The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-25
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= THE TEAKWOOD CANE 4
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ey Harold Carter.

Arc you going 10 set this murderer
at liberty?" asked the local chief of
police.
The great detective nodded, He
had been placed in charge of the case,
partly on account Of his deserved re.
putation, partly because he had held
Office for years in India.
Its the only thing to do" he re-
piled, "0f course. tae man is guilty.
bGt--there have been three deaths
and we cannot fasten the guilt upon
him."
Permit me to observe. said the
servant, Surendra Lai, in excellent
English, that your words render you
liable to pay me heavy damages in
libel suit"
The detective needed the man no
more than If he had been log of
wood, Surendra Lai smiled and twirl
ed his thumbs waiting for the word
which should set MIN at liberty.
What can we DOR continued the
Scotland Yard detective. Consider
the facts"
"Old Colonel Lisle was prominent
In suppressing the movement TO rim
dependence in India Five times he
was shot at--once wounded lie was
retired in the fullness of years and re-
turned to England, to his country es-
tate, where he lived placidly with his
two sons and his native servant-that
fellow there-whom he had no occa-
Ultimately it was found that the man
was a member of The Swadeshi party
and an associate of notorious Indian
anarchists"
Surendra Lal smiled softly and
shifted his feet.
Colonel Lisle had brought back
number of native objects, and lived in
Indian style, with his sons. country
gentlemen. One morning he was
heard to scream. His sons rushed
into his room. The colonel lay dead
upon the floor, his hat still upon his
head, his fingers grasping his cane, OF
teakwood, which had been presented
to him on his departure by native
sympathizers. Apoplexy was given as
the cause of death. Within two
months each of his sons died in the
same manner, in each case dressed to
go out, in each case grasping the
cane. The post-mortem examinations
disclosed the presence in their bodies
of some powerful alkaloid
"Surendra Lal was arrested. In
eliminating letters we're found in his
possession from the Swadeshi lead
ers. ordering him to accomplish his
job. What Job? Murder, of course.
But what jury would convict upon
such evidence as that! So we Judge
it is best to ship him out of England
under the aliens act"
He ceased speaking and turned to
the Hindoo.
go, dog he cried savagely.
"That word is also actionable," said
the native softly, clapping his hat
upon his head and going toward the
door
Haiti" cried the inspector in thun-
derous tones. Take your cane with
The man hesitated and turned
deathly pale. His hand lowered over
the cane, which lay upon table, And
suddenly the inspector pulled some
thing from his pockets and snapped
it over the natives wrist.
IIa mac tpn Lotto Curapdra alfu
hand closed upon the handle of the
cane he raised himself up, smiled
weakly. and fell in heap upon the
floor, The local police chief rushed
forward 70 seize the implement from
the dying mans hand, The great de-
tective caught his hand in grip of
! iron. He freed che dead mans wrist
and pressed the steel of the handcuff
upon the handle, at the same time
drawing his revolver.
The cane flew into TWO sections and
| from it's followed interior something
came writhing and kissing. The de.
tective fred
AS you may know he explained
afterward, the hooded cobra is the
most venomous of reptiles. Its bite
is almst instantly fatal, while it is
able TO exist for months without food
or air. Ii was a scheme Of devilish
ingenuity. The snake was undoubted-
| ly introduced by Surendrs Lal, and
struck its victim through a minute
! hole in the handle, In this way he
succeeded in assassinating three men
did not mean that he should perish
in that manner, but wished To catch
him off his guard. Unfortunately he
was too quick for us, and he preferred
death by his own instrument to per
ishng upon the gallows,'