Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-06

! not brook interference.
! "Tll do the talking, If you please,
Mr.. Pinckney."
| But, 1 tell you. he had nothing to
| do with it, insisted the general man
ager angrily.
Bradley turned to Mr.. Durant.
| 81 understood that was to have full
swing here, Mr.. Durant?"
The owner Of the works nodded.
Nov. Marsh, who was in charge of
that job?"
Smith. replied the witness.
"Was he drunk"
! Marsh hesitated. looking weakly
| from Sommers to Pinckney.
Eyes, sir, he was" came the admis.
/ sion at last frankly.
Bradley's smile did not change as he
/ asked his next question in the same
! pleasant tone.
"why, then, was he allowed to be in
charger"
well, we were all there to keep
| watch of him." he faltered at last.
The Questioner looked puzzled.
"Whom do you mean by we?" he
asked.
''NTr. Plnckney and me and"- The
witness faltered, and Pinckney ended
for him sharply:
"And Mr.. Sommers.S
Eyes. and Mr.. Sommers." agreed
Marsh eagerly.
The smile had left Bradley's face
when he turned coldly to Pinckney.
| II am not questioning you, Mr..
! Pfnckney. l may question you short
! ~, and hope when I do you'll be as
eager to answer. Then he turned
| back to the ratified witness. "Was
| Smith disc harged?'
I'll think So" faltered the head
was discharged. because Mr.. Durant
never allows that"
when was he discharged?
Il don't remember exactly"
But he's working in Meadville in
! your new plant now, isn't her. came
! the next sharp question that brought a
startled surprise to Mr.. Durant, be-
cause one of the cardinal rules OF the
| Durant works was never to take back
! man discharged for tneff1ciency or
| drunkenness.
/ The steel man turned in his chair to
! look sharply at Pinckney, for Pinckney
was also acting manager of the Mead
| Vile plant. The question had thrown
/ Pinckney into a secret panic, while
! Marsh was openly fustered. II this
detective had found Smith carefully
hidden away under an assumed name
in the Meadville plant, what might he
not know?
IL heard be was In Meadville,"
faltered the conspirator under fire.
He looked appealingly at Pinckney.
but Bradley, the imperturbable, gave
| him no rest.
What time of day did that gun go
into the furnace, Mr.. MarshY'
Again Marsh looked hopelessly for
the help that could not be given.
Il don't know, SIR" he said at last.
Bradley lifted his eyebrows, sur
prised.
But you told Lieutenant Sommers
it was going in at 6 O'clock" he said
sternly Didn't you tell him thatT
The witness was in a panic now. He
did not know which way to turn.
Mr.. Durant was looking at him
sharply The shrewd steel man was
beginning TO realize that there was
something back of all this, something
discreditabe, and he sat there. his
face getting grimmer and grimmer and
his jaws setting harder with each sharp
question and faltering reply-sat there
sternly waiting to administer justice
so soon as guilt could be proved.
81 think l did, admitted Marsh at |
last
But you don't know?" persisted |
Bradley.
Not for sure the witness faltered. !
The detective said nothing to that. |
but his smile spoke volumes Pinck- |
ney saw it and moved uneasily. |
Marsh caught it, and cold chill be- |
gan to race up and down his spine. |
But apparently Bradley was satisfied |
along that line, for the next question |
branched to another side.
IF the gun had gone in the furnace |
at 6. when was it to come out, MarshT''
About p"
And it came out at a quarter past |
10. so it must have gone in between /
3 and 4. mustn't it?"
Yes, sir, l suppose; l believe it
must SIR" faltered the witness pain
fully.
The next question was put like a
shot.
did you ever invent a gun?'
Marsh's mouth dropped open. His
face became chalky- His. eyes rolled
about the room piteOusly. seeking for
aid, but none was there. He saw only
the grim, stern face of Mr.. Durant, the
hard eyes of Pinckney. with terrible
contempt and fear in back of them; the
eager, determined look of Sommers.
the anxious fearfulness of Frances.
and, lastly, the cold, calm, deadly smil-
ing man who questioned him. With a
gasp and gulp he managed TO collect
himself.
mo SIR" he said firmly.
what? You mean to tell me you
never invented a gunY' demanded
Bradley sternly.
Marsh thought he caught a hint Of
disappointInent in the tone and IL rave