The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-17
SHAMROCK JOLNES


] am so fortunate as to count Shamrock
JONES, the great New OYrk detective
among my muster of friends. Jolnes is
what is called the inside man of the
city detective force. He is an expert in the
use of the typewriter, and It is his duty,
whenever there is a murder mystery TO
be solved, to sit at a desk telephone al
Headquarters and take down the mes
sages of '-cranks" who phone in their
confessions of having committer the
crime.
But on certain off days when confess
sions are coming in slowly and three or
four newspapers have run TO earth as
many different guilty persons, JONES will
knock about the town with me, exhibit
ing, to my great delight and instruc-
ton, his marvellous powers of observation
and deduction
The other day I dropped in at Head
quarters and found the great detective
gazing thoughtfully at a string that was
tied around his little finger.
Good morning, Whatsup,' he said,
without turning his head. I'm glad to
notice that you've had your house fitted
up with electric lights at last"
''WiII you please tell me-" I said in
surprise. how you know that? 1 am
sure / never mentioned the fact to any
one; and the wiring was a rush order
not completed until this marning."
Nothing easier said Jolnes. genially
GAS you came in ! caught the odor of the
cigar you were smoking. l know an ex-
pensive cigar; and know that not more
than three men in New York can afford
to smoke good cigars and pay gas bills
too, at the presetn time That was an
easy one. But 1 am working just now on
q little problem of my own.
why have you that string on your fin
ger?" l asked
That's the problem said JONES. My
wife tied that on this morning to remind
me of something that 1 was to send up TO
the house. Sit down, Whatsup, and ex-
cuse me for a few minutes"
The distinguished detective went to a
wall telephone, and stood with the re-
ceiver to his ear for probably ten minutes.
Were you listening to a confession?''
/ asked, when he had returned to his
chair
Perhaps said Jolnes. with a smile,
lit might be called something of the sort
~ W liam VIII YOU. w HdlSups L We cut
out the dope. I've been increasing the
quantity so long that morphine doesn't
have much effect on me any more I've
got TO have something more powerful
That telephone I just went to is connected
with a room in the Waldorf where there's
an author reading in progress. Now, to
get at the solution Of this string
After five minutes of silent bordering,
Jolnes looked at me, with d smile. and
nodded his head.
Wonderful man. 1 exclaimed; cal
ready"
1t is quite simple" hes aid, holding up
his finger. You see that knot? That is
TO prevent my forgetting. 1t is, therefore,
. forget-me-not. a forge-me-not is a
flower. 1t was a sack of flour that 1 was
to send homer
''eBautiful!" 1 could not help crying
out in admiration.
Suppose We go out for a rambler" sug-
gested JONES
There isonlyone case of importance on
hand just now, one hundred and four
years old, died from eating too many
bananas. The evidence points so strongly
to the Malta, that the police have sur
mer Gambrinus Club No , and the cap
ture Of the assassin is only the matter of
q few hours The detective force has not
yet been called on for assistance
5olnes and l went out and up the street
towrad the corner, where We were to
catch a surface car.
Halfway up the block we met Rhein-
geIder, an acquaintance or ours, who held
q City Hall position.
Good morning. Rhengelder." said
JoInes. halting. Mice breakfast that was
you had this morning"
Always on the lookout for the detec-
tive's remarkable feats of deduction. [
saw Jolnes eye flash for an instant upon
q long yellow splash on the shirt bosom
and a smaller one upon the chin of Rhein-
gelder-both undoubtedly made by the
yolk Of an egg
''Oh, dot is some of your effectiveness.
said Rheingelder. shaking all over with
a smile. We'll. 1 pet you thinks und ci-
gars all round dot you cannot tell vot I
hat eaten for breakfast"
Done" said JONES. Sausage, pun
pernickel and coffee"
Rheingelder admitted the correctness
Of the surmise and paid The bet When I
we had proceeded on our way | said to
JONES:
Il thought you looked at the egg spilled |
on his chin and shirt front"
Il did said Jolnes. That is where |
1 began my deduction. Rheiugelder is a /
very economical, saving man Yesterday
eggs dropped in the market to twenty /
eight cents per dozen Today they are
yesterday. and today he went back to his I
usual fare. \ little thing like this isn't /
anything. Whatsup; it belongs to the phi |
mary arithmetic class
When we boarded the street car we /
found the seats all occupied-principally 1
by ladies. Jolnes and / stood on the rear
platform
About the middle OF the car seat there /
sat an elderly man with short. gray
beard. who looked 10 be the typical. we'll /
dressed New Yorker At successive cor
ners other ladies climbed aboad. and soon
thre or four OF them were standing over
the man, clinging to straps and glaring
meaningly q the man who occupied the
coveted seat. But he resoIuteIy retained
his place
We New oYrkers." I remarked 10
Jolnes. have about lost our manners. as
far as the exercise Of them in public
goes.
Perhaps So sand Jolnes. lightly; but
the man You evidently refer 70 happens
10 be very chivalrous and courteous
gentleman from old Virginia lie is spend
ing a few days in New York with his
wife and two daughters. and he leaves for
the south tonight"
N-.,rr