The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-07-07


to be devised. Whereupon Victim
or Texas Correspondent" forwarded
TO Skene a cipher code for future use
There was one peculiar feature
about the letters and this code; all
were typewritten-which gave hope OF
a faint clue. The figures 80" and IS
were peculiar in that. for distinctness
sake, they both ran below the line
like what printers at that time called
Franklin type.
Noticing that, Valentine at once
called in a typewriter expert and
showed him one OF Victims letters
That's written on a Caxton ma.
chine" was the immediate verdict
It's an old make, and the only one
on the market with its figures cut that
way. Find person who uses an old.
fashioned CaXto:l machine, and If he
fulfills your other requirements, he's
your man."
But of course, this sort of evidence
could only be taken in a corrobora-
tive sense; there were probably scores
of those oldtii.e Caxton machines
clicking away in New York at that
moment. The mere possession Of that
make Of typewriter would not neces-
sarily indicate the man who wrote
the letters threatening murder to
Franklin Skene.
After the code was received quite a
lengthy correspondence ensued-let-
tiers on one side, advertisements on
the other. Acting for Mr.. Skene, and
presumably in his name, Valentine
gave some of the information asked
for. But Victim" complained that he
was again being robbed; he had fol-
lowed the supposed tips and was
worse off than ever; unless something
definite was done for him by Shanklin
Skene he threatened to carry out his
original intention and kill the oper-
ator on sight!
We've fooled with him about long
enough at length said the inspector
to one of his staff, Bob Quade. 'Ill
get him, but in way he little sus-
pects."
To the head OF the detective bu-
reau, sworn to protect life and prop
erty, the doubtful character of Shank
lin Skene counted as nothing. His
duty it was to detect and arrest those
who openly violated the laws, made
alike for the unjust and the just.
Whats the next move them" in
CURED Quade
I'VE must watch the mail boxes,
night and day." was the grim answer,
YES. ]. know It's a pretty steep con.
tract, but 1t can he done. Look you,
Bob. all these letters, from first to
last, were postmarked from Station @,
over on the West side, which proves
that they were mailed somewhere in
the district between Sixth and Eighth
avenues, Thirty.second and Fortieth
streets. Go up there and find out how
many lamp-post boxes there are tribu.
tary to Station @ from which collec.
tons are regularly made
In an hour Quade was back with
the report that there were hundred
and twelve boxes in all, not counting
the various drops in the sub-station
itself. For two weeks man in plain
clothes from headquarters kept con.
slant eyes on each of those hundred
and twelve street boxes, with orders
to report on or arrest any queer or
suspicious characters seen approach.
ing. But this plan brought no results
the meshes Of the net were too wide.
During this time the correspondence
with victim" was kept alive by judi
ciously "pollying him along; also his
letters continued to be mailed from
somewhere in the postal district
served by Station @.
Now Valentine prepared to strike
and quickly. He requi itioned from
the general postoffice for single day
a hundred and twelve letter carriers
in regular uniform. With these he
coupled as many detectives in plain
clothes. Carriers and detectives were
stationed, two to each box and within
sight of each other. Thus every one
of the hundred and twelve boxes was
watched by two men.
Valentines ingenious instructions
we're as follows: Every time person
deposited letter in a street box the
carrier on watch was to step up, un-
lock the box, and read the address on
the letter just deposited: while the de-
tective kept an eye on the departing
person who lad mailed the letter.
If 1t was zot addressed to Shanklin
Skeps the mail carrier was to snap
4 rubber band around it to distin-
guish 1t from later letters which might
be mailed.
On the other hand, if the envelope
was addressed to Skene, the mail car
rier was to raise his cap as sign to
the watching detective, who was forth.
with to place the suspect under ar
rest.
But on the night before this vast
trap was baited, decoy advertise
ment was left to be inserted in the
Herald next morning which Inspector
Valentine believed would elicit an i'm.
mediate reply from Victim by mail
the following day.
II the vast and rather cumbrous
machinery thus brought into play
seems like cunning for snipe with a
gatling gum" it must be remembered
that Valentine had to deal with willy