The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-09
Che Exploits 81 a Physician Detective

ready to leave the house He did look
around little after while TO see IL
| there was anything worth appropriat-
ing. but he saw nothing very desirable.
and besides. he had so much contempt
| for the lady that he was afr.ad 1t
would bring him bad luck If he should
steal from her. She had just the same
as killed man. She was a hoodoo.
So he went back into the kitchen and
| smoked and read an old newspaper
| that lay there. Finally he fell asleep,
and some time afterward was awak-
ened by the ringing of the dOorbell
which was right above his head He
| jumped UP and peeked through the
window. He could just. see the elbow
| Of man standing on the steps. who
remained there a moment longer, Civ
ing the bell another pull, and then
started off. Hohus. supposing he had
/ gone for good. resolved not TO risk
staying after that. Somebody else
might come.
| He had just shot back the bolt on the
| front door. ready to go out, when he
thought of the prisoner. She must net
be left there locked in. But before ne
could take one step to release her he
heard a football in the walk outside
the bell rang again. and the doorknob
ratified. He sprang into the front room
| just in time to avoid facing the new
conner for the door swung oDen as he
shook the knob and he entered, crying
out:
DO you keep your doors unlocked
here?"
At the same moment there came Il
vigorous humping on the floor from
underneath. as if il were being pound
ed with stick of timber. The strang-
er exclaimed under his breath and hast
ened down the cellar stairs, when Ho-
bus, knowing what he would discover
there. softly slid into the street and
hurried away That was all he knew
about it He. had not intended to hurt
the woman. only 10 scare her and show
her how sometimes the best of us can
not do a we would: and he had not
seen any money in the house. to say
nothing of taking any away. The man,
whoever he was. had certainly let the
woman out. for he knew she or some
body was down there, and Hobus had
heard him descending the cellar stairs
This story was ridiculed by the po-
lice: yet they could not account for
the fact that no money was found on
the prisoner. He was sober. too, which
hardly would have happened If there
were any cash where he could get hold
of it. They took him to Miss Wetchell
for identification, and when she de-
clared him to be the guilty one he re-
peated his yarn over again.
Il heard the doOrbell ring" she said,
in answer. "and I thought l heard
voices. So knocked on the floor with
stick. Then somebody came down
the cellar stairs, and I ran to the door
and cried out that I was locked in
there: but, as the person turned around
and went up, l supposed it was you
and that nobody had come in. Indeed,
how could anybody get in. with the
door locked? I di1n't suppose you
would open il for anybody"
''Wa'al-he ratified the knob, and the
door come open" began Hobus. when
she started up and stared at him, cry
ing out in agitation:
Did you say he shook the door
knob?"
Yes" said Hobus, sullenly. i've
said it fifty times. Amt that enough?"
She sank back or the couch. where
she had been lying, with pale and
troubled face.
What is it. Miss wetchell?" asked
the officer of police who had the pris-
oner i'm charge.
1T can't be anything but a coinci-
dence." she said, in a low voice but
it is very strange, very strange
But what is stranger" he urged
gently. Miss Wetchell was a person
of property. and as such entitled to
the respect and Difference of the guardi-
ans of the city's peace. They were all
of them very polite when they came
in contact with her.
We'll" she answered. you know I
am alone here. and l don't like to an
swer the bell unless / can see who is
ringing it, especially at night. SC
usually I so upstairs and look from the
window down onto the steps. But TO
save me that trouble with my own
folks-I haven't many. you know. only
two or three distant relatives-ii is tIn-
derstOod that when 1t is one of them
a the door, she will pull the bell and
then loudly rattle the knob. so III
know. That is all. If the person of
whom this man speaks ratified il il was
was very" She looked at the officer
and he looked from her to Hobus. with
subtle change of expression fitting
over his face.
Are all your folks womeno" he
asked her. You said she would rat
tie
NO, they are notr' Miss wetcheIl
cried, sitting up. And if you can find
out that any Of them did this horrible
thing. and il you get this money
back
"It was him done it" INTERRUPTED
Hoous. holding his head wisely.
a." TWan't me-"
The officer again glanced at him and
back at Miss Wetchell swiftly.
Miss Wetchell," he said, "do you
suspect anybody"
Yes, ] do-nowr' she answered. With
emphasis. "One of my folks is not a
woman. He IS 4 man. or small part of
enc, and il would be more like him to
DO it She stopped speaking and Law
back on the couch as if exhausted. But
she no sooner had touched the pillow
than she bounded uD again. His
name" she almost screeched, "is Ferdj-
nand BOSWELL. and lie lives at Il Pearl
street, in Wentcnville. If any man
rang that bell, and at the same time
ratified the doorknob, he is the one. I
always knew he wanted my money
and would do anything to get 1.-THE
wretched person. You come herep
The last phrase was addressed TO tIo-
bus. She seemed to think she had done
MIN an injury by su5pecting him of the
theft of the money. and overlooking
his treatment of her i'm the past. she
sought now to forgive him for this as
kind woman would do, and make
honorable amends for ner suspicion.
Hobus stood where he was.
-4- Il