the extent of his crimes in those places, and, also, that my hints of his probable punishment were not fancy sketches. Finally, he asked to see me alone, but I refused to grant his request, knowing his object. Then he wished to see the Minister alone, and I again objected, but I accompanied the two to another room, where they conversed in Spanish for some time. The Minister told me that the Don offered the whole of his money and property to allow him to escape; but, finding his offers useless, he agreed to go to Peru for trial. No pledges were made to him to influence his decision, though he begged so hard that the Minister would intercede for him with the authorities in Peru, that his Excellency finally promised, in view of the Don's consent to go willingly, to recommend that his punishment be the lightest that the law could allow. The Don having fully yielded to the arguments of the Minister and myself, nothing remained to be done except to obtain his signature to the papers which had been already prepared, and to pack his trunk for his journey. Lesparre and Salter performed the latter task while the Don was signing the papers, and writing out his voluntary agreement to deliver himself up to the Peruvian authorities. The most important document was a deed assigning his furniture, horses, carriages, paintings, statuary, books, and, in short, all his personal property, to Judge Key, to be disposed of at the latter's discretion, and the proceeds, with the large amount of cash on hand, to be applied to repay the subscribers to the Diamond Company stock. In case there should not be sufficient to pay them in full, the payments should be made pro rata; but should there be an excess, such excess should be applied to the payment of the Don's private debts, contracted prior to that date. This provision was, of course, necessary to shut out the bills for supplies and services at the fête on the following day. Evidently it was too late to interfere with that interesting entertainment without throwing a heavy loss on many persons who could not afford to be the sufferers, and I saw only one way to prevent this, namely; to let the fête go on, and make those who danced pay the piper.
When the documents had all been signed, I said:
"José Gomez, you fully understand the meaning of this paper?" holding up his surrender to the Peruvian authorities; "it gives me power to convey you to New York and place you on board of a Peruvian vessel, using force, if necessary."