The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-18

firm the suspicion, and if he was guilty, but
dd not know he was suspected, there
would be nothing to induce him to leave"
"A scared man does not always stop to
reason" Hamilton said; land if he does
get away to Canada or to Europe we
couldn't get him back"
Scouts were sent to the various railway
stations and steamboat wharves, with the
result that man resembling Cuniffe was
reported to have taken ticket to Boston
via the Shore Line railway that morning.
The description of the traveller was neither
complete nor satisfactory but assuming the
Identification to be correct, it indicated that
he had probably gone to Canada. Mean
while an advertisement was cut in the pa
per, and appeared the next morning
That evening a telegram was received
from Mr.. Overs, announc ng news. The
Inspector and Hamilton, on arriving at his
house, where shown a letter from the nys-
FERROUS blackmailer that had just been re-
ceived 1t was an answer TO the advertise
ment, and proved conclusively that if Gun
life were the writer he must still be in
New York.
After replying to the points presented in
the advertisement, the letter had these
words:
1T will be useless for you to attempt to
discover who am NV secret can never
be revealed except by myself. l have
means of knowing all that is being done to
penetrate my concealment, and ad1pt my
measures accordingly. But unless you
cease YOUR efforts, I shall consider it an in
dicat on that the Lord has resolved to de-
lay your punishment no longer. Be warned,
and forbear!"
When Hamilton was thus confronted by
this reversal of his confident predictions, he
was much crestfallen. But presently his
demeanor changed, and he became very
preoccupied and silent. He took no part in
the discussion that ensued between MIR.
Owens and Inspector Byrnes, and when re-
ferred to for his opinion he co tented him
self with acceding to the suggestions which
they had made. These suggestions did not
embody anything essentially novel in the
move Of conduct & the campaign, and
there was tacit fe ling that the advan
tage so far renamed with the unknown.
But before the three separated Mr.. Owens
gave ut erance to an idea that had not
hitherto been preached.
81 am beginning to think" he said,
that this affair is not the work of a sin
gle man, but is a conspiracy concocted by a
syndicate of men whose object is nothing
less than Golding's ruin. Some of these
men probably hold influential positions in
the city, and, between them, are able to
obtain information, more or less direct, of
our every movement. If | am right,
we have probably seen only the beginning
of the difficulty. They are feeling this way,
but when they have become moro familiar
with the ground we may expect some gil
gautic operation, which will result If.
wide pread ruin and panic. Golding is a
powerful man, and in his downfall, if he
fell, would be involved incalculable loss to
public and private interests; but a secret
comb nation, defiant of moral principle,
and willing to shlrk at nothing, possesses
boundles ca acities for evil, and is much
better able than any single r que would be
to defend itself against attack"
Il don't believe such a conspiracy could
exist" returned the Inspector, promptly
"a association of men absol tely devoid
of pri ciple, and acting in direct defiance
of the laws of the State, could not hold it
self together. There could be no effective
security against one or the other of them
bett aging the rest. The risks would be too
great and the p nalties would be too Sc
vere." Owens shook mis- head doubtfully.
THE temptations are also very strong" he
observed. ''As for the association together
of unprincipled men, that has occurred be-
fore, and will a Jain. ID the secret has
been kept, too-long en- Iugn, at least, to
allow OF a great deal of mi chief being
done. 1t is when the conspirators begin to
quarrel over the plumber that the risk of
detection becomes immihe It; but by that
time the harm would be done, 50 far as we
are concerned. Then you must CO slider
how large the plumber this case mig 1t b a.
"Golding's actual property, vast as it is,
is as nothing C impaired with the gre in
terests and industries which lie controls or
manages. A band of aUle and well-in-
formed men, knowing the ropes and having
an inside track in affairs, could So lnaaipu-
ate THAI as to cause the profits of these
lndustrseS to fall into their hands, and vet
render it practically impossible to convict
mem of fraud. Be ides, there undoubted-
ly exists widespread business jealousy Of
Golding and animosi y against him, and
thousands of persons who had no knowl.
edge or part III the conspiracy would not
be sorry to be0old his downfall. Yes, In
spector, such a thing is possible and, as
sunng 1t to be fac5, we need not wo Ter
that our eff rts to de ltfy the secretary Of
the association have been unsuccessful"
"How much has b-en netCed so far by
this blackmailer or syndicate of black
mailerss' inquired Capt. Hamilton.
1T is impossible 20 say at present They
may have been large or small, but more
| likely the latter than the former. AS |
sad, tuey woulI olly feel their way at
first. Meanwhile they could not disguise
| their Tie purposes better than by this pre-
tence of ordinary ack nail"
Mr. Oweus," SAID tue Inspector, after a
pau o, "you accused me tine other LAY of
Doing cyDlCdl. L DuJ L uOu
| think | was ever cynical on so large a
sca.e as this. And yet yon don't like to
| think Ill of any one"
Not of any one | know personally" re-
piled Owens, with u smile. What have
Just suggested is the result Of my abstract
IN, ditaLons. can cipher on a problem
without retere ce TO my private benevo-
lence of character"
at is a digestion, sure enough" the In
spector leturned, stroking his cnin; but ]
must say you haven't convinced me. l
stl believe that if we can get our hands on
the man who wrote those letters the whole
| business will come TO a stop. And, even il
YOU are right tat would still be the first
step toward capturing the gang. If one OF
tnem is caught tripDl &, it will be my fault
if we don't SION learn who the others are"
Glow does my suggestion strike you,
Mr. HamitoIP' Owens asked.
II wouldn't like 10 form a conclusion
upon it at odcS," mat ge .tleman replied,
| '1ut, speaking off-hand, II doesn't seem 20
me improbable. A couple OF broker, two
or three capitalists, ami an outside. or two,
might make a very foruid bic combina-
tioI. and very difticu one to tackle
T,ev cou throw cue many false scents,
and comphcate the matters III such "A way
as to benllder anybody. Tney might eveL
get the actual criminal work Goue--the
letters writteI--oy sOmg one WAC was ig-
norant of their identity, aid comprehend
1. f. II