Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-01
CHAPTER XIII.
ME-. BARNES GOES scrrH.

Mr.. Barnes how Logan some re-
searches into the past history IF hlr.
AlDhonsc Thauret. Obtaining the date
Of his first registry at the Hoffman
House, he found that to DO about q
month before the train robbery occurred.
Finding the cyprcssman who had
brought his baggage to the hotel. it
transpired that it had been taken from
an English steamship, yet the name
ThaIret did not appear upon the list OF
passengers. As it was certain, however,
that the man must have arrived by tie
ship it was evident that Thauret was
an alias. Mr.. Barnes copied the ships
list fer future reference. \ search for
the name Rose Mitchell was fruitlass.
though extended to the passenger lists
of all orriving steamers for two months
prior to tho murder.
Believing that Mr Thaurot must have
some communication with foreign
friends and hoping to obtain some clcw
by the postmarks Of any such letters,
Mr.. Barnes arranged an espionage OF
the mans mail. But though The hotel
clerk reported to him daily for several
| weeks there was not one foreign letter.
As to mercy, Mr.. Thauret appeared TO
be well supplied, paying his board bills
promptly with checks upon 4 neigi.bcr-
| ing national bank, in which it was as
certained that he had deposited to his
| credit several thousand dollars.
Thus after long investigation Mr..
Barnes was chagrined to admit that he
had discovered nothing save that Mr..
| Thauret had come across the ocean IN
| der an assumed name, and even this
meager knowledge WAS mere matter
| Of inference.
| Though bafled in this direction Mr..
| Barnes had been more successful i'll an
other effort which he cssayed. This was
a line of investigation which lie inaUgu-
rated hoping to discover the where
abouts of the child Rose Mitchell, who
was so skillfully kept i'll hiding. He had
first instructed Lucette as to the part
she was to play, and that ycpng.wom-
an, anxious once more to stand well
with her employer, had exerted herself
to her utmost, entirely succeeding III her
mission. This was to obtain somo Of tie
writing of the child. $50 to the house
again" Mr. Barnes had suggested, ''and
get into conversation with that same
servant who mot you at the door on
your first visit. Then in some manner
obtain a specimen Of the child S writing.
An old copybook would be just the
thing" Lucette carried out these in
structions to the letter, and by bribinc
tho servant girl ut the school obtained
exactly what the detective had suggest
ed, copybook in which little Rost
Mitchell had practiced writing.
Armed with this, and selecting /;
specimen which seemed best suited t.
his purpose, Mr.. Barnes next bribet
the mailboy at the Fifth Avenue hote
to examine all letters addressed to Mr.
Mitchell until he should find one in tn,
same hand. 1t was not until early il
March that this patient work resulted il
success. Then one day the boy reported
to Mr.. Barnes that the expected lette
had at length arrived. The postmark in
Dictated that it had been mailed at Eas
Orange, n. J.
$50 that is where the little bird i
hidden" said Mr.. Barnes to himsel
when this information reached him
Summoning Lucette. he sent her to Eas
, Orange with these instructions:
Nov, my girl, I'll give you anothe
chance to redeem yourself. You are t
go to East Orange and find that child
, The most promising plan is through tn
postoffice. will give you note to tn
postmaster that will aid you. Should
letter be sent to the child either b
, Mitchell himself or by Miss Remsen, 20
will learn of it through the postmaste,
The rest of course will be simple"
"But suppose" said Lucette, "tha
! the child's letters are directed unde
cover to the parties with whom she
living? What them"
} "Why, stupid, that is what I sen
! you down there for. As the postmaste
is an acquaintance of mine could e
the address, should it reach him, with
out having you there. But that is onl
faint hope. We know that the child
in East Orange. East Orange has in:
so many houses. You must examine e,
} cry one, if necessary. Now go, and
, you don't find the child have no flu
ther need Of you. l give you this com
AAi.sS-O-A ieAiA-s a NA1.AASO " ASAOOi
l your other mistake and partly becaul
you have seen tie child once and coul
recognize Eer."
"I'll find her," said Lucette, and 81
departed.
e A week later Mr.. Barnes was in Ne
{ Orleans, where he devoted himself ,
Z discovering, if possible, the early hi
L tories of Mr. Mitchell and the murdere
,. woman. Weeks passed, and he made n
q progress.
One morning in the latter part I
: April he was feeling somewhat d
spondent over his i'll success, when, /;
he glanced listlessly through The Pic
yune the following paragraph caugl
- his eye:
) Mr.. Barnes, the celebrated Ne
York detective, is in the city and sto
ping at the St. Charles hotel 1t is b
lieved that lie IS III search Of despera
|. criminal. and probably the news loviu
world will soon be treated to one of Il
famous detectives clever calculations