Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-17


600 words before midnight. Wire 500
BERNARD SEYMOUR.
:.sYour man Seymour is dream"
said Chalmers, passing the telegram
to Jack Stevens. Wire him to send
us 1000 words information, not for
publication, and tell him to stick to
| Vincent and make him talk Ste
vens sent the proper dispatch. An
other telegram was received. an hour
later, from ST. Louis. 1t read:
ST. Louis, May I.
To Editor New York Record: Man ar
rested as y. Sylvester Vincent by your
representative proves to be Rev. Hilton
Wesley, of Chicago. Where can your
representative be found?
p. SULLIVAN, Chief of Police.
81 don't believe he can be found"
said Chalmers. Wire the chief that
the man who represented himself as
our correspondent undoubtedly is
an impostor. ] wonder where Mr..
Bernard Seymour is?"
He was not long in doubt. Shortly
before midnight this telegram was
received:
| Illinois Central Train No AZ, En- Route
South. To William Chalmers, Managing
Editor New York Record: Will explain
| later Am hot on trail. Send $500 to St.
Charles hotel, New Orleans.
BERNARD SEYMOUR.
81 am glad he is headed for New
Orleans" said Chalmers "We can
use him there. Now, l tell you what
we will do: Your Wall street men
have found out nothing. You notice
l was right about the books of
Street & Rogers. An examination
was made to-day, and it PANIED out
just as / predicted. The account is
in the name of the firm. | am going
to break into Hestor's desk tonight
and see if ] can learn anything. If
his check books are there they may
prove something. 1t is hardly likely
that they are. What l was about to
say is this: you find out if any lum-
| Der went aboard the Shark In the
meantime have your men interview
every contractor, builder and archi-
| tect in New York, and see if any
work has been done for Hestor in the
last two years"
THAT is great scheme!" said
| Stevens.
Send men TO Boston and Philadel-
| phia on a like mission. I will wire
| Seymour at New Orleans and have
him do the same thing there. Send
! four or five men to New Orleans and
| Galveston tonight. Instruct them
! to interview every man who may have
had anything to do with building a
residence of any kind for Walter B.
Hestor. Swear them to absolute Sc
crecy. l am going to have an in
terview with Miss Olive Hammond
tonight, at the Carmody residence"
Where does Sidney Hammond
come in in this case?' asked Ste
vens. He is supposed to have sailed
with Hestor.'
Il do not know. / am going to try
and find out" said Chalmers. st
| looks as if he was mixed up in it,
too. / hope not. Sidney is too good
fellow"
Later in the evening Mr.. Chalmers
was at the Carmody mansion. Dur
ing the day he had arranged with
Miss Carmody to invite Miss Olive
Hammond to spend the evening at
her house.
Miss Carmody," said Chalmers,
after the formal greetings We're
made, 81 know you will excuse my
apparent freedom, but / have some
news of great Importance, which I
am going to tell you and Miss Ham
mond. We should have room where
we cannot be interrupted or over
heard"
Miss Carmody rang for Smith.
unlock Mr.. Carmody's private of
fice," she said. PUT it in order and
bring Mr.. Chalmers some cigars. I
know he smokes"
Mr.. Chalmers bowed his thanks.
They We're soon seated in Mr. Car
mody's library and private office.
Nothing which taste could dictate or
money furnish was lacking in this
room. Chalmers took the big easy
office chair, while the young ladies
formed a charming picture on a
near by divan.
Miss Hammond, the news l have
obtained indirectly concerns your
brother Sidney" said Chalmers.
Miss Olive Hammond grew pale, and
uttered a half-eNclamation. "You
need not be in the least alarmed.
| have no reason to believe he is in
any degree to blame in this affair.
l am going to relate the whole
story, as far as I know it, and you
may be able to throw new light on
the mystery"
For half an hour Chalmers ex-
planned the circumstances which had
led him to suspect Hestor. AS he
talked the two girls clasped hands.
Tears glistened in Miss Hammond's
eyes when Chalmers told of the in
structions Hestor had left that a no
tice should be inserted in the Record,
stating that Sidney Hammond would
accompany him ON trip to the Med
iterranean.
AS he said this Miss Carmody re-
leased Olive Hammond's hand and
instinctively drew away from her.
Olive burst into tears.
Sidney never could do such
1