The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-12-21

since facts are absolute"
"Wen. then," said Dunlap, "assum-
ing, for the sake of the argument,
that these various marks which you
have called trails were made by the
feet of three different people; admit
ting even that one of these indi-
viduals' was Arbogast, who often
stays here after banking hours, do
not see that you have established by
any satisfactory evidence your as
sumption that the other so-called
trails are those of Chatham and
stranger. For aught I know to the
contrary, they may have been made
by some of the bank employees in the
discharge of their regular duties.
Chatham's coat may have caught on
a nail in the telephone closet last
week, while he was here in his legiti-
mate capacity of expert accountant.
The change of the combination of the
safe may be the result of an error;
for we have no direct proof whatever
that Arbogast is defaulter. And,
then when it comes to Your interest
ing description of the alleged shoot
ing of Arbogast, it strikes me that
you are entirely carried away by your
enthusiasm; for, in your minute de-
scription of the path of the bullet, at
a certain angle. of which you seem
to know the measure almost to the
fraction of second, you overlook sew
eral important things. Two shots
were fired yesterday in or near the
Knickerbocker bank. In, say you,
because here is a revolver with two
empty cartridge shells; here is a
black mark, which may have been
produced by the ricochet of a bullet,
and here is a shapeless piece of lead
which may be that bullet. AS, how
ever, one bullet cannot account for
two shots, you are forced at once to
assume that Chatham has carried
away the second one in the palm of
his hand. This is ingenious, very in
genious. but"
ellis blood is on the telephone re-
ceiver," observed Sturgis, quietly.
"Blood!" exclaimed Dunlap; "why
with the carnage that you have i'm
agined here, there should be oceans of
blood. Here is man, running around
with a wounded hand, who leaves a
few drops of blood on the telephone
receiver, and nowhere else. And here
is another man, shot through the
lungs-eXcuse me, through the upper
lobe of the left lung-who does not
bleed at all. And where is he now?
Such a wound as you have given him
must, take it, be fatal, or. at any
rate, serious. Yet here is a dead or,
at least. dying man, calmly walking
off as if-as if the curtain had fallen
at the end of your drama, and the
corpse had hurried off to his dress
ing-room."
"You have forgotten something
else" suggested the reporter, smiling.
Dunlap looked at him questioningly.
eyes; you have forgotten the pistol
replaced in the drawer after Arbogast
was shot, and the doors of the bank
carefully locked
"True. No, my dear sir; your elab-
crate theory will not bear an instant's
calm examination"
"And yet" rejoined Sturgis, "my con-
illusions, as far as they go, are abso-
lutely correct. Every objection which
you raise is plausible enough when
considered by itself; but we have not
to deal with lot of isolated facts,
but with series of connected events,
each of which depends upon and sup
ports all the others. Let me finish my
story, and I think you will then be
prepared to admit that what seems
to you now a fight of fancy on my
part, is nothing but sober exposition
of plain, unvarnished facts
Dunlap, with deprecating gesture,
settled back into his chair once more.
1--WE left Arbogast shot through the
left lung-fatally wounded, as you
have just remarked. He probably fell
like log; while Chatham, weak from
shock, leaned against the door jamb
yonder. He had probably stanched his
wound with his free hand as he ran;
1 have been unable to find any trace
of blood between the telephone and
this spot. On the door jamb, however,
the blood left stain which has not
been completely wiped out and which
enabled me to judge of Chatham's
height. * was the only one of the
trio who knew what he was about at
this time. I have genuine admira-
ton for .X;' he must be man of mar
yelous nerve. Instead of flying panic
stricken from the scene, as any or
binary criminal would have done, he
calmly proceeded to protect his retreat
and to systematically cover his trail