Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-17

IulS very EOOHl dDOlI IOQE months ago.
l picked it up cheap from Harding
Bros, two doors from the High Street
station. A great deal Of my journal
istic work is done at night, and 1 Of
ten write until the early morning So
it was today. 1 was sitting In my den.
which is at the back OF the top of the
house, about 3 o'clock when l was
convinced that l heard some sounds
downstairs. 1 listened. but they were
not repeated, and concluded that
they came from outside Then sud
| denly. about five minutes later, there
came a most horrible yell-the most
dreadful sound Mr. Holmes that ever
heard. 1t will ring in my ears as
long as l live. / sat frozen with hor-
ror for a minute or two; then l seized
the poker and went downstairs. When
/ entered this room l found the win
| dow wide open, and | at once observed
| that the bust was gone from the man.
teIpiece. Why any burglar should take
| such a thing passes my understand
ing, for it was only plaster cast and
of no real value whatever
"You can see for yourself that any
one going out through that open win
dow could reach the front doorstep by
taking a long stride. This was clearly
what the burglar had done. so | went
round and opened the door. Stepping
| out into the dark, 1 nearly fell over a
| dead man who was lying there. l ran
| back for light, and there was the
| poor fellow, a great cash in his throat
| and the whole place swimming in
| blood. He lay Oh his back, his knees
| drawn up and his mouth horribly open
| l shall see him in my dreams. l had
| just time to blow on my police whistle
| and 3hen l must have tainted, for l
| knew nothing more until l found the
| policeman standing over me in the
hall"
well, who was the murdered MANI"
asked Holmes.
| There's nothing to show who he
| was" said Lestrade. you shall see
the body at the mOrtuary, but we have
made nothing of it up to now. He is
| a tall man, sunburned, very powerful,
not more than thirty. He is poorly
| dressed. and yet does not appear TO
be a laborer. A horn handled clasp
knife was lying in a pool of blood be-
side him. Whether it was the weapon
which did the deed or whether it be-
lOnged to the dead man l do not know.
| There was no name on his clothing
and nothing in his pockets save an
| apple, some string, a shilling map of
London and photograph. Here it is.
1t was evidently taken by a snapshot
| from a small camera. 1t represented
| an alert, sharp featured simian man,
with thick eyebrows and a very pc
| culiar projection of the lower part of
| the face, like the muZZle OF a baboon.
And what became of the bust" ask
| ed Holmes after a careful study of this
| picture.
I'VE had news of it just before you
came. 1t has been found in the front
garden of an empty house in Camp
| den House road. 1t was broken into
| fragments. l am going round now TO
see it. Will you Gomez?
Certainly. l must just take one look
round" He examined the carpet and
the window. The fellow had either
| very. long legs or was a most active
| man." said he. with an area beneath.
il was no mean feat to reach that win
I dow ledge and open that window. Get
, ting back was comparatively simple.
Are you coming with us TO see the re-
mains of your bust, Mr.. Harker?''
The disconsolate Journalist had seat
ed himself at a writing table.
81 must try and make something OF
It," said he, though / have no doubt
| that the first editions OF the evening
| papers are out already with full de-
tails. It's like my luck, You remember
| when the stand fell at D0neaster? Well.
I was the only journalist in the stand
| and my journal the only one that had
| no account OF IL, for | was too shaken
to write it. And now I'll be too late
| with a murder done on my own door
| step"
AS we left the room we heard his pen
travelling shrilly over the foolscap.
The spot where the fragments OF the
bust had been found was only a few
hundred yards away. For the first time
our eyes rested upon this presentment
Of the great emperor. which seemed to
raise such frantic and destructive ha-
tired in the mind of the unknown. II
lay scattered in splintered shards upon
the grass. Holmes picked mp several OF
them and examined them carefully.
was convinced from his intent face
and his purposefuI manner that at last
| he was upon a clew.
'WelIF" asked Lestrade
Holmes shrugged his shoulders
I've have long way TO go yet" said
| he. And yet-and> yet-well we have
some suggestive facts TO act upon
The possession Of this trlfiing bust was
worth more i'm the eyes OF this strange
criminal than "A human life. That is
| one point. Then there is the singular
fact that he did not break IL in the
house or Immediately outside the
house. il TO break il was his sole OBJ
| ject''
He was ratified and hustled by meet
ing this other fellow He hardly knew
what he was doing"
Well, that's likely enough. but /
wish to call your attention very partfc-
ularly TO the position of this house I'm