Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-11-14
CHAPTER KXXII


Gen BosfCs. intent upOn locating
Jerry ~ 20 lay within the province OF
efforts and money 20 DO SO. increased
the reward 60 $1,000. He also employed
the services Of several private detect
I've agencies. The tremendous induce.
ment spurred the authorities OF the en-
tire southwest TO the greatest en-
deavor. When Il became known that
Jerry Chambers was the son OF one
~ tho great merchants OF the east tha
newspapers gave columns 20 the case.
II "as just such case as 70 arouse
the interest OF the whole country. Wal
lace Chambers himself dropped bust
ness and Mastered in private train
20 FL Paso. accou. panied by his almost
frantic wife
Marina Bostos. the picture OF utter
despair and absolute hopelessncss. con
fesseI her love Tor Jerry and declared
that she herself would search for him.
Instead OF recovering from the nervous
headache which took her 10 her bed
on the day OF Jerry's departure from
FL Paso, she contracted fever OF
violent nature and a doctor was in al
most constant attendance at her bed
side for weeks. Mike O'Connor told
Wallace Chambers OF what he had
done 20 help Jerry and OF the thrilling
experiences IN the mountains OF Mex
leo. The great merchant Immediately
took a tremendous liking TO the Irish
man, and sent him out at the head OF
dozen detectives 20 hunt for his son.
II was on the 23d OF October that
the newspapers came out with scare
head" captions over a story that the
body OF Jerry Chambers. distorted and
so decomposed that it was almost IN
recognizable. had been found near an
island in the Rio Grande river. a short
distance from its mouth. Wallace
Chambers FASTENED from the Pacific
coast TO Fl Paso. where the body OF
the drowned man lay in a morgue.
While he could not recognize il as that
OF his son, he was reasonably con-
WINGED that the long search had ended
as the newspapers declared Il had.
When the body Of Jerry Chambers"
was found in the Rio Grande river
Gerard Chambers was No. 10 in a pub
lie workhouse I'm San Francisco. He
had not seen a newspaper for weeks
Just how he had succeeded In eluding
the syarms OF reward-hunters he
never tried 10 explain to himself. He
simply kept watkins. riding running
lodging and swimming until he was
Tar away. When he finally arrived in
San Francisco no detective on earth
Rnnfn
sousht'for young man. He were a full
beard and there was little flesh on his
bones. He remained in the Golden
Gate city until he was arrested for
vagrancy and sentenced to a months
Imprisonment IN a Workhouse. When
he was released the case Of Jerry
Chambers had been dropped by the
newspapers. and he did not know that
he had figured as the principal in one
OF the most-talkedAof mystery" stories
that ever found space in the press.
Christmas eve found him In the
railroad yards OF Portland, Ore. The
snow lay a foot deep on the ground
and the air was white with flakes. The
empty box car In which he shivered
was started to a siding while he was
In the midst OF a dream-a mind pic
ture OF his last Christmas eve In
New York. He wept when he was
aroused To the awful reality.
He decided TO spend the night in the
car and to beg his Christmas breakfast
In the morning. AS he lay in one cor
ner, as far away from the draughty
door cracks as possible. be fell to
meditating.
Christmas In tramp's clothing for
the SON of multi-millionaire! A beg
gar's 'handout' for a Christmas din