Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-04-17
CHAPTER II.

trees were not delight it's scrubby
underground was veXation to the
spirit. On the bosom of pools whose
slime was an offense to the eye were
spread in summer time fleets of wa
ter lilies whose beauty was an in
SEPARATION to the fancy. Flower and
fungus were alike characteristic of
it in the warmer months, and in the
rainy season it seemed to act as a
vast sponge and absorb an abnormal
amount of moisture. Rotting timber,
half-fallen oaks, patches of canebrakc
and clusters of holly trees were
among it's marked features. Deadly
malaria stalked through it's gloomy
aisles; the bark of the trees always
bore evidence of the highwater mark
of the last overflow, and melancholy
marked it at all times.
The Bayou Woods was also local
ity with history; and, moreover,
man, in some odd and unusual guise,
dwelt sporadically therein. A few
primitive houses could be found scat
tered through it, occupying the high
est points above the line of overflow.
1t was considered good hunting
ground, but that was the only good
known of it. More crimes perhaps
had been committed there than in any
other suburban section.
On the north line of the woods
were several houses occupied by peo-
pie of the lowest class,
One of these was dance house
and saloon, where the liquor that
fires as well as inebriates could al
ways be found. Death had presided
over many orgies in this highly un-
savory den, and even the officers Of
the law never entered the place with
out shudder. From time immemo
rial the people who conducted it had
been allied with murderers and
thieves, and the dingy walls, if they
had been tongues as well as ears,
could have told of the violation Of
nearly every law, human or divine.
Before this place the chief of police
stopped and he and his companion
alighted. Before investigating any
crime committed in the Bayou Woods
it was always advisable to see if any
pupil of the Devils Den, as the place
was called, had been concerned in it.
The repulsive exterior of the place
did not do justice to the fascinating
hideousness of the interior. The
very atmosphere there savored of
vice and crime. A large stove heated
it almost to suffocation, and it was
evident that if this heat did not pro-
duce insensibility that state might
very readily be reached by drink
from one of the Satanic black bottles
behind the bar. The individual who
presided over the den might readily
have been mistaken for the devil him
self under conditions that were ia
vorable. The potent influences Of
rum were apparent in his sinister
eyes, the blotches Of red upon his
nose and cheeks and the stubble upon
his face. In short, the entire scene
reminded one strongly of the pic
lures disseminated by the prohibit
tionists to give a palpable illustra-
ton of the effects Of the demon
| drink.
When the chief of police entered
the place the barkeeper, Mr.. William
Boggs, looked up, slightly alarmed.
Then he seemed to reflect moment,
and the expression of alarm was sue
ceeded by one of relief. The chief
had never let his eye wander from
1 Pc 0nn f@y - 49,,
tent an open page when read Alright.
Had Doggs at once put on an air of
defiance, the officer would have said:
This fellow knows all about the af-
fair, but he will not tell" If he had
shown signs of fear when the officer
entered, and without appearing to
reflect had assumed a jaunty, sus-
picious or defiant air, the chief
would have been sure that Bill had
himself taken hand in the crime
But when he stopped to reflect the
chief knew just as well what was
passing in the scamp's mind as if he
had spoken out. If Bill had to review
the recent past in order to ascertain
whether there was anything for
which he could be wanted, it was evi.
dent that he was not implicated in
the murder.
The chief told him that he and his
friend wanted to warm themselves
for minute or two, asked him a
few questions, satisfied himself that
Bill had never even heard of the trag.
edy and then departed.
"That place offers every induce.
ment to a man to go out and assas
sinate his fellow man, but this time
l believe it plays no part in the trag.
edy. Our labor is simplified that
much; for where we have to examine
the denizens of the Den as witnesses
there is so much ornamental, artistic
and clumsy lying done that it is al
most impossible to get the truth
Sometimes, however, those fellows
have trick of telling the truth jus,
to throw the police off the track"
They now drove around the wood.
until they came to the roundabou,
path already referred to in the state
ment of Herbert Wright. The horse
was hitched to tree and the two
men began to pillow their way through
the snow. 1t had melted just enough
to make their footprints us distinc'
as if they had been drawn by an ar
fist on paper. Suddenly Warde called
attention to the fact that there were
two series of footprints in the snow
and that some one elese than Wrigh,
had traversed the path. 1t was fur