The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-07-26

and then we'll go together to the chlel
of your department and I'll lay my
facts before him Have you called at
this house? It's the only one haven
visited"
Eyes" said Detective Sergeant Holt;
II drew a blank there. There's an Old
foreign woman there Speaks no Eng
fish. couldn't make head or tail OF
her"
Perhaps | can" suggested Biilery.
The house door was open and an Old
crone sat knitting in the sunshine at
the doorway. He stepped forward
raised his hat, and accosted her in
Italian. Her dress and complexion
seemed to lead that way. She looked
up with bleared eyes and answered
his salutation civilly enough. Have
YOU lived long in the neighborhood,
he asked
Long enough, she told him, to have
lost everybody belong to her, except
one Her son was out with his music.
He would be back at 8 O'Clock If the
senior wished to speak with him.
She knew the house where the body
Of the old Englishman had been
found? asked Billery.
Oh, yes. she knew the house.
Had she known the man who sold
the house four or five years ago?
Yes, she had known him; he was
bad man. He had robbed her poor old
husband.
She told long-wlnded tale of this,
and Billery listened with great pa
tience; but the story bidding fair to
go on for an hour or two, he cut it
short by the production of a half
crown.
Il want to know that mans name"
said Billery. Il will give you this
for It,"
His name was Observation-Disclosures
she was growing old, and did not re-
member things-Eduardo- yes,
that was it-Eduardo Missalli. He
was of France or the Indies. Where?
Oh, she knew not where. He had said
that he was going home. Did he
speak English? He talked with his
English neighbors. What manner OF
man? An ugly man. A little man.
He had been in an accident. He went
lame and had scar upon his cheek.
He was about fifty years of age.
Billery surrendered the halfcrown
and she bit it with the two teeth left
to her.
I'VE haven't wasted our day. SER
geant," said Billery. "The man who
sold the house was a Frenchman, by
name Eduardo Missalli; more proba-
bly, Edouard Missall. His home was
in the South of France, neighborhood
unknown. He had been injured in an
upon his cheek" The sergeant booked
all this.
Great advantage that" he said; "a
knowledge of foreign languages.
know enough to get along with a
Frenchman or a Deutscher, but there
l stop"
IF it's of any use to you to have
this little bit OF information as your
own" said Billery, you're welcome
to ito | hadn't thought at first Of ask
ing for your help at all, but you can
be of enormous use. suppose the
French police will assist you in look
ing this man up?"
IF he's alive, and anywhere in
France, they'll have him in a week,
sir"
Good" said Billery. "And now, If
! you'll come with me to the Yard I'll
| tell you something that will interest
! you. I'm about at the end OF my teth-
er. | can't go travelling all over
| France looking for man with a game
| leg and scar. And it's OF no use for
one man 10 scour over London to find
when, on an uncertain date, some per-
son unknown carted a lot of second
| hand furniture 10 house in Agar
| row."
Il can see." said the sergeant, that
you've been measuring ways and
means, sir. But a one-man hunt is
very little good when you've got a
wide ground TO cover. That's where
the organization comes in. A word
10 the police sets hundred thousand
pairs OF eyes on the watch. It's a
most uncommon thing nowadays for
man 10 hide himself for any length
OF time. II that chap Missall or Mis-
salli 10 alive and In France we shall
have him In week, as I've said al
ready. don't say the systems
reached perfection, because It's hui
man Institution, and a human insti-
tuition IL pretty sure 10 break down in
places. but It's a beautiful piece of
machinery. sir, Is the police force--a
beautiful piece Of machinery"
The French or the English" asked
BlIisry.
Both OF EN-" said the sergeant
! speak as find. don't know about
them Russians. but as far as can see
they're rather a measly lot, or else
they've got too much on their hands
perhaps that's 1t. But the English
American, French and German police
Ia each Of 'em bit of all right, and
20 ] tell you I've worked with all O,
en- They're organized. That's where