The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-14

Humph. muttered Coleman. I'm
! not SO sure of it,"
when you are at liberty, Jimmie, /
would like you to go with me-"
Say when, old man, and you'll find
me ready
I Let it be now, them" murmured
Boyd.
! Coleman fingered only to say a word
to Inspector Byrnes. then accompanied
| Boyd from the office
! Il wish to have look at the ground
! out back" said Boyd. as they sought
the rear stairway. at is barely posi-
bic that we may discover footprints
| having some significance. l have no.
ticed that the ground is somewhat
muddy
You think the criminals may have
entered by the rear door of the build
ing?' querried Coleman.
1t would have been quite natural.
! Jimmie
That's true. What did you discover
upstairs?"
Scarcely anything" said Boyd
evasively. The time was too brief.
Jimmie. before Byrnes arrived OF
course, I then had to drop into the
| background. ALI here we are"
AS he spoke they emerged into the
narrow court, back of the building. The
unpaved ground was damp after
| sharp shower which had fallen during
| the night, and Boyd briefly paused to
| stare down at the innumerable impress
sions in the clay, which were so inter-
| mingled as to present nothing at all 10
| his purpose.
Evidently 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, soiled
shavings and the like all of which had
fallen from the rear of the building
! then in the process of construction.
The court led into a small open lot,
at the end of the new building. In this
lot were several beds with the
| laborers at work about them; also an
accumulation of empty lime and ce-
ment barrels, some loose lumber and
| strips of joist, while near the end of
the court was a huge heap of rubbish,
evidently the result of clearing the
| ground at intervals
| Slightly protruding from this rubbish
| heap was what appeared to be a pair
of old soiled boots evidently discarded
| and thrown away; and to these Boyd
! indifferently called Coleman's atten-
ton.
THE old boots?" querried Coleman.
| Yes. certainly 1 see them What eff
| them?" i
| You cannot sec the tops of Them
/ said Boyd dryly. They appear TO be
empty. all right, Jimmie, yet isn't it
possible that there may be a man in
! them?''
The central office man vented one
| quick growI and sprang toward the
! heap of rubbish. With single sweep
of his arm he threw aside a lot of loose
shavings and bits of boards and laths.
Then an involuntary cry, loud and
thrilling, broke from his
by God. Boyd. you're right
| Amid the refuse, with his entire form
and disfigured face now plainly ex-
| posed. lay the body of Joe Dobson, the
| missing janitor
Boyd FASTENED to join Coleman be
side the murdered man, and a glance
told him how death had been inflicted.
KILLED with q Sand-bag. Jimmie he
| cried grimly. Two nasty blows on the
head. nOtFeven breaking the skin, yet
turning him down as if struck with
sledge.'
by all the gods. Boyd. I'm utterly
baff1ed," snacled Coleman. "How came
the body out here? Both Getchel and
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
stilled heart, on the stiffened limbs,
and even the worn boots. and then be
thrust one hand amid the shavings
and refuse on which the body was ly-
ing.
/ The shavings under the corpse were
wet, also the boots: but the clothing of
the dead man was comparatively dry,
Boyd knew it had not rained since
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 rained.
This shrewd bit of detective work, by
which very important facts were es-
tablished, occupied Boyd but mo-
ment. 1t was done as if in cursory ex-
animation of the body, moreover, and
! in a way that completely blinded Cole
man to BoydS secret designs. Nor did
Boyd's countenance evince any new
discovery, when he arose and replied
to COlemans impulSive remarks:
"A devils own mystery, indeed, jim
mie. said he gravely. 1T certainly
is deep one"
But you" growled Coleman. frown-
ing suspiciously and pointing perplex-
eddy at the body, must have got some
pointer to this. What the dickens sent
you down here so abruptly and how did
you locate it so readily"
Boyd smiled indifferently and pointed
through the court and I'D TO the win
dow of Getchers office.
Very simply, Jimmie" he explained,
with a rather quizzical eye. I'm look
ing from the window up there / hap
pened to see the refuse heap. with the
! boots protruding. Any blockhead
would have been equally suspicious.
Jimmie. l am sure
The face Of the central office man
plainly indicated that he distruStad
Boyd's explanation; but before he could
reply he was cut off by the gruff voice
OF a man then forcing his way through
the group of laborers who had gath
cred near.
What's the matter here?" he quick
~ demanded. Goodness, a man
dead,
Boyd turned TO face him, as the |
speaker recoiled slightly upon seeing