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


''He is not guilty. l am sure he
is not guilty." exclaimed Miss. Car
| mody. Her eyes flashed as she
looked at Chalmers.
II have said that I did not believe
him guilty." said that gentleman,
recovering himself. You young la
dies jump at a conclusion too quick
~. 1t is probable that Mr.. Hammond
was the victim of a plot like the 9TH
ers.'
why. Sidney did not know he was
going until few hours before the
yacht sailed for Europe" said Miss
Olive. she had regained her self
, possession. HE sent me telegram
just before he went away, saying
that he was obliged to take sud
den trip to Europe with Mr.. Hestor.
! When he left home in the morning
he did not know thing about it.
We had planned to go to the theater
on the following evening, and he had
secured the tickets. SO how could
he have known anything about it?
Sidney tells me everything
THAT is splendid news said Chal-
mers, his face lighting up with pleas
ure. You need not worry about Sid
ney. | hope you kept that tclc-
gram"
81 have it here in my rcticule," said
Miss Olive
Chalmers read it carefully. He lift
ed the receiver of the telephone at
his elbow.
Give me the superintendent of
fice-the Postal Union Telegraph
company" he said.
Chalmers was well acquainted with,
the routine of the telegraph office,
and soon arranged that the original
of the dispatch be forwarded by
special message to the Carmody resi-
dencc. While waiting for this, they
talked over the strange features Of
the case.
You are sure that Hestor said
nothing about going away the night
he gave the opera and supper
party?" asked Mr.. Chalmers.
81 did. not hear him say word
about it, said Miss Hammond. 'NIr.
| Hestor and Sidney had long talk
about trusts. They were at the end
of the table, and for a long time
took no part in the general conversa-
ton. i was not interested in what
the others were saying and found
myself listening to Sidney and Wal.
ter Hestor. Mr.. Hestor said it would
be a fine plan if they could induce
the leading capitalists of the country
to meet and discuss methods to reg.
ulate the abuses which have arisen
under the trust control of industrial,
affairs. Now that | think of it, he
mentioned such names as Rockwell,
Morton and Haven, and / am sure
Mr.. Carmody's name was used. Sid.
ney told him that these men could
not be induced to take the time to
bother with such. matters Finally
Mr.. Hestor said that he was going to
form a trust of, his own. Sidney
laughed, but Walter seemed much in
earnest. Soon afterward the party
dispersed and we went home. Sid.
ney went to Chicago, and did not re-
turn until the following Saturday."
The messenger boy arrived with
the original copy of the telegram
Chalmers gave one glance at it.
Just as ] suspected" he said He
passed the telegram to Miss Ham
mond. 1t was written in pencil on a
sheet of newspaper copy paper,
with telegraph head pasted above
it.
rs that Sidney's handwriting?" he
asked.
why, mol" exclaimed Miss Olive.
1t is not bit like it,
Walter Hestor wrote that" said
Chalmers. 81 know his writing; hav-
ing handled thousands of pages of it.
You may rest assured, Miss Carmody,
that we shall soon solve this mys-
terry. Hestor has not covered his
tracks. He either did not know how,
or did not care. No shrewd criminal
would send forged telegram in his
own handwriting. He would use a
typewriter. Hestor sent this tele-
gram SO that you would not be
alarmed at Sidney's absence. 1t Is
plain as day
Chalmers enioined the young ladies
to secrecy and returned to his news
paper duties.
The following morning Jack Ste
vens called his staff into conference.
He detailed four men to Boston, six
to Philadelphia and four to New Or
leans and Galveston. Twenty were
assigned to work in New York, and
six were held in reserve.
Interview every architect and
builder in these cities" were Ste
vens' instructions. Introduce your
self as writer who is preparing
an elaborate article on summer or
country residences. Be specially So
licitous about specimens of tropical
architecture. Then lead up to who
designed the Walter B. Hestor resi-
dence. There is a special offer of
$4,000 for the reporter who locates
the architect, and the same amount
for the one who discovers the con
tractor
Stevens had already satisfied him
self that no lumber had been loaded
on the "Shark" He axnlainad m HE