Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-04-02

an hour we were Ca that room. clio
lin and 7, and we never found those
holes"
They were covered 10y the sofa
hangings"
Il know: we shook those hanginCS.
we pressed against them. we did every
thing but look behind them See here.
Did YOU look behind themT"
NO, bur I saw something on the
iOor-some yellowish dust. Thcrer'
He unfolded a paper and showed
few grains 90 coarse brownish pow
der. You see. there are only board
partitions between these rooms. SO a
sharp auger would make the holes
quickly. But there would be dust and
chips. The woman probably threw
the chips out OF the window"
The woman"
Coquenil nodded "She helped Mar
tinez while De bored the holes"
You think MARTINEZ bored those
holesg'
Undoubtedly. The spirals from
the anger blade inside the holes show
plainly that the boring was done from
No. o toward No. T."
Tignol studied the hole Then he
turned. You're a fine detective. NJ.
Paul, but ! was a carpenter FOR six
years before I went on the force. and
I know more about auger holes than
you do. / say YOU can't be sure which
side OF the wall this hole was bored
from. You talk about spirals. but
there's no sense in that. They're the
same either way. Wen see on the
other side"
They went around into No 6. The
old man drew back the sofa hangings
and exposed two notes.-the same
holes. You see" he went on. the
edges are clean. without a sign OF
chipping. There is no more reason 10
say that these holes were bored this
side than from that"
NJ. Paul. going TO the sofa. knelt
down by it and, using his magnifying
glass, proceeded 20 go over its surface
with infinite care.
Turn up all the lights" he said.
"Ah!" he cried presently. You think
there is no reason TO say the holes
were bored from this side. I'll give
you reason. Take this piece OF
white paper and make me prints OF
his boot heels" He pointed to the
body Take the whole heel carefully.
then the other one: get the nail marks.
everything. That's right. Now cut
out the prints. Good! Now, look here.
hneel down. Take the glass. There
on the yellow satin by the tail Of that
silver bird. Do you see? Now com
pare the heel prints"
Papa Tignol knelt down as directed
and examined the SOFA seat.
'Sapristi! You're a magiclanw he
cried in great excitement.
NO" replied COquenil, its perfect.
~ simple. These holes In the wall
are five feet above the floor. And
I'm enough Of Il carpenter, Papa Tig-
nol,'' he smiled. 'to know that a man
cannot work an auger at that height
without standing on something. And
here was the very thing for him to
stand on, a sofa just in place. SO, IL
Martinez bored these holes. he stood
on this sofa 10 do IL. and In that
case the marks OF his heels must have
remained on the delicate satin. And
mere Trey are.
"Yes, here they are, nails and all"
admitted Tignol admiringly. I'm sn
old fool, but-but'-
"WellY
Tel me why Martinez did It."
CoQueniFs face darkened. "Ah,
that's the question. Wen know that
when we talk to the woman. Some
body helped him or the chips would
still be there; somebody held back
those haRgings while he worked the
anger, and somebody carried the auger
away"
Ttgnol pondered. ~Hah. I see. The
man In No. z. the murderer. lifted that
picture from its nah before shooting