The Washington times., 1906-10-28

detectives. which here requires no.
record. and after about five minutes
he vent9red u ask, On low whisper;
Are YOU wise TO anything Felix
Boyd shook his head.
Nothing worthy Of mention. jim
mie." said ne "Byrncs will probably
see ali that I have seen. and pos
slbly a deal more"
'.Humphr muttered Coleman I'm
not so sure OF g."
When you are at Hbery. Jimmie,
would like you 10 go with me-"
Say when. old man. and youll find
me ready"
Let it be now. then" murmured
Boyd.
Coleman fingered only 20 say word
% Inspector Byrnes, then accompanied
Boyd from the office
Il wish To have a look at the ground
out back. said Boyd. as they sought
the rear stairway 1T is barely posi-
bic that we may discover footprints
having some significance. 1 have
noticed that the ground is somewhat
muddy"
You think The criminals may have
entered by the rear door Of the build
ing?' aueried Coleman.
II would have been quite natural
Jimmie"
That's true. What did you discover
upstairs2"
Scarcely anything" said Boyd eva
slvely. The time was too brief. jim
mic. before Byrnes arrived. or course.
then had 20 drop into the back
grond. All, here we are
AS he spoke, they emerged into the
narrow court back Of the building The
unpaved ground was damp after a
sharp shower which had fallen during
the night. and Boyd briefly paused 20
stare down az the Innumerahle impress
si0ns IN the clap which we're so inter
mingled as 10 present nothing at all
70 his purpose.
I.,s,I-nlIy nothing can be derived
from them. said he. after = moment
Come out this way. Jimmie"
Here and there upon the ground
were bits Of rubbish. broken bricks.
small pieces Of boards and laths. soil
Cd shavIngs and the like. all Of which
had fallen from the rear or the build
ing then In the process Of construc-
ton
The court led into a small open lot
at the end OF the new building. In
this lot were several mortar beds,
with the laboTers az work about them;
also an accumulation Of empty lime
and cement barrels. some loose lum-
Der and strips OF Joist. while near the
end OF the court was a huge heap Of
rubbish. evidently the result OF clear
ing the ground at In arvals-
Slightly protruding from this rub
bIsh heap was what appeared TO be
pair OF old soiled boots. evidently dis
carded and thrown away; and 70 these
BOYD indlnerentIy called Coleman's
attention.
The old boots?' queried Coleman.
YES. certainly 7 see them. What OF
them
You cannot see the tops OF them.
said BOYD dryIy. They appear 10 be
empty. all right. Jimmie yet isn't Il
possible that there may be man IN
them?'
The central office man vented one
quick growl, and sprang toward the
heap OF rubbish. With single sweep
Of his arm he threw aside lot OF
loose shavinEs and bits Of boards and
laths. Then an Involuntary cry, loud
and thrilling broke from him;
by God Boyd. you're right.
Amid the refuse. with his entire
form and dishgured face now plainly
exposed lay the body Of Joe Dobson,
the missing janitor.
Boyd fastened 20 Join Coleman be
side the murdered man. and glance
told him how death had been inflicted
KILLED with a sand bag. Jimmie.
he cried gTimly. Two nasty blows on
the head, not even breaking the skin,
yet turning him down as if struck
with a siedge.'
by all the gods. Boyd. I'm utterly
bsf1adv' snarled Coleman. How came
the body out here? Both Getchel ana
Dobson killed. yet thus removed from
one another, What devils own mys-
terry are we up against
Instead Of replying immediately,
Boyd bent to lay his hands upon the
body. on the soiled coat covering the
stiUed heart, on the sufened limbs.
and even the worn boots. and then he
thrust one hand amid the shavtngs
and refuse on which the body was
lying.
The shavings under the corpse were
wet also the boots; but the clothing
of the dead man was comparatively
dry
BuFu knew IL n5au NOT iAAA4S1 SIM
midnight. DObson's clothing being dry
and the refuse under his body being
wet. the body must have been placed
there since the shower. Yet the boots
were wet and must have been out
there when it rain d.
This shreWd biz of detective Work,
bv which very important facts were
established. occupied Boyd but mo-
nent. II wac done as if In cursory
examination of the body. moreover.
and in way that completely blinded
Coleman to Boyds secret designs
Nor did Boyd's countenance evince any
new discovery, when he arose and lie
piled To Colcman's Impuls.ve remarks
"a devils own mystery. indeed. Jim
mie." said he gravely. 1T certainly
Is deep one.
But you. gr0Wled Coleman frowh-
inc suspiciously. and pointing perpieN-
edIv al the body. must have got some
nointer 10 this. WHAT the dickens SEM
YOU down here so abruptly. anu no"
ala Won locate 81 SO readily
Bovd smiled lndinerentiy' ana POM
ed through the court ana up ~
window of GetcheTs office
VERY simply. Jimmie he explained
- l,r4fvzfcal eve In look