Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-09-21

marked Dunlap, examining the result.
"Wait minute. These vertical lines,
we say, divide he words Of the message.
/ There are five words 10 the line; only
/ two on the last line before the sig
nature; that is To say, L. words in
/ the message. Now, consider the first
word. Evidently the C. begins this
word since it is a capitals and the -four
ish on the tail OF the e tells us plain
I w enough where the word ends. Note
/ the space between the G. and the e.
Have YOU ever taken the trouble TO as
certain how constant i'm any giycD
handwriting is the space occupied 10y
/ the different letters? Try it some time.
Count the characters which YOU have
written I'm a number of different lines,
reckoning spaces and punctuation
marks each as one character, and OBJ
serve how closely the results Will
tally. Basing my conclusions on this
fact. l may safely affirm that the
first word OF the message is Game,
/ Gave Give or some other word of
four letters beginning with C. and
ending with e. / shall proceed 10 fiji
up the balance Of the message as l
read it between the letters"
Sturgis wrote slowly and carefully
for a few minutes
There; behold the result"
The message had now assumed this
form:
Dec. 81, 1896
-. B'Wav. CITY.
corner South and Wall streets
j. W. Arbosast
Compare this with the reflection Of
the original and tell me if you do not
now detect various isolated marks and
/ incomplete letters, all of which tally
with the text have inserted here
Dunlap made the comparison.
Il am obliged to admit that your con-
illusions now appear plausible" he re-
luctantly admitted.
Sturgis shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, call them plausible, and let US
proceed. Chatham kept the appoint
ment yesterday; but for some reason
Arbogast was delayed in leaving the
bank. Perhaps the necessary prepare.
/ tons for his fight took longer than he
expected
you think he intended to abscond?''
"Why should he have changed the
combination OF his safe, as he did, if not
TO give himself as much time as possible
to reach place Of comparative safety
before the books could be eXamined?"
asked Surgis. Chatham, becoming
! impatient. forgot the dictates of Lru-
! denct and started for the bank 10 az
certain the cause of his accomplice's
street door. The two men reentered,
Arbogast setting down his satchel in
the yestibule and leaving the outer
| door aiar, as Quinlan found il few
minutes later, when he stole the satch-
el. ! have every reason TO believe that
1t was at Chatham's request that the
men returned. He wished 10 use the
telephone. and he did So"
"Nour story is connected, and it is
certainly not lacking in details said
Dunlap incredulously; "in fact, the de-
tails are far too abundant for the evil
! deuce thus far advanced"
-EveI, one or the details is Dascd up
on facts replied Sturgis. What l
have accomplished thus far has been
simple enough, because luck has ia
vored US. Yesterday being cleaning
day at the bank, the floors were
scrubbed some time during the after
noon, before Arbogast was ready to
/ leave and before Chatham had arrived.
! It thus happens that almost every
| footstep Of the two men has remained
family but distinctly outlined upon the
wet floors, which have since dried, pre-
| serving the record. The detectives last
night obiiterated portion Of this rec
ord, but they have left traces enough
| for our purpose. If you care 10 crawl
around on all tours as / did you can
readily distinguish these traces for
yourself"
'No, thank YOU" answered the bank
er. 81 prefer to take your word for this
part of the evidence"
"Then shall resume my story" said
! Sturgis. The footprints show that
Arbogast stood at his desk while the
scrubbing was going on. We may safe
| ly say il was after half-past four
o'clock when he started to leave the
bank; for otherwise it is presumable
that Chatham would have waited for
him at the corner of South and Wall
streets, as he was asked TO do in the
bookkeeper's telegram. He first
walked ever to the safe and closed IT,,
changing the combination, so that the
lock could not be opened until he had
had a fair start. Next he went to the
clerks room for his hat and coat and
for the satchcl in which he had packed
| just the few necessities for immediate
use in his fight. lie started TO leave
the building through the Exchange
place door; but probably remembered
that the Wall street door was not
locked, and went back TO lock it. AS
he was about 20 close the outer door,
Chatham arrived on the scene, and the
two men rcentered as we have already
seen. The footprints tell their story
fully and absolutely, their chronology