The sun., 1907-11-10
IN A TRAP; BUT Y
/ NOT OF HIS MAKING
Cronkite Traces a Brass Key and
Sees a Certified Check
Torn Up.

NAAeN
We shall win our appeal before the court Of
last resort I have looked over my points;
they are we'll taken they are good. There
viii be a new trial OF the case OF Rapin
against your company
Good replied the insurance president.
1T is the only way TO deal with such in
Sernal soOundrels-grind them down. beat
tbem back until they eat out their hearts
with despair
Delay in our only recourse. Judge.
You have free hand. Who knows at what
moment tho clue may be discovered
which will reveal this vile conspiracy, de-
prive the villains OF their booty and above
all bring them 20 justiOeI'
But the Judge remained disconsolste.
Il arm even more morally certain he
said. that this claim is fraudulent than
was when advised that il should be
fought, but the circumstances are so dis-
boIcalEy simple that l have about given
up all hope OF detection.
-Adolph Menting. experimental chemist.
single. middle aged. applied to your COM
pany for insurance on his life in the sum OF
100000. payable 10 his personal representa-
tives There was some demur on the
ground that his occupation might be h&z-
ardous. but the mans reputation was so
high, his health was 30 fine. that the policy
was finally issued.
within the year an explosion occurred
in the remote laboratory where he worked
alone. A dead body was found stripped
OF its clothes and frightfully mutilated.
which was identified by various signs
faotitious or genuine. who can say?-as
that Of Adolph Menting.
The company refused payment for lack
OF proof Mrs. Josephine Dupin, a widow.
to whom he Wasengaged thereupOn brought
this action a. sole beneficiary under his
will On the trial We couldn't impugn any
Of the evidence Of Identification, teeth.
conformation. a stone from a mehed ring.
and what not, nor can we now
The brass key?' hazarded MIR. OaynoF.
-Ah, yes. the brass key. Well. neither
sico quite dared 10 bring that up
THE plaintiff claimed that il must have
been dropped by an unknown sornSbody
near the corpse and while CTOTiSits was
convinced that il must have been on the
dead mans person, he was unablestO show
it or to find out anything about u.
The Jury found a verdict for the full
amount, and so l fear will any other jury.
Even IL we win on our law points. as l pre-
dict. IL will be a pyrrhio victory"
at must not be-" protested Mr.. Gaynor
with deep feeling. Our board are up in
arms about this case.
They regard II as an attempt to dyna-
mite the company. They will go TO any
lengths. make any sacrifice. to Illustrate
the plot, TO bring the plotters to punish
ment. IL isn't the money. MarceLus.
do YOU mean, sir. that you would be
willing to risk the hundred thousand IN
order to catch the villains who are after
it?' asked the thickset, somewhat stolid
looking man, who had silently entered.
Here il CrOnkite. now" exclaimed the
Judge, "and he comes with news. too, unless
all signs fail
desperate cases require desperate reme-
dies, you know
"Then, Judge. then. sir, - continued the
detective calmly. Il may rs we'll tell you
that | have traced that old brass Key
from the factory where IL was made TO the
mansion Of which It was part a hundred
wears ago TO the buyer Of second hand
material who got possession or II when that
mansion was torn down. and to the carpen-
ter who acquired II with a 1oD lot Or locks
at a rummage sale.
Thence it was easy sailing. until ] came
upon il, down by the water. where u was
used to secure a rather accessible locker
] in which at times an odd body picked up in
| the river was secreted.
taneously.
The morgue. gentlemen. And the under
keeper with whom l talked. a poDr c0ot
| beneath prosecution, finally admitted that
he delivered the old brass key OF thaa locker
| on a certain day to a man who in every
| particular answered the description OF the
late and lamented Adolph Menting.'
Meaning" cried the Judge, "thaa Men
ting bribed him 10 place a dead body where
he could get at it conveniently and safely.
| You have united the knot. Cronkite.'
-Hurrahl" shouted Mr.. Gaynor Il al
ways said il was vile substitution.
SSoftly, Judge; softly. sir CrOnkite
warned -Menting did arrange to pro-
cure a body on the night Of that day. He
doubtless intended TO put up a job on the
COMPANY st ytis as SSSy SSS say Vas never taken He
never came back. That day was the day
| Of the explosion.
-If / make known my discovery that
] Menting had this key in his possession, why.
! n will be proof positive that il was he who
was killed No matter how base his inten-
| tons might have been his legal represen-
| tatives would be entitled to recover. Don't
you see?"
caught in his own trap by premature
zHe was caught. sir, in a trap. but not
his own He never would have been so
| rash as 10 arrange for the explosion half
| day before he got the body.
T. 10
much interested in his actual death as he
| himself was in his pretended death. They
knew about the insurance and the disposi-
| tiOn OF il by will They plotted against him
a. much and as successfully as they plotted
| against the company.
perhaps so. sighed the Judge. There
In much IN your deductions, Cronkite, but
| IL is all academic.
"The net result Of your precious clew ia
that we are hopelessly fQrestalled. The
proof that Menting had the key in his pos
session is proof that IL was he who was killed
asZousay...,..s...,. as you say ,.
Throw up the case? Compromise? Pay
| over the money?
aCsrtainly. Judge. Mr. Gaynor just now
said he was willing to risk IL 10 catch the
Gonapirators.
well, that's the only way I can sec Of
doing ito give them what they have been
after They will all be on hand TO get it;
each ready 70 fight for the major share.
The hour OF triumph Ia the dangerous
hour In crime. Throw up the case, l say;
| the risk may and I believe will prove
| d bre apparent than real.
ii.
Mrs. Josephine Dupin awaited with fever
! ish iupatience the coming of the messenger