Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1903-05-16
CHAPTER VIII

I'D DTcSS VII "hN' ~. |
Carmody called on Mr.. William Chai-
mers, that gentleman received
cablegram from Mr.. Robert Van
Horne, the editor of the paper. IL
read as follows:
st. Petersburg Russia. May 4.
William Chalmers: Offer In my name
reward of $500, 900. and no questions asked
for return of millionaires. Put Hestor
to work on case. Spare no expense
ROBERT VAN HORNE
"That settles it," said Mr.. Chal-
mers. as he read and reread the yell
low slip. Let's see; 100000, and the
$25O,OOO which Miss Carmody Offers
is S75O,OOO. That's an odd-looklng
number. 1t ought to be million"
He went to the telephone, and for
an hour was busy. He talked with
representatives of the families OF
Rockwell, Kent, Haven, Pence and
Morton, and each agreed to pledge
1000 to the Records reward fund.
Chalmers was Supremacy happy. He
sent for the foreman of the compos-
ing room and designed a new cap
t;on. the first line of which read:
"THE RECORD OFFERS ONE MIL
LION DOLLARS REWARD!!" He
then called Miss Carmody by tele-
phone. and informed her what had
been done. That young lady was de-
lighted. but assured Mr.. Chalmers that
she would take it upon herself to see
that the missing men paid every dol
lar of the reward. This was mere
detail to Chalmers, and when he had
finished his talk with Miss Carmody,
the foreman returned with the new
headline. Chalmers pinned it to the
wall and stood off and admired 1t
with the rapt expression of an art
devotee lost in contemplation OF a
Undiscovered Raphael.
"Print it in red" he said to the
foreman. "Run it clear across the
page. Below we will string a solid
row of six half-tone portraits OF the
missing millionaires."
Chalmers was busy man during
the two days following the interview
with Miss Carmody. He detailed ten
of his men to exclusive work on the
mystery and at considerable expense
secured Is others from rival New
York papers. Chicago was drawn
. on for five reporters, and he induced
. ten from other cities to join his
, newspaper detective force. This gave
him a staff of 40 men.
= John L. Stevens, of Chicago, was
. the most famous police and detective
!. reporter of the country, and, after m
: interview with Mr.. Chalmers, was ap
4 pointed chief-of-staff under the di
|, rect supervision of the managing
= editor.
|, 81 have no theory about this mys
. terry, jack" said Chalmers, after they
had discussed the case in all its de
tails. 81 have certain vague suspi
, cions, but they are not founded OF
facts, and they may be dismissed
, from consideration"
!. ny the way, has that man L. Syl
vester Vincent been heard OFF,"
- "Who is hep" asked Chalmers.
y "You had n paragraph about hin
: Yesterday" said Stevens. HE 4
. missing from the broadway Contra
- hotel. Has not been seen since Mon
!. day night. He may have somethin.
to do with it. l have sent a man t.
Chicago for his record"
;s Stevens went away and left Cha
- mers to his reflections. The man
;. aging editor leaned back in his chat
and gazed for long time Mt tn
!. ceiling. Then he lit cigar and ble'
~ rings of smoke at the wall abos'
as if to lombard it into surrende
;. of the secret. He placed his fee
. on the desk and allowed his mind I
:, wander at will over the dark field
- of the mystery. There was no tho
-. oughfare. Chalmers leaned back III
!. til the office chair threatened to fal
a He then stood UP, kicked it savagel.
~ and paced up and down the room.
is Its queer; mighty queer" M
chanically he picked up Mr.. Va
!. Horne's cablegram and again read
"'Put Hestor to work on II
W. case,'" he unused. 81 will do rigl
=. well putting Hestor to work on II
~ case. l wish I knew where l cou
. find him."
:, "Hestor came in here on Satu
day." muttered Chalmers as he hurl'
-, a pile of unoffending exchanges in Il
:, direction of the waste basket. Il
- said he was compelled to make
hurried trip to Europe, and expect'
me to sail on Monday or Tuesday in h
81 yacht the Shark Queer chap, tn
}" Hestor. Of course it's only a col
cidence; but 1 cannot help thinkil
alo about it,"