The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-07-01
Copyright, 1897, by THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.

Copyright, 1897, by THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS
]. The body of a middle-aged man is drawn
out of the South Branch OF the Chicago River
| in the Coal Yards Neighborhood. The Coroner
holds an inquest, but nothing is developed be-
yond the apparent facts that the victim was 8
| fairly. well-to.do merchant in some country
town, had been stabbed to death and thrown
! into the river. There were no papers on the
body or any signs for Identification, except the
| initials "E. NJ. S." shirt and key ring
Such tragedies were Of so frequent occurrence
at the time of the rebuilding of Chicago as to
excite little enduring interest. But Kent Hal
liday, n young printer, and one of the Cofoner's
jury, resolves TO probe the mystery. He has
vague suspicious aroused by the appearance
Of stranger at the inquest. On his way to
work be is struck by the appearance Of "A girl
whose eyes and face have such a resemblance
to the murdered mans that lie fancies she is
his daughter come to look for him. He sees
her about to fall into the clutches of vilanous
hack man. In attempting to rescue her, he and
his two friends-Wat Sparger and Con Purteli
become involved in q fight, and all are
arrested.
ii. Kent, Sparger snd Purtell, are taken 10
the Station-house. and fined for disturbing the
peace. Then Kent starts out in search OF the
pul. Iic II slealiy puLLicu uoW W oul
hits uron The idea of finding the Conductor of
the train that brought her in. and learning
what he may know Of her. He finds the
house, but the Conductor-Dan Morland--has
gone to attend meeting of the Peoples CO.
operative Real Estate Association, of which
he is Secretary. Kent sees the girl in the par
lor and overbears a conversation that renders
it almost certain she is the daughter OF the
murdered man. He does not dare address her,
i.ut off m aoarch of the Cop1nef0r He
finds the meeting of the Association, and is
startled to discover as its President and
Treasurer the stranger whom he saw Mt the
inquest. and whose name is Ruckenbrod.
Ruckenbrod carelessly pulls out a gold watch
with heavy, ,curiously-wrought chain. which
il broken. and corresponds with the links left
in the button-holc of the vest of the murdered
man. Kent joins the Conductor in the street
car, and goes off with him to talk over the
affair of the girl and her father.
III. Kent makes long search for the assas-
sin. and finally runs across the man whom he
saw 1t the inquest and the meeting coming out
of office building. He finds ont the man. 3
office in the building, and thinking that he has
gone away for the evening, enters it and makes
an examination. He finds that the man has
been passing under many aliases, and discovers
some tell tale evidence in his waste bask ct.
While he is securing them the man unex-
pectedly returns and surprises him.
~. A desperate fight ensues, in which Raga-
bert finally gets the better of Kent. but the un-
expected entrance of Sparger and Purtel turns
the tables. They leave Ragahert in Sparger's
charge and go out to seek an officer. Ragabert
snidenly produces revolver, drives Sparrer
out of the room, drenches the desk with kero-
sene. sets fire TO it, aud cscapea.r Kent goes over
in the evening to see Miss STANDARD, hut slIor-
rifed to find that she has been decoyeil away
by letter which has evidently been written
by Ragabert.
Y. Kent Halliday gees to the Superintendent
Of Police to consult what further steps siiall
he taken. Wat and Con are there, after. a
little airing of their new official Importance at
the Coal Yards They all set to examining
the desk which has been brought from Raga-
beri's Office, and find letter which shows that
the motive for the crime was probably to get
rid OF man who knew Ragabert's criminal
past, and threatened exposure unless he de-
sisted from his evil ways. The officer on dnty
OH Madison street arrives, and reports having
seen girl answering Eliza Standart's iescrip-
tion spirited away IN hack driven hy Mick
Horgan. Wat and Con are sent to bring Hor-
gan III.