Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16


toll, was considering if it would not be
as we'll to call in professional assistance,
when the advertisement in the Herald
at the head of this story attracted my
attention, Instinctively OWNED some
connection with the 6 crooked" bust
ness, and whether it referred to my
case or not, | resolved to ascertain its
meaning.
[ went down to the Herald office that
morning, and, introducing myself, at
tempted to obtain some description of
the person who had handed in the adj
vertisement. The clerk stated that it
had been received by mail, in a letter
inclosing the amount requisite for its
insertion in the paper. Gould | see
the original copy?" He would see,
and message was sent to the COM
posing-room. Luckily, the copy had
been preserved. 1t was written in q
disguised hand on a little scrap of
paper. | asked leave to retain it, and,
permission being granted to me, re-
turned to my room at once.
Ipored over the cipher for a long
long time, and, discouraged at my
inability to make out one word of it,
was finally about to abandon it,
when | CHANGED to look at the reverse
side of the paper. There were figure
and words on it, and l read, "United
States bonds, $4,000" and other
memoranda, indicating that it had
been a loose wrapper Tor valuable
papers.
Then l knew that the advertisement
bore an important relation to the rob-
berry.
And so until the day upon which the
story opens [ was unable to make head
or tail Of the secret enigma.
So wearied was I that [ fell asleep
with my head upon my desk, and [ did
not awaken until noontime. 1t is Won
defful how brief repose will clear the
mind. | took up the paper with re-
newed energy, and bright idea flashed
over me.
Simple as it was, | had not thought
of it before. The entire message was
written on the substitution of letters,
based on the reversal of the alphabet.
Instead of a, 2, the last one was substi-
tuted; instead of b, Y was used: the
alphabet reversed was the key to the
solution of the puzzle. ... .....-.
l gave utterance to q shout of Joy,
for, following out the theory, it read:
Larry, meet me Saturday night at
127 Fire street" ---'.-.
And med or Edward was the name
of Dayton's footman. | began to see a
very large mice. But Fire street
there was no such thoroughfare in the
oitIr a,c6 I Wac flooded - aCa1n
Gradually however, the thought oc-
CURED to me On the basis of reversal
and opposites adopted by the sender Of
the message, why should not "tire !"
mean "water," its direct REVERSED lr.ae ,
[ dashed down the stairs, and, hailing
a cab flor [ did not forget it was Sat
urday, and that evening was the APP
pointed time for the meeting of the
two burglars, if such they were,l | soon
had reached Water street. .i..
= Vacant Number 127 was an empty
lot = 5#'"
3, paused. disappointed, and dismissed
the vehicle, again having recourse to
the pulling enigma. So near the So
luton, and yet doomed to be baked at
the last, and.
A sudden inspiration of renewed en-
ergy, and [ had forged the last link in
the chain of evidence! There had
been reversal 10 the letters of the order
of numbers from one to ten, as in the
letters of the alphabet, and 127 meant
1854. ..,. .5r 49,. .s- ....a ~.
1 looked at my watch; three o'clock.
I went to the nearest local telegraph
Office, and semitic following dispatch to
Chief Of Police:
"Send to this i office three efficient
men in citizens clothes" r.. ....-.....
I signed my name,e lit q cigar, and
awaited the arrival Of evening and my
companion officers. ....- -ra ).
It was dark when we reached the
place for the meeting appointed by the
two men,. 1t was a vile GROCERY, kept
by q sWoman, and resort for the very
lowest class of ruffians. [ had put on
a felt hat and a pair of false fwhiskers,
and [ entered the bar-room, having first
placed my men in advantageous posi-
tions on the outside. .'' ....
Within half an hour there entered
an old woman, yelled, bearing some
bulky object under her cloak She
made sign to the woman behind the
bar, and went into the next room. I
caught sight Of her feet as. she passed
through the door; they were incased,
not in shoes, but in mems boots. I
went quickly to the bar and made a
sign to the woman.
SIS Larry in there ~ I inquired in
loud voice, pointing to the other apart
ment. s aekze. 4 b ID
She looked at me sharply, and then
replied in the affirmative
r. Keep any body that comes out"
said, significantly. " We are going to
divide the swag." rs 50
And [ opened the door.
There was no one in the first room,
but in the second, by table, on which
lay a large tin box: was my game Larry,
the burglar, and a tall, spare form in
female attire, with veil thrown back,
and terrified face, and the footman, Ed
ward. -eess. seas Esrs p r. =
"You can drop on that little dodge,