Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-07-09
CHAPTER XIX.
THE MAN IN THE RED FOX.

As
AT the hour designated by Ellison.
had posted his men In the streets
leading to the Red Fox. waiting for
the signal which would call his men
to the center OF the scene Of action.
1t was very seldom that the head
Of the police department took a hand
in an AFFAIR OF the kind. but he was
moved by curiosity, and. at the game
time, by the desire to figure prorni-
nently in the capture OF rogue who
had defied the department Cor many
months. 1t would not look we'll In
the papers, when the accounts came
10 be eventually written up, II the
chief did not occupy a prominent
place In the proceedings. Barnes.
moreover. felt certain hatred for
the man who had put his department
In such disrepute. and he was anxious
had been able to Withstand all the
machinery of the law so long.
Ten o'clock had been the hour when
he expected to hear the pistol shot
that was to summon him and his
men to the scene. but as time passed,
and it was nearing the half hour
after the time, he began to grow
impatient.
What do you think OF this, In
spector Thorne!" he asked Of q tall
man. who had secreted himself In q
hallway opposite tho queer hotel.
Barnes was not the only important
official who had desired to have some
thing to DO with the capture OF the
celebrated criminal.
ooh, I'm not worried" replied
Thorne. Never know what delays
might happen in an affair like THIS.
only hope your man wasn't guytng
us with his story"
He did not love his chief particu-
larly, and would have liked to see
him ousted to give place to a real
genius-himself. for example. If
the principals We're excited. the men
detailed aaa on this occasion were also
not share tho opinion held by Barnes
that the man who had defed the
machinery Of tho department 80 long
-ould be easy to capture, and looked
forward to a lively time OF 1t.
Barnes and Inspector Thorne were
still occupying the hallway of de-
serted warehouse, watching the
fore them, listening for the sound of
the pistol shot that was to be the
signal.
The hotel with tho foreign name
was really two buildings. The bar
room facing on one street, through
which the sleeping rooms could be
reached In the rear by narrow
passage.
For long time the police had
Quoted house that was the resort
of all the ragtag and bobtail and
human sewerage Of the city But he
was useful, and his suppression would
have made 1t only more difficult to
find a man when he was wanted. So
1t was that the Frenchlnan was al.
lowed to continue running his shady
secret foe to the lawless elements.
AS the time passed. and yet the
signal was not heard, Inspector
Barnes began to get impatient, and
in the shadows moved UP and down
the street, meeting here and there
some OF his men. with whom he ex-
changed a word or two. and then
passed on his beat.
During his walk he arrived pres
emily before the real front OF the.
building. where the barroom was sit
uated. and here he saw a man put
ting out the lights and making other
preparations to close up. AS 1t was
his intention to wink at the doings
of Monsieur Poujac. who had had
hand In the apprehension of mum
Der OF criminals, he made no at
tempt to approach the man who was
clearing up.
AS soon as the front of the estab-
lishment was dark he returned to
his post, which commanded the alley
and where Inspector Thorne was
now standing.
Anything new7'' he asked, 40 he
snuggied into the hallway beside his
subordinate.
mot sound from our corner" re-
Isponded t'A Atbaa