Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-26

Idellghted to snow you, ana you can
give me your opinion"
So the pair entered cab and a
quarter of an nour later were passing
along the hall of the empty house.
The manager of Harmer's removals
inspected room after room, noticed
how the curt ~ins had been torn down.
and noted in the fire CRATE of the draw
ing room quantity of finder where
a number of papers seemed to have
beer burned.
mo" he said presently. "This re-
moval was carried out by amateurs,
who were in very violent hurry
Those vans were faked-bought, per-
haps. and repainted with our name.
It's evident that they've deceived the
constables very cleverly."
But the whole affair is SO eXtraor-
dinary." gasjed Max, staring at his
companion
Eyes. 1t would appear so. Your
friend. the doctor, evidently wished to
get his goods away with the least pos
sih'o delay and in the greatest Sc.
crecy"
"put the employment of SO many
men did not admit of much secrecy,
surely!"
"They were only employed to load.
They did not unload. Only the three
drivers probably know the destination
of the furniture. 1t was valuable old
stuff, I should say. if one is to Judge
by what is remaining"
Eyes, the place was we'll and COM
fortably furnished
"Then l really think sir, that if you
suspect foul play it's your duty to tell
the police. In cases like this an hours
delay is often fatal in calculating the
mystery"
Max was undecided how to act. 1t
. was his duty to tell the police his sus-
picions and show them the blood
stained coat. And yet he felt SO GER
tain that the doctor must in the
course of the day take him into his
!, confidence that he hesitated to make
suggestion of foul play and thus
bring the affair into public promi-
nence.
The fact that Harmer's name had
been upon vans not belonging to the
company was in itself sufficient proof
that there had been conspiracy
somewhere.
But of what nature was it? What
!, could possibly have been it's object?
l What was Maud's terrible confess
2 sion?"
The expert in removals was examin-
/ ing some litter in the dining room.
"They evidently did not stop to pack
Z anything" he remarked, "but simply
bundled it out with all possible speed.
One fact strikes me as very peculiar"
:. "Wbat is that?"
Il well, if they wanted to empty the
. place they might have done SO, leav-
= ing the curtains up, and the palms
and things in the windows in order to
! lead people to believe that the house
: was still occupied. Apparently. how
) ever. they disregarded that precaution
> altogether"
eyes. That's true The object of the
sudden flight is a complete mystery
Max remarked. He had not taken the
man to the top room, where, in the
:, cupboard, the woman's dress was hid
= den.
: "You say the doctor was rich
Therefore it wasn't to escape from ar
! execution threatened by the landlord.
=, Certainly not"
=. "Well, you may rest assured, sir
u that the removal was not effected b,
= professional men. The way in which
y carpets have been torn up and dam
:, aged curtains torn from their rings
= and crockery smashed in moving
= shows them to have been amateurs.
They had assembled to the front bed
= room, wherein remained a large
heavy. oldfashioned mahogany ches
= of drawers, and he had walked acros!
:. to them.
:. Indeed he added t'It almost look,
as though it were the work o
thieves
!, Thieves! Why?'
- "Well-look at this. They had nj
=, - keys so they broke open the drawer
-, ~ and removed the contents" he an
y swered. "And look across there"
He pointed to a small iron fire
proof safe let into the wall-a SAT
=. evidently intended originally as
: place for the lady of the house t
keen her jewels.
:. The door stood ajar, and Max, as h
-, opened it, saw that it was empty.
= The curious part of the affair wa
- y that Max was convinced within hin
y. ~ self that when he had searched tn
10 10 house on the previous night that SAT
80 was not here If it was, then the doc
must have been closed and concealed
y. He remembered most distinctly Ell
% tering that room and looking around
- The chest of drawers had been move
~ since he was last there. When he ha
~ seen them they had been standin
In in their place. con recalling the iro
'e door of the safe, which, when shu
closed flush with the wall Someon
had been there since! And whoeve
.. it was, had moved the heavy piece {
: furniture and found the safe.
-, He examined the door and foun
y" from its blackened condition. tt
ho twisted iron, and the broken lock. r
: ), second glance was needed to asce
., tain that it had been blown open t
explosives.
Whatever valuables DR.. Petrovitt
~ had kept there had disappeared
- The theory Of theft was certain
- substantiated bv these discoverie
Max stood by the empty safe silel
- and wondering.
10 81 noticed downstairs in the stut
No. that board had been prised up.
.. though somebody had been searchil
}. for something" the man from He