Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-06-16

e@&O 49, ~ &AAN
identity of the man who mad reclaimed
ia the background. Mr.. Bliss had
seemed to talk straight enough. but |
was considerably puzzled over him.
After a nights sleep | felt better. how
ever. OF al least less ANNOYED. and when
Mr. Bliss Joined me at the station |
gave him cordial welcome. In a casual
way also noticed that he carried a
Gladstone bag. but OF course | thought
nothing OF it at the time. We We're a
little early for the train. and had taken
our tickets and were walking up and
down the platform when | was ace0stei
by a stranger who asked for a word in
private. | suspected at once that he
was a detective. When we mad stepped
aside. he respectfully inquired:
Am | right in believing that you are
Mr.. Cook. OF Toronto. Canada?"
Perfectly So" | replied.
You are stopping at the Kings
Arms?v
Il am"
And the party with your
MIR. Theodore Bliss. sir"
"Ah. just so! Thanks. sir. DIR. Bliss.
being in your company, must be all
right. Good day. sir.
Had he fingered. | might have put
some questions myself. but as he hur-
ried away instead, | turned to my
friend. Mr.. Bliss was humming an air
to himself. and appeared cool and pla-
cid. He asked no questions. and ] vol
| unteered no information. | Yves upset
again, however. If Mr.. Bliss was all
right because he was in my company.
the detective must have had a suspi-
cion of him previous to this meeting.
| had in a way guaranteed the man,
and had | been right or wrong? AS
Don as we had taken our seats in the
train l began to pump him as If 1
had him on the witness stand. In the
course of an hour he made a dozen slips
about Toronto. He lodged so many
questions that | made up my mind he
was the man | wanted nothing to do
with. | insisted on returning his money
and taking back the receipt, and de-
clined to act as his agent in any man
ner. he was certainly surprised and
put out, but he did not argue the mat
ter. Just before we reached Guilford
Junction he said he must get off there
to see to a little business, but we did
not part in bad feeling, 1t was not until
| arrived in Canterbury that | discov-
cred there had been a change of bags.
Mr.. Bliss had taken mine and left his.
Perhaps it was not exactly the right
thing to do, but in my room at the hotel
| tried my keys on the lock of the strange
bag and openedit. 1t was stuffed fun of
what | supposed at first to be clothing. but
after a little investigation | grew white
in the face and weak In the knees. Down
below the clothing were English consols
and railway bonds to the amount of half
a million dollars. l didn't have to figure
much TO come to the conclusion that a big
robbery had been pulled off and that Mr..
Bliss was, in it. 1t was my duty to inform
the police at once. but before | could
leave the hotel two officers called at the
hotel and arrested me. They had me red
handed, as it We're, and even at the police
station they would pay no attention to
my assertions or protestations. In Eng
land a person under arrest is deemed
puiltV at lansf ny III. ,alina o. ,,l.,.
back TO London, where the robbery had
occurred. and, although l had money and
credentials and Wa an innocent man. it
took me four weeks to get'out of the grip
of the law. Meantime the asinine officers
had given Mr.. Bliss time to get half
around the globe.
How the man | knew was from Toronto
and stopping at the King Arms | cannot
say, but he had robbed a brokers' office
near by, left the satchel at "A fruit stand
and entered the hotel to escape the crowd
on his track. He had come direct to my
room and had thereby saved himself.
When he left me after our conversation
he picked up his satchel and turned i'm
somewhere for the night. He knew the
railroad stations would be watched. and
he planned to get out Of town in my com
pany. 1t cost me Cleo in cash and no end
OF worry to get clear OF the law. and
when | finally returned to the hotel the
whilom urbane and humble landlord met
me with a smile and said:
Yes. | know they failed to convict YOU.
but just at present We are greatly over
crowded ana | cannot accommodate you.
Innocent as A babe. sir, but you'll have
TO try some other hotel. dontcherknow