The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-14

charged the transaction to profit and loss, being afraid to publish their indiscretlon. One thing, the government had now at last a concrete charge against the pair. I began to reason inductively. The Pro lessor" no doubt played the double role of 'Fownes" and Browning" He had substituted the former name on the bonds and in the role of the latter he had en- deavored to negotiate it. He had evI dently thought the bank would not send it to the sub-treasury. When he found they had done so he had gone out and telegrapher Mrs. Fownes, alias the "Queen of Sheba." to clear out of the hotel in case the sub-treasury was clever enough to recognize the stolen bond.
 When confronted by me he had simply posed as the innocent Mr. Browning. In a large hotel the employees cannot keep track of the outgoings and incomings of the guests. Therefore, while l waited, he had boldly gone to his suite-that taken in the name of Fownes In his guise of MT. Browning, a frequent caller. this had been an easy matter. Then he had changed his disguise completely and, grip in hand, had no doubt walked calmly past me as l sat in the lobby, and so out the front entrance He could not have ac- complished his escape in any other man ner.
 now bent all my energies on calling up every person who had stepped from the elevator during my twenty minutes or waiting. The fact that I must look for a dress suit case materially helped me l remembered that two people had passed me with such an article, a young man of barely twenty and a lady of perhaps twenty-five or thirty. l recalled their appearance perfectly l could not afford to let the slightest clue however seem ingly preposterous, slip through my hng- CTS. That young man and lady had to be tracked down. It was no longer de- sirable keeping the matter secret. l was dealing with criminals of the first water and reputation. I would require the help of everything and everybody, especially the press. So it was that the afternoon editions of the papers were alive with the history of the case. Also the en- tire police department and my men were out. Thus. with the entire machinery of the country in operation l anXiously awaited results.
 They were not long in coming. Clues arrived by the car load, Every one was ftithfully followed until proved myth. Finally on the following morn ing we struck oil The young man with tine dress suit case had been located at the town given in the hotel regis ter He puroved conclusively to be an inoffensive travelling salesman. That left the woman. Absurd as it seemed, was forced to the conclusion that. MT Browning alias the Professor" had impersonated a young lady of twenty five.
 One morning. some two weeks after my interview with MT Mercy of the sub treasury, a middle-aged gentleman with iron gray side whiskers and bristling white mustache was ushered into my office. He looked to be q sufferer from kidney trouble, for his complexion was peculiar yellow. There was a certain hesitancy and nervousness apparent in his manner.
 My name is Wilson-Humphrey B. Wilson," he began, "and I am the pres ident of the First National Bank of Stamford Conn.," He hummed and hawed, nervously rubbing his chin. and finally out came the story I had begun to sus- pect His bank had advanced a loan on one Of the spurious government bonds. "It happened about six months ago. he explained uneasly, ''and when I discov- cred the fraud I-er-well, of course had the integrity of the bank in mind and so I said nothing. You understand?'
 "I understand' said dryly. And that awakened your conscience at this late hour ?''
 Mir. Wilson looked irretrievably insult ed
 "I saw the A affair in the papers" he replied, with irppervious dignity. Be ing here on business. I thought 1t was my duty as a citizen to acknowledge my innocent dealings with the scoundrels. Also, Captain Smith, by a lucky chance, think l can put you in the way of arresting the head man of the gang, this 'Prnfassnr' as thsy call him."