The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-22

hours investigation bore rather bar
rem results The only important fact
brought out beyond what we already
knew was that the suspected young
man had been seen near the factory
shortly before the discovery of the
murder. Banks, I thought, began to
look a little bit blue.
HAS this desk of Stanton's been
touched?' he inquired presently, pull
ing out the upper drawer.
The contents have not been ma
terial1y disturbed" responded the
head clerk. Detective Gregg simply
noted the missing articles and the
bloody finger marks on the paper
where it had been lifted to get at
some old letters Stanton used to leave
lying around the bottom. The whole
matter seemed so clear to him that he
was here scarcely ten minutes before
he started off in hot pursuit
''Umt'' said Banks, in his peculiar
way, and then he proceeded to
60 through the contents of the
drawer. Being slightly acquainted
with one of the clerks, 1 stepped
up to him for a moments CONVERSE
ton. When I returned to my friends
side he was pOcketing a sheet of
paper which he had been exami ming
with his microscope. A quick glance
at his face showed me that he had hit
upon a promising clew.
Il think we have seen sufficient,
he said Immediately, and in a few
minutes we were on our way back TO
town
Found something, Banks?''
"a mere trihe,' he responded; but
NUNS the word, my boy, even for
you. A little spice of mystery, you
know, will sharpen your interest"
Il was hoping it was of sufficient
Importance to lead to an immediate
and favorable report to our charming
client" said L Comforting the dis
is feminine, young, pretty, and
rich. is right in my line
Banks laughed good naturedly, and
then relapsed into Illuminating silence.
1t was about O'Clock in the after
noon when we again entered the
factory office. Banks carrying = pack
age about fifteen inches square. It
was wrapped in plain brown paper
bore no label, tag or address of any
sort. and, as far as l knew, might be
any one of the thousand things be-
tween a tin of biscuits and an Internal
machine. Neither Gregg nor his
quarry had yet been heard from
''You will oblige me by gathering
all the employees of the factory to-
gether in this Office, Mr.. Williams
said Banks addressing the head clerk.
Let the outer doors be locked, and
when the men are all in here see that
the Office door is securely fastened
also I wish to try an interes ting lit
tie experiment"
Il observe that you use a type
writer" he went on, after Williams
had given instructions to have the
men called. ''Will you kindly remove
the ribbon, or, if you have an unused
one, +be tier STILL
This being brought. Banks proceed
ed to unite his package. Removing
the outer wrapper, he laid bare a
plain card board box, the cover of
which he was on the point of lifting,
when he looked up to see the eyes of
all present gazing upon it with eager
curiosity. Mine. he afterwards told
me were fairly popping out of my
head AS there was no particular hur-
~, the little devil which tempts us to
tantalize entered into him; he stayed
his hand, and with most quizzical
expression of countenance, he lounged
back in his chair and coolly pulled at
his cigarette.
In five minutes the men, looking
somewhat mystifed, were all as
sembled, and everything was ready
for the next step. With a quick
glance Banks. ran his eye over the