Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-15


then threw away. He repeated the OPP
GRAFTON again and again, until at,last,
with evident satisfaction, he picked out
small object, which he deposited in
an envelope. Then, after washing his
hands in the clerks room, he passed in
to the cashiers department. In COR
ner stood the telephone closet, the door
of which was open. The receiver OF the
instrument was down. The reporter
took it up and gazed at it long and ear
nestly.
Sturgis' examination of the bank
must have lasted over two hours. At
first Richard Dunlap looked on with a
mild curiosity, in which amusement
struggled with good-natured skepti-
began to show signs of Impotence,
and when at last Sturgis returned to
the private Office and carefully depos-
tied upon sheet of white paper mis-
cellaneous assortment of tiny scraps
and shreSs, the banker could scarcely
conceal his dissa tisfaction.
well, Mr.. sturgis," he said, II hope
you have nearly completed your inves-
tigation; for my leisure is not SO album
dant that l can afford to waste it like
this"
II need one more witness at least"
replied the reporter, land / am afraid
shall have to ask you to help me OBJ
tain it.
But" he quickly added, as he noted
Dunlap's impatient gesture, Il think I
can promise you that the time you are
regretting has not been wasted
The financier did not seem convinced
by this assertion; but he nevertheless
consented with an unwilling grace to
assist the reporter to the best of his
ability.
"Well, then" said Sturgis, "tell me,
first of all, whether you keep firearms
in the bank"
EYES," replied Dunlap; "the cashier
has small revolver which he keeps in
his desk as means of defense in case
OF sudden attack by bank thief"
Have you the key to the desk:'
"Yes," replied the banker.
/ will you kindly see if the revolver
you mention is in it's placer"
ut ought to be-" said Dunlap, pick
ing out the key on bunch which he
took from his pocket, and walking to-
wards the cashiers department with
Sturgis at his heels.
| Eyes, here it is in its accustomed
place."
He handed it to the reporter, who ex-
amined it attentively.
Exactly" said Sturgis, with salts
faction; "this is what was looking
for
What do you mean?" asked Dunlap.
II mean that this is the revolver
which was fired twice last night in the
Knickerbocker bank. See for yourself;
two of the cartridges are empty, and
the weapon has not been cleaned since
these shots were fred
"But who can have fired the pistol,
and at whom was it fired, and why?"
Hold on! hold on!" exclaimed Stur-
gis. smiling; zone thing at time. We
shall perhaps come to that soon. For
the present, II you will come back to
your private Office, shall endeavor to
piece together the scraps Of evidence
which I have been able to collect.
There, sit down in your own armchair,
if you will, while fit these bits of pa
per together; and in less than ten
minutes 1 shall probably be ready to
proceed with my story"
| Dunlap was still nervous and impa-
tient; but all trace of amusement and
skepticism had vanished from his face,
as he took the proffered armchair and
watched Sturgis patiently piece to-
getber the tiny fragments of paper he
had SO carefully gathered. When this
work was accomplished, the reporter
went to the typewriter and wrote few
lines on sheet of paper. He next pro-
ceeded to examine under the micro
scope the minute fragments and parti-
cles which he had collected in his
search.
When he had finished this operation,
he leaned back in his chair and looked
up into space for what seemed to Dun
lap an interminable length of time.
Then at last he glanced at the banker,
who could hardly contain his growing
impotence.
Il am ready to go on now" said
Sturgis, reaching for sheet of paper,
upon which'he began to draw with
ruler and pencil.
"At last!" sighed the banker.
Eyes; but my first, as the charades
say, is question:
"Another!" gasped Dunlap; when is
my turn to Gomez"
"Just few more" replied Sturgis;
''and then your turn will come for
| good"
"Well. out with your questions then
1 if you must, said Dunlap, seating him.
self resignedly in his chair.
CHAPTER <.
PIEcING THE EVIDENCE.