The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-16

GOODNESS under fire was superb. suppos-
ing him guilty
"Mei' exclaimed Mario. "No, no,
the signor captain is Joking. We were
simply good friends, nothing more. She
waited on me in the restaurant when
ever l went there, and once or twice we
went TO Coney Island and back on the
boat But that was ALL
These statements Mario made with
such apparent candor and innocence as
TO arouse Valentines suspicious anew.
1t seemed as If his manner was too per
feet to be genuine.
fWell, it may be as you say, Mario, -
said Valentine at length, but we shall
have TO detain you 1 m afraid, as the
only witness we have found thus far
who knew poor Annie. Meantime ] II
trouble you for the key of your room
uptown
While he was speaking the chief had
pressed an electric button under his
foot To the attendant who answered
the call he murmured a few words
Meanwhile Mario had fumbled in his
pockets and finally produced an ordi
nary flat door-key of the Yale pattern.
You mean YOU will instipate a
search of my room'" he inquired gent
Valentine nodded as he took the key.
81 am willing have nothing to
fear. exclaimed Mario dramatically,
almost proudly, and for the minute
the Inspector almost believed him But
at that moment the door opened and
a raucous voice was heard to exclaim:
"Why, that's tn damned dago what
told me t chuck his trunk off tn dock !!
Let me at him. fer th love of Mikel -
THAT -ettles it, I guess sighed
Valentine. But not even at this damn,
ing Identification did Vincente Mario
quail.
SIT is mistake - he affirmed quiet
ly and confidently. ~ do not know the
man. nor the trunk of which he
| speaks. -
"Y' lie, " scut.' exclaimed Bar
ney. EYER tried t put me in Lad, an
" know it"
Mario's only response to- this TRADE
was half wearied. half-cynical shrug
of the shoulders. The fellow was a
most consummate actor.
"Take him downstairs, ordered
Valentines; the last he saw of the Ital.
| ian as he went out of the door he was
nonchalantly rolling a cigarette
:" Now for his rooms said the chief
To witness the search he took along
one Of his most trusted subordinates.
The tiny two-room fiat proved TO be
scrupulously clean and IN applepie or
der There was not the least sign OF
a struggle, Of bloodshed. or of any
lethal weapon And yet Valentine be
lieved that this was the place where
poor Annie Greg had met her death
Together they literally turned the two
rooms upside down and inside out; ever
the scantily furnished bathroom die
not escape their scrutiny, although it
appointments were spotless.
And it was this bathroom that finall,
yielded the eagerly sought evidenc
that was destined to send Vincent
Mario TO the electric chair. Hangin,
on the single gasiet, in full view, wa
an ordinary brass doorkey with har
red d.rubber tag attached by a singl
link, the tag bearing the numbe
"37"
"What was the number of the girl
room where she lodgedl' demande
, Valentine of his companion.
, "Blest If l know-did it have
number?' was the answer
, FWell soon find out said Valer
tine grimly. Remember, we had t
break open her door because the ke
! was missing. If this is it. Th
rest of the sentence was lost as tn
, two officers clattered hot-foot dowI
stairs and into the street.
The key and its numbered chec
proved to be the ''missing hnk' in th