The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-04-12

1
Simpson has been transferred to the
Denver office. I can have him put
back on run coming in here, how
ever, if you want him."
DO SO, please, Weeks, and let me
know when he is to arrive. Don't
let him know 1 want him; just keep
him around for awhile"
All right, colonel, I'll use him in
my office at an increased salary"
The next morning Conductor Camp
bell came in and told a straightfor-
ward story. Cheney turned the list
of count Rossi's friends over to Guth-
RE and Lonergan and had them run
down every clue possible. There was
nothing doing in any direction and
Cheney was beginning to believe it
was going to be a failure, and he
hated failure like his satanic majesty
hates holy water. OF course failures
had to come sometime, but in his first
active case after the war he did not
| want defeat.
Must be getting in my dotage," he
muttered to himself as he sat in his
office one afternoon reviewing the
case. So far as was known not one
of the Is thousand-dollar bills had ap-
peared in any of the banks, and a
search through pawnbrokers of the big
cities did not bring to light any OF
the diamonds. He had Paris and Am
sterdam notified by cable although he
knew if the diamonds and other
precious stones ever landed there,
the chance of securing their return
was not one in a million.
Simpson, the porter, had been in to
Chicago, and, through the carelessness
of Mr.. Weeks, had gone out again
without Cheney's seeing him. He had
! gone out on the overland to Frisco,
and on the way east again had been
doubled back to Frisco from Ogden
| because one of the porters on the
westbound train was notified that his
mother was dying in Chicago. The
superintendent at Ogden had done all
this not knowing how much Simpson
was wanted at headquarters. To make
matters worse Simpson got left at Og-
den by going up town on an errand
for passenger. The superintendent
ten-day lay off when he returned to
Chicago. But he had sent him west
from Ogden that night because they
were short handed from Frisco. All
| this Cheney learned by wire. His
| talk to Mr.. Weeks was rather more
forceful than elegant, and the Parlor
Car official was mad clear through.
A day later Weeks phoned Cheney
that Simpson would be in that night.
JEFF" said the colonel, 'you be at
| the Northwestern depot when the
Frisco train comes in tonight. James
Simpson is porter on car number 3.
| want to know what he does tonight.
You understand"
"Ab sho' does, kunnel," replied
jeff.
| Using JEFF was not new thing.
Cheney had used him many times be-
fore when negroes were to be shad
owed, and Jeffs work was of a high
order Weeks was posted and said he
would hold Simpson in Chicago as
| long as was necessary.
jeff was waiting when Cheney came
down the next morning. Without any
| ado he made his report.
Simpson is a yaller coon, kunnel,
an has a bad eye. After he wuz
| through wiz his wuk at de train he
lef, and follered him down to Lige
Ferguson's place on Deahbo'n street,
sub. He stayed there mos the even
in l went in an KEEP close as l cud to
| him. played wuz full. Simpson an
Ferguson had long talk an wuz mighty
thick. l KEEP gittin' closer to UNI bofe,
and once l heerd Lige say time wuzn't
ripe yet, ter do somethin' and den day
went away from me, and I heerd no
moh."
did Simpson appear flush with
money, jeff"
mo, sub, not 'strodinary amount.
No moh'n a niggah porter on long
run lax the overlan' limited would
have. Yo know OATS a putty good
run, kunnel. Tips is gently big
"Yes, 1 know that, jeff. Then you
noticed nothing unusual in the man."
"Well, he an Lige had good joke
erbout sumpin ovah sodah watah
bottle. l heard Simpson say wen he
was drinkin' a brandy an soda dat
he know one soda bottle with mon
ten cents, an Lige he laff and say
OATS right OATS jess de time dey
| notes me an move of"
Il want both those coons here, jeff,
only bring them separately and don't
let either know the other is here.
You've got a man out there to help
your"
81 sho' has, kunnel. Ah'll bring EN-
in. Doan' yo' nevah feah."
The colonel didn't fear. He knew
jeff and he now felt morally certain
he was on the track of Count Rossi's
diamonds. The joke about the soda
water bottle he would use as bait
and see what it would bring. About
II o'clock jeff brought in Simpson.
AS jeff had remarked, Simpson
was yaller coon and had a bad eye"
Ferguson was brought in a few mo-