The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-30
BRIGGS WIS / PIGEON.
INSIDE 1ACTD ADOCT TnE DEATH
o. TnE PAYISG TELLER.
0wtA11e - T011 ~ Convict
sasshess-esspRSseA the Cssesss-
EsDlslssl Mystery % . Dessh-

The colonel had come down from the hos
ptsai and vas now the occupant of O =
his quarterp" ~ ne said eupnemistleally.
striving TO vea from as own consciousness
the ixnominy OF HIS situation The doctor
had directed that he should have the free
dom Of the main hall during the day. WITH
an hours exercise In the yard. but th-s
latter privilege had little attraction for the
Old man. who dreaded the frequent passing
Of visssora realizing that from his former
position and the notor.sty Of mis- case ne
pen!tentiary.
smithers. the con man. had also been
sent down. ard was now acting ~ head Of
the whisewash gang
The intimacy between the two was odd
IN It's way. they had come from the sx-
trsmss Of life 10 meet IN the mean Of dis
grace. But Sm.therS was sympathetic and
ready Of suggestion. and his Difference vas
grateful 10 the colonel. giving back TO him
that sense Of personal importance which
had once been the breath os his nostrfiA
One afternoon the colonel, lying back on
his straw pillows. and Smsthers CURED up
like q gnome on . fhree-lesged stoo,. had
been taking about mysterious disappear
Ances.
I'VE had . case In our bank ten years
ago." said the colonel. which has always
paying teller, a man by the name Of
Briggs. was found dead in an obscure ho-
tel over ON the East Side. with q bullet
through his heart There was . revolver
By his side. but whether the wound was
seif-!nhicted or not was never dsdnsts.y
determined"
"Anth.n m.ss.n'T' asked smithers the
con man.
Yes" replied the colonel: '.tha. was the
Pa 1T
found TO be all right. but when mis- box,
the tellers box, you know. In which re
carries along considerable amount Of
money from day to day. was examined. 4.
was found to be short $4,000 Three pack
ages. each containing $1,000 were sone.
The receiving teller. who sometimes work
ed on Briggs desk. was positive he had
seen the three missing packages on tho
day before Briggs disappeared.
There was . new satchel on the table,
entirely empty. Now. IL proved that
Briggs bought a satchsl about this time,
but the merchant with whom he dealt
swore that this was not the one he mad
sold TO him. although IL was exactly slm.-
lar 70 II. always believed that the man
lied for sons unknown reason. bot he
showed the stamp OF another firm ON the
leather lining"
Well. what did the other dealer sayr'
He said that, while ne couldn't renem-
Der TO whom he did sell this part GUAR
satchel. he was positive he never sold IL
to Briggs"
Ham, unused smi,hers 'nothln' susp,-
c5ous found IN the hotel room. + s'poser
Why yes. there was" replied the colo
mel. after a moments reflection. Now. az
! recoiIsct u, three or four packages Of
blank paper, cut and ted 10 resemble a
package Of bank bills. were found on the
moor OF the closet. But the detectives
sad there was nothing strange about this;
the house was frequented by green goods
men. who used such dummies IN their CHI
csnerics. and these might very wet have
been left By some former occupant Of tho
room"
smsthess Te1Is . ssery.
Say. kunnsI." aid smi,hers. after q
pause. III the fash push really appreos-
ased what fathesds some OF you bsnkin'
nobs were. they'd take more des-prfts
chances OF course. they know that ae.
tecuves can't SEQ through a milestone. an.
less there's a big stake on the other 81.
Of u. hut 10 think that your board. and
you yourself, kunnsi. should have gone
squ'nfn' around the barn with your nv.
poft'sses and intunabie i'eorse- when the
hun truth was fairly dsnetn' up and down
tefore your eyes 20 attract your attention,
Now, after ! take q peep at the kalsoufn-
In brigade. I'll tell you . story myself,
kunsei. which may seem 20 have q pin,
before ! git through"
amlthers went out on the gallery and
swore q little. After looking no and down
the tagging for keeper ne lodged IN
aGa,n, twisted himself into MANDARIN
shape. and thus continued.
Ten years ago. kunnri I was On nv
uppsrs nov fhre~in' shells. now brzcfn'
the ssme now coppin' an odd super and
slang, bat all the while se~pln' IN with
old piil jenkins who wasn't on rasv
street himself I'D you ever hear Of cd
Bai kurnsi' Well. that shove how Hsfi.
vsliy there . 20 q repper.s'ion Oh Pu
was recognized as the siIckeef shira IN
the hull push He vas I'VE mar Who in
vented the woId-briek sars H~ wss ne
fust 20 work the long con IN Ansrfsv
he had sfven Nifty clever twists 20 the
hunko idee You see ~ wss original ne
wac why. after an exposure ~ sre~r
goods he'd do better business than ev-r
before because he'd make the poppy guys
think that he alone had the rsai Wfu~
Now, Tor spne resspn. Hiil wasn't very
active at THIS tim. slfhou1n he vas hard
up. Perhaps be VAS scared or account
~ sone old JOB. Perhaps he was ~-s-ef
81 the boys. they vas sore on him kun
mel. because ne kept ~ hfm.elf All fr-
same. he would ray for information. srf
whenever struck anything that seemed
crooked. IA give y to hinn straight. ard
he'd brsee ne
We'll. one 5ay I cams 90 osf nfn Jenkfn.
and ssid tn hin. says 7. 'sfli. there's a
hloke named Briggs ~-sscr't ct ex~ftest kun
mel y might brtnz On smother one of them
spazxurns-'t ~ eres a bloke named Bfiszs'
says !. that's play'n' the shseI . heat NJ
bard. ard 80 - ard fout,s - arr egg
the bird Win hirn al tse tine Tasn WA,
good could no fooI 10 "a me- sasei Hn
~. nuet have gore hrnbs rasfv Wa's
a family MAN ssid. a nshs n irstn'
church uptown. sni psytu' teller 81 -
pfffire rank Are you SBre~ sskef I'll
with queer light IN nis lI'sle ey~-. 'sarr-
IT, I sal8 I've toixss hfrn f9r n5r@fn
week Then sati ss fsas give r~ fre
OH glance 70 bin ,onlssi. snf puf fnis n 7
your ve~s fSf the present
Now urtss. wss ss.sss
WOW. sunnsi When Hif ~ss rfEx~f GBf 4
for business. yoa'f sse1uns his nsfa Win 4
cut bacssr be wss - re~0~rfatie Wy 4
q Wal street mar ~ssr'f ~ TifN m 4
YOU'D have q g. ap inta re Try sar-is % .
fr.ct 90 anf his ssgsat - fsaf risHf sHen .
briggs sns Ne sat sff~ ~ s9s ~. .
whsei yes nsssnt have csaf6 fh@m 80