The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-22


We'll, AT once dropped from his lips
IN an inquiring tone
Il found your evil-loolSing suspect
and in him a detective. who, 50 made
up that his parents would not recog-
nize him, is working on the mysterious
disappearance Of a young man from a
ncighboring town, some four or five
days ago" said.
The disappearance Of Charles
Walker
Yes, that is the name Of the missing
man"
1T is a sad affair and wonderfully
strange, TOO, rs he was person Of spot
less character and highly esteemed by
all who knew him.
Il did not recognize my brother de-
tective. but when he had made himself
known TO me acquainted him with my
case and your description of him. The
latter caused him 10 laugh and say that
he looked into your store 10y the merest
accident.
AT tie hotel where / took my sup
per ] asked the clerk if the establish
meat was pro ,ided with a burglar
proof safe. lie gave me negative re-
ply and then, in the presence of the
crowd that was in the office, informed
him that l had large sum Of money
with me, and inquired who had such "A
safe in which ] would be permitted 10
place the money over night. He men
toned several persons who had combi-
nation safes, adding:
Mr.. William Hardy has one and his
place of business is nearer than that Of
any other person whom ! have named
Il learned, rather was informed.
where you lived and then came here.
\.
you on said that you were TO be alone
for a few days, or, more exactly. that
your wife was passing d few days out
Of town with her invalid mother. /
have a proposition 10 make 10 you
that you allow me TO pass the night
with you as your bed-companion. If
the one who burglarized your safe last
night was among those in the hoJel
who heard me speak OF my money and
attempts 10 secure the money which ]
am supposed to have placed in your
safe, ! assure you that ! shall hear him
il you do not. -
Il heartily approve Of your plan"
Mr.. Hardy r@joined
Then / viii go and inform the clerk
of the hotel that
Our conference was interrupted by
the appearance Of customer and /
went from the store, 10 which ! re-
turned half-hour, more or less. later.
After we had retired for the night. I
wearied, il may bc-Mr.
Hardy with some Of the most exciting
experiences that had been mine as :,
detective, which caused him 10 tremble
from head 10 foot Finally, however,
he fell asleep.
The next morning, handing him
rs that what was taken from your
safe night before last?"
Yes" he fairly gasped, having eN-
amineG the package WAS my house
again entered last night, without wax
ing mc?' he inquired.
1t was" I rejoined, "by way of the
window over the sink"
BY a man or a woman"
a man"
where is hep
"Within my easy reach. "
Was he among those in the office at
the hotel when you spoke of your
money!
NO
/ waited moment, and then began:
y esterday / casually learned that
You are vr have been inclined 10 SOM
nam bulism, and nothing else so tends
to its development as excitement or
anxiety.
1t at once suggested itself TO my
mind that the unexpected coming into
possession of so much money would
render you extremely nervous; that this
nervousness would result in sleep walk
ing; that, ia a sleep-walking condition,
you would give especial consideration
TO the money and be likely 10 remove
il from the safe to some place where no
one would look for il.
These impressions were strengthened
by what / had learned when here yes
terday afternoon-that the mud tracks
ended in your sleePing-room. proving
that there was no mud on the feet of
the one who removed your money from
the safe when the deed was done; that
your feet and the malefactor's were of
the same size.
What l told you with reference TO
asking the hotel clerk bout a safe, and
so forth, was one of the subterfuges-
lies, II fact-to which, ! am sorry TO
confess, we detectives sometimes are
Obliged 10 have recourse, for the pur-
pose of gaining your permission TO re-
main with You over night And the
experiences which l narrated were de-
signed TO render you as nervous as pos
sible, because, as ! have said before,
nervousness would probably cause you
TO walk while you We're asleep.
"A bout two o'clock this morning you
left your bed and went TO your safe,
which you ropened. After feeling
around in il you went from the house.
closely followed by me, TO a hollow
tree in your back yard. Into the hole
in the tree you placed your hand and
the moonlight enabled me TO see that a
smile Immediately stole over yonr
countenance. From the hole ! took
the money"
We'll, / declarel" he exclaimed, after
drawing long breath.
For my services he compensated me
literally, complimenting me for my
keenncss and promising that if he ever
again had business in my line il should
be intrustcd 10 me.-tred w. Foster,
in Chicago News.