The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-04


thing mighty queer Can you make It.?
Where are you, doctor?" ''Eieht-twen
ty-four Madison avenue. Ask Tor me o
Mrs Miehell-that,s the name of th
away o. X I'll wait"
The foregoing was q telephonic Inter
change between Inspector Finncy Yalen
tine at police headquarters and Doctor
Zabrlskie at the uptown address named
The latter was a practicing physician
While Inspector Valentine is on his
way to No. S24 we may rapidly review
the tragic occurrence which demanded
tectives.
That very morning a certain Mr.. Calet
Winnett had been found dead In a swlve
chair before his desk in the back parlo'
of the Medison avenue house-a respect
able domicile in the "brown-stone dis
trIct." Doctor Zabriskie had been imme-
vate practitioner; that he was also one
OF the medico-legal officers OF the great
city enabled him to act at his discre-
tion and without publicity until he had
consulted with his old friend Finney
Valentine, whose one hobby it was TO be
FIRST In the. field when some apparent
case was mudded by unskillful subordi-
mates on his staff.
The residence on Madison avenue was
owned and had been run as a high-clas
boarding house by the Mrs Michel aforo
mentioned. For the last twelve years
her chef guests" had been Caleb Win
nett ana MS niece, Lenllu NlnnSll- by
degrees and at the request of the former,
other boarders had been gradually elm
mated until the uncle and niece were
the sole inmates outside OF Mrs. Michel
and her step-sons a young man named
Felix Carnaby
AS may perhaps be inferred. Caleb
Winnett was eccentric and rich; how rich
no one knew He occupied the parlor
foor suite. consisting OF three rooms,
front. middle and rear extension. the first
rs a sitting or reception room. the sec
f,n n btr1 81
chamber. Miss Winnett slept upstairs
on the second floor, 1t was generally
understood-though the definlte terms
Mr winnett-that the latter paid we'll
for the privilege OF being her star lodeer:
Caleb Winnett was ostensbly man OF
ular business-that Is. he was not I'm
the street" or enoaSed in any mercan-
tile affairs Yet there was a pretty con-
slant stream OF callers at S24 Madison
avcnue-both men and women young and
old. many of whom came in private car
riages. taXicabs, or motor cars, and at
various hours day and night.
Mrs Michclls interest lay in being
close -mouthcd as Caleb Winnett had |
often cautioned her. And yet-one
scarcely knows how these things get out
1T was currently rumored that the tail
old man with the stoop shoulders, the |
long Irongray hair and the hawkltke lace
and nose, was a money-lender al ceni
percent rates OF interest-a veritable
New York replica OF London's master
money-lender. sam Lewis. OF unsavory
memory. And rumor was not far out OF
the way. Caleb Winnett was a plethorlc
spider fattening and gloating over the
money difficulties of rich mems sons who
had exceeded their allowances, OF silly
women whose losses at bridge COM
or 10 hypothecate their Jewels. or OF
plungers on street and track who
needed to replenish their bank rolls Al
OF this was true: Caleb Winnett had
made the business pay 70 the extent OF
being many times a millionaire. Like
wise the necessities OF his unfortunate
clients had time and again put MIN In
the possession of ruinous secrets
And now he was dead-dyng the death
OF a lonely and hated old man. Even as
teere nad sse, esem his lire so there was
more than suspicion as to the manner OF
his taking OF.
Dr. zabriskie met Inspector Valentino
al the door topping the high stoop and
led the way to the rear apartment on
the parlor floor. which had been the l.
Did usurer.s bedroom. So far no under-
Michel between them had carried the
body to the bed Coat. vest and shirt
we're partly open as they had been left
after the physicians examination,
DR. Zabrisllic was the first to speak.
I was called about an hour ago" he
aid; and found him dead in his chair
en-. for rigor mortis had set in
Natural causes?r queried Valentine.
Dr. Zabrlskie shook his head. Stepping
o the side OF the bed he barred the dead
mans left breast
Look there" he pointed. a minute
ed puncture Like a plmple, hardly bigger
han pinhend, discolered the lean flesh,
aised his eyebrows questioningly. You dt
hInk-" he was beginning. when the cl
nore volatile Zabriskie interrupted In
cnse whisper, hand TO mouth; d,
That's what killed him The heart
'as punctured by some exceedingly line
rcapon-so fine that there was no eX- ey
ernal bleeding. He must have died In
tantly.' 81
Valentine nodded as he rose from in tn
pecting the tiny spot, scarcely noticeable
. the unskilTed eye. He had too NTH de
lith In Zabriskie's skill to question his tn
iagnosis. w
Anything been disturbed he asked in
nat mufrled tone with which the most w
nrGcned observers pay homage to the
Ing OF terrors. de
Nothing Neither his niece nor the 1t
oman OF the house know anything as tn
,roncr, OF course. the case comes within IN
~ jurisdiction. but so far I am here br
is:e!% AS the the nearest regular praeti- W;
Undoubtedly crime has been COM alb
lifted. but whoever did It has made
e:u getaway. guess" wi
ne, stepping into the back parlor where pr
aleb Winnett had his Office .Is this ca
here you found him?' pointing to a tai
'cmy revolving chair which was pushed flu
lex from the tidily-arranged table >.
,sk. Ia
Exactly. He was all hunched over mi
! his right side. one arm nearly touch lie
g the floor. This chair here" point ha
s to an ordinary cane straight backed
at. stood facing his left. The folding be
,ors were closed when ! arrived" IL
Inspector Valentine took a position di- to
city behind the empty swivel chair and we
s eyes swept the we'll -ordered room A
'okcase occupied one recess, one small iul
eel safe the other; there was no win SIR
wv the middle room being lighted from cor
c rear extension or from the front par- seq
r, Ike hundreds Of similar New York :,
uses a few steel engravings of com WI WI
onplace subjects hung on the walls: the "
rniture was Of the black walnut and gin
-ir-cloth epoch; plain tapestry car wo
worn white In spots covered the floor dee
We a rag-rue for ii foot rest before the lea
SIX. wac !
Evidently the dead millionaire had not bu,
rcd 10 squander his money on modern net
rniture or fal-als. All was diney and s'
cary; the furnishings OF the parlof ant
d sleeping room were equally ordinary me
d colorless And yet that sordid alt
hrding -house back paricr had doubtless tur
messed many tragedy cuInIna atIno 10