The Washington times., 1906-11-11

present TOT YOU tllAt LtS SS4lis'+-s ~
Joined, in response TO a quizzical in
quiry from his hearer. These don't
look much like it, eh?'
Not very much, Jimmie, for fact,
smiled Boyd. drawing up his chair and
curiously surveying the odd lot Of
rubbish exposed to his view,
II consisted chiefly of old cigarette
boxes, scraps of pastebOaTd from
broken candy packages, crumpled por-
tions of paper bags. parts of news
paper wrappers and soiled envelopes,
few leaves from small calendar
several strips cut from the border
edges Of newspapers and magazines
the entire lot looking much like col
lection from some old refuse barrel.
The central Office man. with the par
eel under his arm, had entered the
Pine street office of Mr.. Felix Boyd
only few minutes before, and just as
Boyd was lighting his pipe after re
turning from his midday lunch.
1t was a day in September, by the
wav. and precisely four months sub
seuuent to that on which had occurred
the startling burglary OF the great
Southern Trust and Insurance Com
pany. a crime made memorable by the
vast sum secured by the burglars
amounting to nearly half-a-mtllion dol
lars i'm bonds and negotiable securi-
ties. Despite the fact that one OF the
thieves. the notorious Bud Rafferty,,
had since been caught and convicted,
not a trace of the stolen property
could be obtained, nor any clue leading
20 the Identification and arrest or
Rafferty's confederates.
Yet negotiations with the convict,
with a view 10 recovering some OF the
stolen property, had repeatedly been
tried by the authorities since his in
generation at Sing Sing, and many
inviting offers had been made him, all
of which had been scornfuliy rejected
by Rafferty,. whose grim loyalty 10 his
confederates was said 10 be entirely
in accord with his resentful and des-
perate character.
At the time of the great burglary.
which had occurred the previous May,
many comments were made rejecting
upon the judgments of the trust COM
panv directors for not having a"ailed
themselves of the services of Mr.. Felix
BOYD. whose secret work and constant
vigilance below the dead-ine had
averted numerous similar crimes.
These comments came chiefly from
Royds own clients. however, who
alone were in position to appreciate
las extraordinary talents and pecu-
liarlv effective methods.
The victimized company not being
among his clients. Boyd had felt only
q cursory interest In the crime. This
over by the fact that certain details
Of the burglary, incidentally brought
20 his notice by Jimmie Coleman, con-
vinced him that the job was not the
work OF the organized gang of crooks
which long had been operating below
the dead-Iine. directed by that obscure
master criminal known only To Boyd
bv the name of the Big Finger
This powerful gang had given Boyd
no end of serious trouble, and its eX-
termination finally had become so inn
perative 10 the safety of the great
financial interest served by him that
BOYD was now resolved 20 hazard al
most any desperate move that pre-
sented even visionary promise of sue
cess That any advantage In this di-
rection was TO be derived from the
curious contents of Jimmie Cole
mans brown paper parcel, however,
did not then enter the mind of Felix
Boyd
Where did YOU get this lot Of trash,
Jimmiee" he inquired
..U~ the river" replied Coleman
sentenuously. as he drew up chair
70 the table.
Sing sing?"
Exactly"
What about II, Jimmie?"
Have a look" said Coleman, tend
erirg one Of the scraps of pasteboard,
the side of broken cigarette box.
edo YOU find nothing worthy of note?'
All 7 see" Boyd exclaimed. 1T
is curiousIy marked with fine pencil
lines. so inscribed as to attract 10
serious attention. This might be
brief communication. Jimmie. I'm cipher,
or a secret code"
That's precisely what it IS, Felix,
and ouI. ind all of this rubbish SIM
farly marked"
How came IL I'm your possession
asked Boyd, with Indifferent interest.
did Won bring IL down from the peni-
tenuary.
t4AHttiAr tltltattA q tiIfiIllaI- went
up there TO deliver a prisoner this
morning. and when coming away 1
observed Burrage. one of the deputy
wardens rackinE his thinking machine
over one OF these scraps of paper. a
few inquiries elected some rather
startling disclosures. aad brought this
lot of truck from a drawer in his
desk"
What were his disclosures, jim
mie2"
For some weeks. Felix one Of the
convicJs up there has been frequently
receiyins Parcels and papers, eiga-
Tettes. candy. ana the like, ostensibly
from a woman he is engaged 10 marry
after his release. Under the rules of
tie institution, an such packages are
carefully examined before delivery TO
tie prisoners,
An. 1 see remarked Boyd. Bur
rage nuaIIy ObseTV ed tuat all of the
articles sent 10 the convict mentioned
bore these hue pencil lines"
lie first discovered them on the
outer edge of a cigarette box. replied
Coleman. AS NOUll observe. they are
not of a character 10 attract much at
tention, and Burraee AT first thought
they had been idly or aimlessly made.
Quiet Investigation. however, revealed
thar each article subsequently address
Cd 20 this particular convict bore, IN