The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-08

lcopyright by Lee & shepard ]

young man.
Constance thought the matter over deep
~ for twenty-four hours, and then the fol-
lowing letter reached young OsDorn:
Friend Tony-I have decided TO ask OF
you can get free from your duties at the
bank for a few days / should like TO have
you go TO the police headquarters in Boston,
gain personal interview with the chief,
and have him send a suitable detective 70
follow out the new clew furnished by the
cap found on the river bank. l desire
man or great astuteness, for such man
Is needed, tell the chief and l am willing
TO pay well for the service, and. OF course,
| shall reimburse you for the time and
money spent in my behalf
CONSTANCE HAMILTON"
Tony got his release without much diff
Guilty and soon reached the police head
quarters. Following Mrs. Hamilton's direc-
est order, and such one was furnished
him in the person Of a small, alert fndi-
vidual by the name of Swan. IL he had
been in training to reduce himself to the
lowest minimum of flesh compatible with
living at all, Swan would have presented
about the same appearance that he did
when he appeared to the astonished gaze
OF Osborn
Tony had got into the old-fashioned way
of saying when introduced to person, Il
hope / see you well" but on this occasion
ne pulled himself up with jerk before the
last word and brought it out a interro-
cation, well %
Perfectly" replied the other; always
well: never sick day in my life"
well, now, that's odd" said Tony, with
his usual drawl The other ones eyes
twinkled at what he considered his coun-
trified manners, but before the day was
ended was obliged to own that Osborn was
not so green he looked; for they re-
turned to Grovedale together and Tony
recounted from beginning to end the bank
mystery with its varied complications and
the adverse circumstances surrounding it
at the present time.
so you see," concluded Tony at the close
Hamilton is as great scamp as ever
drew breath or ne is what We thought
him TO be, thoroughly honest man"
Yes
And you want me to take the other?"
Tony nodded.
well. if 1 have got to handle the matter
I'm sorry he went off in company with a
woman. Women play the deuce with men.
even the more decent sort"
We'll, IL never has been proved that he
went far with her.
But ne knew her it seems, and such a
woman was known as Ashley's wife in
Valparaiso"
Condolences are more common than peo-
pie think. I've been struck by them twice
lately. | don't read the Bible as often as
l ought but twice lately, Sunday morning,
i nave read few verses and on going
TO church the minister would read the same
for a morning lesson. Now. 1 say. con-
sidering how many verses the Bible con-
tdlilSs THESE TWO INCIDENTS are more striking
than the single one of Hamiltons riding ON
the train with a woman who has since
then proved to be connected with bank
defaulter in the West. You haven't con-
Bruce was led to Ashley by the clew fur
nished by her emerald hair"
That is something worth looking at.
sometimes wrong starting point sets peo-
pie on wild-goose chases."
Swan, who was one OF the brightest men
in the profession, took up the matter with
/ raef
stance.
If he is not innocent he ought to be for
her sake" he said to Tony
AS il transpired the search was not as
| long as he anticipated for, although the
direct line of railroad was complete, a
branch road was in process of construction
about fifty miles distant, and a gang of
| Italians, presumably the same, were at
| work it under the same boss" en-
| ployed while engaged the Grovedale line.
The boss could talk little Italian, but not
| so perfectly as TO warrant the expectation
| that they could be made to understand an
| intricate matter like the one now pre-
| sented But at last a confused inkling of ii
seemed to have penetrated the mind of one
/ of the Italians, for, with a look of malice
| he poltned TO another at work not far dis
tant, saying. 'Leetle button goold."
Does he mean that the other one has a
| little gold button?" asked Swan.
Yes. / think So said the boss.
The detective took from his pocket the
| gold one marked V. which Tony had given
i III
ian. He began gesticulating with great
rapidity.
"Yees. yees." he said. and ratified off be-
sides a long string of Italian which was
| Greek to the boss as well as to Swan
Upon this. Swan went to the second man.
the boss walking beside him and saying
| The two had quarrel yesterday; drew
their knives ON each other before they were
/ separated
The Italian No-~2 evidently did not car,
| to talk with them, but laid away his small
vocabulary of English, remaining conven-
iently deaf, even when Swan produced the
/ button and inquired as plainly as he coulC
| if he had one like it, But he paid no heeC
till the boss put his hand suggestively OF
the mans pocket and motioned him ener.
getically to give IL up. sharp. now' hC
| said, threateningly.
murderous CLEAN came into the man:
| eyes, but he drew forth a gold shirt-stuC
wrapped in a piece of batting. He gave il
| to the boss, who passed il to Swan Their,
was letter III. on it, and without doub
| il was one of the set of three studs which
| the cashier wore when he left home.
Where did you get 20 asked the boss.
Find um," said the Italian.
''Where?''
The man motioned toward the south. say
| ing, Down reeVer.'
The first Italian came up at this juno
| ture and said:
He lie. Stole 'um from Pierre"
| "Who is Pierre?" asked Swan
| Pierre drOWndeed
Yes; Pierre was drowned at Grovedal
( boss
| walking with Swan to a little distance
They went across the river for liquor an,
the boat upset and they were all drowned
What sort of man was Pierre2''
The worst of the gang, said the boss
They are a murderous set. too. | woul
not have them, but the corporation ge
them cheap and they work we'll The fou
men that were drowned were buried i'm tn
dump by the others without any more cere
mony than would go 10 the covering up O
a dead horse. l tried TO have them max
"A box. but they would not until l threat
ened them with a discharge They mad
two, at last, and put two men i'm each an
Would they kill a man, do you think :?
Yes, II they were not afraid of bein
found cut. They value life no more tina
a pebble
AS can easily be imagined, Swans investi
cations were made with immense difficult,
the Italians rctreating into ignoranc,
either real or assumed. as a turtle does
| its shell. whenever the questioning gre,
troublesome. But at last Swan becam
convinced that they really knew very Iittl
about the matter, his practiced eyes dis
| corning no signs of actual guilt and he Wa
| forced TO believe that if any of the gan
assaulted Hamilton il must have bee
Pierre and his companions who wer
| drowned. and this the opinion of tn
boss. The man who had the button an
which he sold 10 Swan for a small sum. :
last confessed that he stole it from PIER
the day previous to the drowning an
that Pierre showed il 10 him and said b
found ii by the river bank the Friday be-
| fore.
BY dint of vigorous questioning. consul
ing with the boss and other laborers Swa
| discovered that the place where PIER
said he found the button was at or nes
the spot where the cap was found. and ths
| the Friday before the drowning of Pierl