Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-12-07

his power, but this story explained
far too much, in my opinion. 1t eX-
planned more money than Sendal had,
for such a man, devoted to cxtortion,
would have emptied any purse that
fear could open. The more rational
explanation was that he occupied his
leisure in playing cards for high stakes.
He should have been an ideal gam
bier, for coincidence was his slave,
and he was perfectly cold FLOODED.
1t seems absurd to say that such n
man had amiable qualities, yet cool
ness, courage, perfect self control, even
In bad man, attract certain admi-
ration. Besides. there was strange
| sincerity In him despite his reticence,
his cold self sufiiclency and the many
mysteries of his behavior. There were
women, and men, too, who wasted
warm and deep affection upon Sendal,
and among the men was an unfortu-
nate young fellow named Bertrand
Ross.
Ross had the touch of genius. He
had written n good book and had made
some money out of it, which he had
promptly lost, but for Il year or more
/ he had lived well, if not wisely, and
had been happy in foolish way.
After the money was gone he contin-
ued to live in handsome rooms, but he
had hard work to make both ends
| meet. Another book was nearly fin
ished, however, and he built high hopes
upon it. l now know that Sendal help
ed Ross along during this period, but
mt the time their friendship was Sc
cret. II was indeed so close n secret
that nobody in the newspaper office
where Sendal worked was aware TINT
the two men We're acquainted.
! Thus it happened that the night city
editor, who thought himself quite init
mate with Sendal, gave him an assign
ment one midnight without the faint
est notion that it could have person.
| III interest to the reporter. 1t was ey-
/. pressed as follows:
| "Go up to the Aldine building in Il
| hurry and get Il story about Bert Ross,
j the writer. He has shot himself"
.All right" responded Sendal calmly.
And he walked out of the office with
his customary air of complete indiffer-
! ence.
| AT the Aldinc there was remarkably
little stir when Sendal arrived. The
affair had been kept quiet. A police
/; man in plain clothes was talking with
| the Aldine's might man" in small
| room beside the main entrance.
Did you telephone to our otiice?" in
| quired Sendal, pausing ut the door.
| The detective nodded.
"Tll see that you get paid for it."
i said the reporter, and went on up the
/ stairs.
In Ross rooms there We're doctor,
Il uniformed policeman and plain
clothes man. With the last of these
! persons Sendal was well acquainted,
and he was admitted readily. The re-
the bedroom where Ross lay fully
dressed upon the bed. There was a
folded bath towel under his head Sen
dial laid steady hand upon the brow,
which was not yet cold, and turned
the head SO that he could see the fatal
wound. which was a little behind and
above the right ear. Then he went out
into the parlor.
a large, fat topped table stood in the
center of the room There We're an or
binary glass inkstand and tall bot
tie of ink. The latter had recently
been overturned. deluging some loose
sheets of paper. and indeed almost the
whole top of the table. The only bit
Of paper which had entirely escaped
was thin strip which proved to be 4
band such ms is put around Il package
of cheap envelopes. But there We're lie
envelopes upon the desk; there was
none in a small drawer which was open
Indeed, the drawer was empty. AL
the others We're locked, and 1t requlr
ed considerable search to find the keys
which were in pocket of suit OF
clothes hanging in closet in the bed
ROOM
On the floor beside the desk was
strewn pack of playing cards, some
of them stained with blood. Senda
picked them up with care, as if they
had been Of great value. He wipet
| tuost uuu bttll tluIhtu VIII
blood and then shutiled the pack ant
!, ran the cards back and forth in hi:
skilled fingers while the officers of til,
law We're hunting for the keys which
have been mentioned.
When the drawers in the desk wer,
opened they proved to contain Ross
manuscripts and other papers arranged
l f,,
ccedings may have occupied about fiji
teen minutes, and during the latte
with the detective.
This is the way l figure 1t out" SAT-
the officer. Ross was Respondent
He'd made some money and lost it.
understand that he'd got to drinkin
pretty hard and playing cards. It
like a confession that he should hay
thrown that pack on the floor befor
he shot himself
YES" said Sendal; 81 should sa
, that 1t meant something"
Here's the revolver that he used,
, continued the detective. 1T was lyin
: beside his chair. The body was on til
floor halfway between the desk an
that window"
You oughtnt to have moved it,
said Sendal, who was using the mante
piece rs ii desk and writing his stor
for the newspaper. How did 1t lie?"
i "lface downward, with the feet tt
ward the window" was the reply. 81
looks TO me ms If he had got to til
. window and opened II, perhaps wit
the idea of calling for help. There's
blood stain ON the susl, and another o
8 the ledge He must have lived four {
five minutes after the shot and hay