Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-11-24
The Man With Thumb.
BY W. c. HUDSON.
Barclay North.)

tor was helpless. To make his hold
more secure, the officer placed his knee
against the doctors back and bent him
over backward.
In ilnpotent rage the doctor CRASHED
his teeth.
How do you know this? 1t is lie!
1t is lie. You couldn't have known it!'
he cried huskily.
He made mighty struggle to free
himself, and Cathcart went to the as
sistance Of the officer.
Take the handouts from my inside
pocket" said the officer to Dorison, who
did as he was requested
In n moment more they were snapped
upon the struggling mans wrists. Even
then he fought and wrestled until he
was thrown down and his ankles tied
with n stout Irvine.
II did not come prepared for this sort
of business" said the painting officer.
None of us did," replied Cathcart.
| Then to the doctor he said:
"You do not help yourself by such
struggles. I've had many man in your
| fix before"
"What imp of hell are your Missed the
physician from between his teeth.
"My name is Simon Cathcart," replied
the old man quietly.
The name appeared to calm the doc
| tor, and he muttered:
"'The Devil of the West! Harry said
he was in the city. Well" he cried
aloud, its n lie. Why do you charge
me, one of New York's foremost physi-
clans and surgeons, with such a thing|
Because you killed those two help
less and inoffensive women, that's why"
The cold, positive tone of the old de-
tective enraged him again.
"It's Il lie. You couldn't have known
it. Nobody could"
"Bah!' replied Cathcart, you're a
baby. You don't even know enough to
cover your tracks. When l first saw the
bodies 1 knew physician-a surgeon
had done the job. You couldn't keep
the shop out of it. You cut the carotid
artery in each case, not as Il bungler, but
as surgeon performs an operation"
| The idea that the crime might be
traced to II surgeon in this way had not
occurred to the doctor, and he seemed
frightened at the sagacious penetration
displayed by the detective.
You did it with lancet" continued
Cathcart. And taking the one the serv-
|
pocket, he added: "And with this lancet,
which you foolishly left behind you
after the second murder. And this
lancet came from this case"
The old man crossed to the mantel-
piece, and taking up the case continued,
as he opened it:
1T belongs to this set. 1t is precisely
the same make-same tortoise shell han
| i. III: -
came-a vacant place waiting for it
since the fifth day of October. Bah!
You haven't even attempted to cover
your tracks. You, a smart man"
The physician apparently crushed and
Inundated, turned IL look of horror upon
the merciless old man.
Dorison. filled with pity for the poor
wretch, failing to realize that the muir
derer of his half sister lay bound before
him, thought Cathcart brutal in his tri
umph over the prisoner, but the old man
had a purpose in the course he was pur
suing.
Bah! If you were as skillful a muir
derer as you are surgeon you would
not have made tracking so easy. You
very skill as "A surgeon undid you, and i
: was only a question as to when WE
would get around you. Murder is flint
art man said yesterday, When a mar
undertakes to do two in one night hi
wants to be master of the art"
The man on the floor made a gallan
effort to retrieve himself. He was not ;
coward. He had been overwhelmed b,
the unexpected blow. But now tina
| vigorous brain came into action, he re
covered self possession and was cool ant
II master of himself.
e You are very KEEN" he said with
II sheer do you know that u thousan,
Is such cases of instruments can be fount
If in the city, and that surgeons usuall
~ carry their iancets in their pockets.
you will permit one of these gentleme1
to feel in my right hand vest pocket yo7
will find another lancet exactly simila
to the one you have in your hand"
The total change in the manner of tn
= physician startled Dorison, and hi
III words made him believe Cathcart ha
made blunder in arresting the docto
on so slight ground.
"Tll take your word for it," said Catl
cart calmly. "And you take my wor
that I'll find the case to which it belong
in your consulting ROOM"
Inc expression passing over Ine uO
tors face assured Cathcart that his ha
ard had been winning one.
Dorison experienced a revulsion, al
was deceived, supposing that, uno1
served by him, the old man had mao
the discovery the previous evening whe
or the doctor was examining his arm.
to Eyes, you carried the lancet in yo1
vest pocket the night you went
Blocker street to kill that poor girl
y continued Cathcart, land you put
back in your vest pocket when you hu
ried to East Sixteenth street to kill t
poor mother in the same manner. The1
q. however, you left it on the floor behil
W you"
There was rap at the door. Cathca
- sprang to it hastily. 1t was the atten
n ant desiring to tell the doctor that tho
" in waiting were becoming impatient.
Dismiss them all, and say that
doctor will be unable to see any me
today" and he closed the door.
"There is no escape for you, DR.. F;