The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-22

| ness Of lath and plaster, upon the other
side OF which shone little round point
of light from the eye Of Beatrice.
| But what interested the detective
most was a peculiar piece of compact
mechanism which was mounted upon
species of rough foundation placed in
the opening. Taking this out he ex-
amined 1t closely.
1t was a sort of miniature cannon
with a barrel of FURNISHED steel about
seven inches long. The bore df such
1t could be called was square-prob-
ably a quarter of an inch square. Upon
the rear end there was a curious
clock work arrangement, with piston
fitting into the tube, and a figured
scale which seemed to show that the
machine could be set to be sprung ,at
a certain hour at the will OF the oper-
ator. Every part of the apparatus was
of forged steel, finished with the great
est care and minuteness. There were
no signs of smoke or powder stains
upon the machine, which drove Stacey
to the conclusion that 1t was nothing
more nor less than a powerful air
gun. He also concluded that 1T was of
foreign workmanship, such nicely and
care in the handling of. steel not be-
ing within the province of the average
American workman.
He carefully wrapped the deadly ma
chine in his handkerchief, deposited 1t
in his coat pocket, replaced the white
board over the opening in the wall,
forced the lock upon the closet door
back into position, let himself out OF
the apartment and quietly left tine
clubhouse.
The manner in which Roger Laroue
and Hughes Narbon had been killed
was now clear enough to him. But
there remained the still more difficult
problem as to the human intelligence
that had acted behind this powerful lit
tie bundle of steel which now reposed
so quietly in his coat pocket.
Who had loaded the air gun, sent II 10
discharge it's fatal square bullet at a
| certain time, and trained Its muZZle
through the eye of Beatrice with such
precision as to strike down the man
who happened to be sitting with his
back to the oaken mantel?
Why had Laroue and Narbon been
picked out as it's victims?
What was the motive back of 1t all?
The day after these discoveries
Stacey was walking down Broadway
above Union square with fellow
member Of the force when, in the vicin-
ity of Eighteenth street, he suddenly
drew his companion in to the doorway
Of cigar store.
do you see that man going up the
street on the other side? Wears
soft hat and has a half-slinking walk?'
The other nodded affirmatively.
do me a favor and find out where
he goes. cannot do 1t because he
knows me-
Without word the other detective
started to follow the retreating figure
which was none other than that OF
Alfonso, the club waiter. Stacey con-
tinued his walk downtown.
Several hours later he received re-
port from his companion. Alfonso had
proceeded up to Madison square, turned
up Fifth avenue, and had finally dis
appeared in one of the brown stone
mansions of the latter thoroughfare
entering by the rear way after making
short detour through several small
streets. The mansion in question was
found to be the one occupied by the
Countess Claire Brodsky.
This was startling bit Of informa.
ton to Stacey. To the ordinary man
perhaps, 1t would be rothing out Of the
ordinary for a club servant to be seer
visiting q Fifth avenue residence by
the rear way. He was probably calling
upon the domestics.
But to Stacey it had an entirely diff
ferent aspect. 1t enabled him to in.
dulge in what he admitted to be some
Of the widest guessing of his entire
official career but which guessing was
nevertheless, based upon what little OF
fact he had been able to establish re-
garding the double crime at "The
Myrtle"
The result Of his guessing was that
he Immediately dispatched an officer in
citizens clothes to the clubhouse with
a warrant for the arrest of Alfonso
upon sight. The officer shortly re-
turned with the information that AL
fonse had resigned his employ at '"The
Myrtle" the day before, and that his
residence and present whereabouts
We're unknown.
Then Stacey took the warrant into
his own hands, and, after swearing out
another one to go with 1t, was hastily
| driven in a cab to the Countess
Brodskys residence. There he was met
with the information that the countess
had that morning quietly left the coun-
try on the Etruria, intending to return
to Russia, and that her household ef-
fectS were at that moment being
packed to be sent after her. An in
spection of the mansion by the detec-
tive conformed the statement that the
bird had flown.
But what of Alfonso? He had cer-
tainly not left upon the Etruria, be-
cause 1T was less than five hours since
he had been going into the Fifth ave-
nue. house. But diligent search of the
city by the metropolitan police, and a
close watch kept upon departing steam
ers for weeks after failed to locate him
and he very likely slipped away in
some sort of disguise and Joined the
countess upon the other side of the At
lantic.
And so Stacey was baffled, after all
and the two warrants which he had
sworn out became SO much waste pa.
per.
But that his guesses in the matter
were not so wild as one might infer
from the facts at his disposition is
proven by the following statement from
the head of the Partisan police. which
was transmitted to Inspector Byrnes by
N