The stayer. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1896-1903, 1902-02-27

.hc now useless bookkeepcr. This plan
was decided upon, and would doubtless
Lave been carried into execution. had
not fate otherwise dccreed. After the
hcckkccpcr's death. under the circum-
stances which have related. il became
quirc probable that the accountant S
connection with the case would be dis
covered: for luck had been against
him from the start, and he became
moro and more entanClcd 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 is
far worse-ccnspicuously marked. y
r!an who carries his arm in sling can
hardly fail to attract attention, cspe-
cially when this distinguishing marx
i, accompanied by another equally
glazing enc 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 name"'
Yes" replied the reporter; his
name is Thomas Chatham"
Thomas Chatham" exclaimed
Sprague. as the image of the miserable
Young man came 10 his mind.
Yes" replied Sturgis, answering his
thought. the man you met only few
hours ago"
There was brief silence, broken AT
last by Sprague. who asked:
Has he escaped?"
Sturgis hesitated.
THAT depends upon how we look at
it," hc said, g-avely, at length; he has
paid the penalty of his crimes"
What do you mean?"
lie is dead" answered the reporter.
Dead? But I tell you saw him"
Il know; but he has died since
"Suicide?"
NO." the reporters voice sank to
whisper; murder"
MURDER" 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 It? \ bullet?"
Yes: the bullet which Chatham car
ried in his arm from the time that he
was wounded ~ Arbogast. the bullet
which has enabled me to trace him step
by step, from his fight from the over
turned cab to DR.. Thurston' s and finally
to his death in this very room; the
bullet whose peculiar shape is record
Cd in this shadow picture taken b.
Thurston by means Of the Roentgen
ravs."
So saying, he handed Spraeue the
photograph. But the artist had ceased
TO listen.
in this very room?' he unused aloud.
looking about him with awe.
Yes. 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
case 10 be useful. This NTH. totally
uahamp,rld b. ply, gratitude or fear,
determined 10 destroy the accountant.
whose discovery might have i:npcriled
his own welfare. What mattcred 4
human life or two, when weighed
against the possible los Of his own
lie or liberty. or OF his high social
standing and his enormous wealth; for
this man is both renowned and rich,
and he appears 10 have brought whole
sale murder 10 q science
DO you mean to say that wholesale
murder can be INDUCED in with inn
punity in 4 city like New York, at the
{ I'd Of the nineteenth century, asked
Spraguc, aghast.
Yes; when it is done in the SYSTEM
attic and scientific manner that has been
employed here. For this murderer is
the most remarkable criminal Of mod
c.n times. He has not been satisfied
with killing his victims: he has sue
cccdtd in completely wiping them out
uf existence. Criminals have .ftcn at
tempted 10 destroy the bodies Of their
rictius, but they have never before sue
CrCdCd - this man has. He is a chem
iat Of remarkable talent. and he has
discovered a compound in which bone
10 well as human tissue is rapidly and
Totally dissolycd. There il is in yon-
der tank See how completely the
liquid has destroyed the bone handle
OF his knife"
S,urgis, after showing the damaged
lnifc to his companion, resumed his
whiting upon the cover of the box
on which the artist was seated.
"Chatham's body has been dissolved
in that talk within a very short time.
j, has entirely disappeared; this fiat
tened bullet alone is left. lead being
one OF the few substances which are
not soluble in the contents of the
tank. Fortunately he overlooked that
fact. Genius has its lapses."
Presently Spraguo ventured TO say:
"lf numerous crimes have been COM
mitted here. as you intimate,
understand how it is that
has never rested on this house be-
fore"
THE author of these crimes has
.ssen every pr r. 20 render the