Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-11-21


the accountant. who was himself only
n tool in the hands of higher intelli-
Eence. The deus cx machina of this
crime is a man of genius who has hardl Y
appeared upon the scene at all. but
whose traces | have found at every
turn. He was the brains of the whole
scheme; the other men in his hands
were mere puppets. Through the nc
countant. this master spirit managed
the bookkeeper; and the accountant
himself was controlled by him more
directly, but no less surely. If he held
the former through his fear OF expo.
sure and consequent ruin, he Influenced
The latter through even more potent
motives He is the father Of Il bcauti-
ful girl, whom he did not scruple to
use as dccoy. The price agreed upon
for the accountant assistance was the
hand of this daughter, for whom the
young man had doubtless conceived t,
PASSIONATE love. Whether or not the
leader would have had the power to
carry out his part of the contract mat
ters little; for it is highly probable that
he never had the slightest intention of
20 doing. He evidently realized very
early in the game that the bookkeercr
gould not long escape the clutches of
the law. But as he had taken every
precaution to prevent him from know
ing anything of his very existence, the
fate of the unfortunate bookkeeper
would have mattcred little TO this
heartless villain. had not the probable
lily remained taat, when brought to
bay, the bookkecper would denounce
the accountants connection with the
crime. This would have been extreme
Iy awkward, since the accountant was
very likely in possession of some dan
pcrous secrets. The safest way out Of
the difficulty was to quietly suppress
the now useless bookkeepcr. This plan
was decided upon, and would doubtless
have been carried into execution. had
! not fate otherwise decrced. After the
bookkccpcr's death, under the circurn-
stances which have related, it became
| quite probable that the accountants
| connection with the case would be dis
covered; for luck had been against
| him from the start, and he became
more and more cntanClcd in the chain
Of circumstantial evidence of whose
existence his leader was soon fully
aware. In the first place, the account
ant was wounded; and thus not only
partially disabled. but also what ia
far worse-conspicuously marked 4
man who carries his arm in a sling can
hardly fail to attract attention, espe-
cially when this Distinguishing mark
Is accompanied by another equally
Rlaring one in the form of head OF
brilliant red hair"
Hold on, Sturgis." interrupted
Sprague, who had been listening with
growing interest; don't you know the
accountants Nance"
"Nes,' replied the reporter; his
name is Thomas Chatham"
Thomas Chatham." exclaimed
Sprague, as the image of the miserable
young man came to his mind.
Yes" replied Sturgis. answering his
thought, "the man you met only few
hours ago"
There was a brief silence. broken at
Iast by Sprague, who asked:
Has he escaped?"
Sturgis hesitated.
It." he said, gravcly, at length; he has
paid the penalty of his crimes"
What do you mean?"
"lIc is dead" answered the reporter.
Dead? But tell you saw him"
81 know; but he has died SINCE
"Suicdc?"
MOI" the reporters voice sank to
whisper; murder"
"Murdor?" repeated the artist, star
tied. "But how do You know that?"
This lump of lead tells the story"
said Sturgis, holding up the shapeless
piece Of metal which he had taken.out
Of the vat.
"What is il? a bullet ?"
ayes; the bullet which Chatham car
ried in his arm from he time that he
was wounded by Arhogast, the bullet
which has enabled me TO trace him step
~ step, from his fight from the over
turned cab to DR.. Thurston' : and finally
to his death in this very room; the
outlet whose peculiar shape is record
ed in this shadow picture taken by
Ihurston by means of the Roentgen
raYS.'
So saying, he banded Sprague the
photograph. But the artist had ceased
to listen.
in this very room?" he unused aloud,
looking about him with awe.
"Ies. The story is simple enough.
The man whose instrument Chatham
was is not one who would care to be
numbered up with tools, which become
positively dangerous as soon as they
cease 10 be useful. This man, totally
unhampered by pity, gratitude or fear,
determined to destroy the accountant,
whose discovery might have imperied
his own welfare What mattered a
human life or two, when weighed
against the possible loss OF his own
life or liberty, or of his high social
standing and his enormous wealth: for
this man is both renowned and rich,
ana he appears to have brought whole
sale murder TO science"
DO you mean to say that wholesale
murder can be INDUCED in with i'm
PunitY in city like New York. at the
md Of the nineteenth century," asked
Sprague, aghast
"NeS; when it is done in the system
mite and scientific manner hat has been
employed here. For this murderer is