Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-27
(copyrighs, by The cassell Publishing Co.,
CHAPTER L.

ers, contained on the morning Of Fri
day, June 16. 1887, a group Of anxious
and excited men, whose conversation
plainly indicated that their uneasiness
was caused by the continued and unex
planned absence of Paul North the
senior partner.
In State street circles North &
StacKhouse were classed among the
'plungers." For the first two years of
the firms existence, indeed, there had
been but slight departure from the
conservative policy followed by Mr..
North, who, when in the brokerage
business on his own account, had been
content with modest Office in COM
paratively quiet street leading east.
ward from Post Office square.
But, under the lead of Mr.. Stack
house-an energetic man of 40. ten
years his partners Understanding
had been added to brokerage; and the
firm had become widely known as the
promoter of many daring enterprises,
Nicaragua Midland was a speciality
with North & stackhouse. In season
and out of season Nicaragua Midland
had been Doomed" with persistency
that caused some of the older magnates
of "the street" to shake their heads
ominously, but which had attracted,
nevertheless, the admiration and CO.
operation of multitude Of people.
Not all who invested their earnings
under the advice of North & Stack
house had, it is true, found the ven
ture profitable.
Twelve days previous to this June
morning in 1887 curious letter. in an
unknown hand had been laid on Mr..
North's desk. The writing was an odd
sort Of scrawl, uncertain in it's lines,
but 1egible enough This was the
missive:
"My Dear Sir: I am desperate man.
ruined by your manipulations of the prop
erty entrusted to your hands. I must have
money enough to begin life again. l only
ask for a little back out of all you robbed
me of, but that little I must have. There
is only one thing for you to do Draw
check, for one thousand dollars, payable
to bearer, and enclose it addressed to me
lat the post office, Boston. If you fail in
this. swear to shoot you down as would
q mad dog. If you are wise, you will not
REFER UllS matter TO the ponce. mat ACT
would be your death warrant.
DANIEL, STICKNEY.''
Paul North, to whom personally this
threatening letter was addressed, had
consulted his partner in some little
unsasiness of mind.
tits all nonsense" Mr. Stackhouse
had said, confidently. "a mere prac-
teal joke Of some broker who wants
to brighten you. A few of them were
nipped in the last turn of the market
in our favor, you know, and perhaps
they hold North e Stackhouse re-
sponsible. But if the matter disturbs
you at all, why turn the letter over
to the police. They'll attend to it.
We must look after Nicaragua Mid
land very sharply this week, North,
and have no time to bother our heads
about trifies.'
Nevertheless Mr.. North had troubled
himself about the matter sufficiently
to put the letter into the hands of
Inspector Applebee for such action as
seemed proper.
Upon the advice of that quietly ef-
ficient parsonage a decoy letter had
been written by Mr.. North, inclosing
a check for $1,000, payable to bearer
An officer, in citizens clothes, had
been stationed on duty constantly at
the post Office, but no Daniel Stickney
had called for the letter addressed to
his name.
AS precaution against any possible
esrr1f M IS 10 11o H.,
been stopped at the bank, precaution
which thus far had proved equally
useless.
Just as told you," Stackhouse had
said to his partner after few days
"a brokers' practical joke"
The letter soon passed out of mind
for business cares weighed heavily OF
both partners.
So absorbed and anxious had Mr.
North become that he could talk ant
think of little except the market ant
its prospects.
Was it altogether on the subject o
Nicaragua Midland that he had hell
conference, late in the afternoon of tn,
18th of June, with one of the chief in
vestors, though not director, in tn,
Nicaragua Midland-Mr. Richard Fet
ridge?
Whether or not, the interview hac
not been finished at the Office for thu
two men had been seen to walk ava.
together, st.ll talking earnestly.
The junior partner had left the offic
hours before, outwardly calm. What
ever his forebodings may have been
Thornton Stackhouse was not the MAJ
to allow his troubles to show them
selves in look or manner.
Paul North was the father-in-law @
his business associate, and Thornto
Stackhouse made his home in sun
mer time at Mr.. North's spacious will
at Swampscott, from whose broad win
dows the occupants enjoyed an exhi
arating prospect of the sail-fecke
ocean.
At ten o'clock in the morning of TIL
Friday. the 18th of June, the director