The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17

ions for fear that they might go before
his plan had worked out. To arrest this
man now was to bungle and Maitland was
and artist
At last they came; the baron tall and
courtly, his companion fresh and pretty
as a wildwood flower. For this night
she had laid aside her new finery and
wore a simple dress, no ornament save a
bunch of violets at her throat At their
entrance Mollies eyes flashed fire, and
the man beside her grew livid. But be-
fore word could be said Maitland
sprang up, and grasping the baron's
hand, cried: MY dear fellow, how glad
am to see you. Come and sit at our table.
And you Miss Mabel, how pretty you are
tonight. Here are some old acquaint-
ances. Now we shall have jolly time
II decline to meet Them" cried Mollie,
rising.
"A tramp and a street waifr sneered
the brother.
Take that back or by heaven you will
never speak again." shouted Van Staal,
advancing on the stranger.
You are, you know you are" shrieked
Mollie, beside herself with rage. Where
did you get the money with which to
trick out this little mink? From the ex-
press company. All need to do is to say
the word and you go to the pen"
And them" cried her companion, your
little pet there can go back to the streets
=" A blow on the cheek cut the SEN
tence off short. The brother staggered
under the force of 1t, but drawing a re-
volver would have fired had not Maitland
caught his hand and wrested the weapon
from him, But he was now mad with
rage, and springing at the baron's throat
he cried; "Tramp thief DEVIL 1t is my
money you have been spending; mine;
mine; mine; mine. You dug it up out
there in the swamp and ran away with
1t. I will have your life"
Not just yet" said Maitland, stepping
between the two men and covering both
with revolver in each hand. your
lives are too precious to be wasted in
that way, For the present they belong
to me-" He blew upon whistle and four
officers entered.
Take charge of these men," he said.
Handcuff them securely, and see that
they do not escape. This lady, too, may
as well go along. This little girl is inno-
cent. l will see that she is properly cared
for
At the trial the baron, with ingenious
eomplacency, confessed his part in the
affair, He smiingly acknowledged his
identity; that Baron Van Staal and John
Bohm the tramp, were one and the same
person. His remarkable rise In the world
he explained to be the sheerest accident
1t happened a few weeks earlier when ho-
boing through a mountainous district out
on the Southern Pacific. He had left the
railway track intending to take a short
cut through some timber to a hamlet
nearby Tired. footsore and hungry he
had never before been so down on his
luck. A few mouthfuls of food he must
beg and II possible find shed to protect
him from the cold. Night was coming on
but he struck out into the woods UNI
mindful. On and on he wandered into the
gloom until black night enveloped him.
Lost, bewfldered, almost fainting with
fatigue, he tumbed over a hollow log
and lay there In a state of coma until
awakened the next morning by the warb-
lings of the birds in the trees. Opening
his eyes and in a dazed sort of way
realizing that he was chilled, he noticed
the hollow log. Viewing 1t as a possible
shelter he reached in his hand to discoy-
er its feasibility. His hand struck sonie-
thing. 1t was round and hard and cold
Withdrawing the object he found it to be
a $40 gold piece. Half crazed with de-
light he made another dive and dragged
out handfus.
The rest of his story is easy. There
was $4,000 In the log. 1t had been hidden
there by the real robbers at the time Of
the crime, but before they returned the
tramp was gone. And as the baron cas-
ually remarked on the witness stand he
certainly had jolly time burning It
up" Maitland had the satisfactio, 80
demonstrating his hand theory. for Mol
lie turned states evidence and the high
wayman turned out to be Barkley, one of
the most daring thieves and highwaymen
In the country and was shortly after
ward executed In San Quentin
Mabel Davis declared her belief in the
man who had saved her life. gave up all
the jewels and fnery that Van Staal had
presented to. her. and pleaded so hard
with the judge for his acqulttal that he
was discharged on the promise that he
would give up his rowing and settle down
to earn an honest living He and Mabel
were married and are now living happily
on little farm In California.
And in Maitland's office hangs frame
In which Is displayed the print of the
hand that played such a part In estab-
fishing the theory of psychics applied to
detective work