The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-10-08
|Gbe Cute MIR. Davis
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to sct safely away with Fortune lie
lciisine So some one else he must make
himself al ovet lie must wile him
self out and create new Character
1t WAS matter requiring good deal
d confederation. One slip IN the pro-
grammr ald The wlioic machincry
would he drown out OF gear. When
taking his position he had fine mus
tache end pair Of whlskcrs. lie cui-
iivaied them and let them grow at
length. lie had prominent ears and
he made them more prominent by
c0uibing his hair ~ Il new way. iliS
speech was naturally htsk and CON
taihtd slight lisp. lie cultivated the
brslaness nnd the lisi. lie had bushy
eyebrows that met IN the middle lie
called special attention TO thcui rs q
heritage from a strong race.
In tue five years. and i half tAat tie
cute MIR. Davis was getting ready 10.
his grand coup he learned to speak
the German Language OF a professor
lie gave a wrong name. lied about his
occupation aud let Il be understood
that lie was going To Germany az
agent for an American machinery
house. He managed in one way and
another TO become better acquainted
with the country for fifty miles around
than any drover or peddler. Through
second party he bought a log house
aud . few acres OF land in a poor
farming district where settlers were
far between aud let it be understood
~
cnpy 1t In time To make experiments
in chemistry OF the soils and In geol
ogy. In his own room he donned GER
tain garments and posed before his
mirror. His brisk speech ia English
became 4 sort of drawl Ia German.
In place or his perfect gait he cult
waited slight limp. lie learned some
Thing of the rudiments OF chemistry
and geology. lie knew what chem
icals To buy 10 stain his face and hands
and give him a swurthy look. He
knew what change would come about
when his whiskers and mustache dis.
appeared.
Mr.. Davis would have 10 ride fifty
miles to his retreat when his coup
came of. He could 20 by any one Of
dozen trains, but he shook his head.
Before the cvent was ready he had
bought n horse and buggy ana knew
every foot of the road. lie had hired
room mldcr another name in differ
ent part OF the city, aud what he need
ed for the mrtamorphosis was there
days in advance of the event The
programme WAS gone over again and
again. 1lcre was no flaw ia it, The
cute Mr. Davis would disappear OF
HE face Of the Garth some day. and
how the smart detectives we're 10 con-
meet Professor Schmidt with tile late
cashier was more than no could give
them credit for. He tried hard enough.
because that was his dcstructiou or
salvation, but he had 10 pronounce his
programme simply perfection.
The great day came at last. The
cashier wcnt TO the baul, With the lar
gcst deposit for years that is q coupe
set him down ut the bank but ten
minutes later he was ont on the walk
and hurying away. He reached his
rooms. changed into his disguise and
tlen shaved himself. Then his eye
brows were thinned out. his hair comb
ed according to programme, and the
cute Mr. Davis drew Il long breath and
said 70 himself that he deiicd all the
detectives on earth TO identity him.
Tile rest was dead easy. A German
who spoke broken English drove out of
town behind gentle horse, and 10
one gave him any attention or cared
whittier he went Al The country inns
where lie put up no one had any curl
osity about him. When he reached his
house he found that his nearest neigh
bor was two miles distant aud a Rus
sian Jew AT that
The cute Mr. Davis had figured that
his dropping out OF sight would create
sensation. He was right For the
first twenty-folr hours Il was thonght
he might be the victim OF foul play.
Then the bonding company began "a
hustle for other clews. The regular
police were called In, ard the reward
offered brought scores ~ private de-
fectises into the game. Inside OF three
days everybody had settled down IL
the belief that It was case of skip.
Hnu dlA Molh bclllE hoht NaS hHSFh WI
that theory. Never was there hotter
hunt for an embczzler. II Mr. Davis
had committed murder the chase would
not have been half as vigorous. With
in week the whole United States was
on the watch for him, and copies OF
that photograph with the whiskers
were flying about like leaves in a gale
At the end of a month the army Of de
teetivcs had TO turn IN their reports
With the words mo clew attached
IL was believed that the criminal had
escaped 30 foreign country.
The cute Mr.. Davis. alias Professor
Schmidt, figured on making nsc Of hi.
retreat for 4 number Of months and
then assuming some other gulse ii
some other part OF The couniry Al
weh well with him fnr q ndnlber al
weeks. aud then one day roueh-hcar
OF hoy Who was hunting for y los
calf apprachcd the house 10 ask fol
information atd heard man singing
a song IN good Old fashioaed Eng