The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-09-22

paused, and, holding the lantern higher,
gazed thoughtfully in my face. Dead,
too? You don't mean to tell me!"'
] nodded my head.
Lord Almighty" Sonntag ex-
claimed. and then turned slowly from
me and joined the two at the door.
"Mr. Conway, come here" Mr.. Perry
called to me. "See," he said, when
came up, "here is the voice"
On one side of the door was a wooden
box, in which was photograph.
You observe this wire," began Skin.
ner. ut is attached TO the instrument,
and runs down seemingly in the
ground. Now I'll go and step on the
plank and see if the wire is not moved
and the phonograph set a-going." He
did so, and Slock-work arrangement
was set in motion which communicated
with the instrument.
Let us see what pulls the wire" said
Mr.. Perry.
We went over to the plank, and saw
that Skinner had raised it so we could
look underneath. There was steel
spring under one end. which was COM
pressed when a weight was put upon
the plank. The compression operated
lever which pulled the wire attached TO
it. The wire ran through an iron pipe
under the stones toward the phono-
graph, the other end being fastened to
the clock apparatus as we had already
seen.
An arrangement like that which oper-
] at hn hnn nh ulG fn
| the revolver, which was fixed above ii,
the muzzle pointing TO the small hole
in the mortar between two stones. The
| spring, however, which caused the eX-
| plosion of the pistol, was fastened on
the inner side of the door, and so ar
ranged that either "a pressure on the
door or an adverse force compressed it.
My leaning the weight of my hand
against the door when l had stopped
down TO peer into the hole had operated
the spring, as had Jackson's body when
he backed from me.
Clever rascal, that jackson, and a
patient one" remarked Sonntag.
"Then you know he robbed the
bank ?" l asked.
"Oh, yes, we knew it, and have known
it for some time" Sonntag said, dryly.
"Then why was he not arrested?"
continued.
"Well, we wanted to recover the prop
erty also. He had it hidden around
his hunting-lodge somewhere, we were
quite sure, but he was too cunning for
us, and we could not discover where
il was. Then yesterday you told me
of the walled-up cellar, and / knew l
had him"
From what you tell me now, and
What have heretofore thought of your
peculiar ways, suppose am right in
surmising that you are a detective"
said.
"Yes, / am a detective" he quietly re-
sponded.
"And your name is not Sonntag?"
mo. Wilson is my name. 1t was
simply a stroke of chance that made
me your lawyer and agent for short
time. 1t was necessary to be present
here, and the death of your former
agent came most opportunely."
$50 then jackson never suspected
you?"
| NJ. AZ ltdst l. DtllcNt lOt.
"And how did you come to suspect
Jackson?" l asked curiously.
"By looking up his record"
"Why, was he a regular criminal?"
"No. Not until he robbed the bank
He used to be in the employ of large
safe manufactory as an expert on locks
When we found that out we were Ger.
tain he was the man in the bank who
could open the lock, when the time.
piece was off, without knowing the
combination"
Did the detectives know of Mr.. Nor,
ley's connection with the affair? II
not, l could easily keep secret what
knew.
"And you think Jackson was alone
in the AFFAIR."" l asked, with a view tc
ascertaining how much Sonntag, or
Wilson, knew.
He cast upon me one of his whimsical
looks, and after pause replied: al
first it seemed quite certain there was
some one sonnected with Jackson in the
affair. But now | find there was not.
Here Skinner, who had been listening
to our conversation, glanced quickly VI
at Wilson, and l saw some signal
flashed between the two.
"And what may your name be? Are
you a detective, too?" / asked of Skin
ner.
YES" he replied, simply, II am 9
detective and Skinner is my name"
'Why did you try to shoot me?"
81 didn't. / fired in the air. Still
/ did want you to think i did. 1t was
for two purposes: One, to frighten you
away until this affair was settled; an
other, to make you really down on me
You see, Jackson at last seemed tc
suspect me, and / thought if | coult
show him you were terribly down OF