The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-04-07
"certa,n,v NJ course-1'u 20 with

I SSlldlIly, vi SOuAoC - o~
you," said Moomaw, and led the way
into the outer office where stood the
looted safe, huge shiny steel analr
! with ponderous cross bars and a CEN
trail knob and dial There was not
mark nor a scratch to sully the SHINY
gray enamel; the massive door nao
been opened in the regular way, either
by someone who knew the comblna-
ton or by one of those clever SAFE
crackers who, given sufficient tlme'
can open any vault door "by ear that
is, by slowly turning the knob ana
listening to the fall of the tumblers
within.
Next the door at the head OF the cell
lar stairs was viewed; that had simply
been jimmied and the lock forced from
the jamb. The cellar grating likewise
bore out Mr.. Moomaws account; IL
had been pried out of its soldered
clamps in the stone coping and care
fully replaced after the burglars mao
made their entrance and exit. IN
fact, the looting Of the Drillers and
Drovers' bank had been ridiculously
easy-a sort of grim joke.
"You understand, of course, Mr.. He
mus" said the vice-president as they
returned to the directors room, TINS
loss, serious as it is, in no way al
fects the banks solvency. we
naturally hate to be robbed, and we
don't want it to happen again. But
we're not laying awake nights over it,"
and the speaker glanced loosely
around at his associates.
"yet l presume your object in send
ing for me was to recover your cash,
If possible, and catch the thief?' in
quired Hemus, dryly.
ooh, certainly" assented Moomaw,
quickly. I'VE look to you for that
in fact, nothing has been done thus
far, so you'll have things all your own
way"
Perhaps it was Abner Hemus' fancy
though he was never notional man
that Virgil P. Moomaw's tone con-
veyed just a hint of a covert and de-
fiant sheer. Also, though again it
might have been fancy, Bullivants'
man deemed his manner throughout
the interview altogether too flippant
and jovial to fit the chief executive of
a bank that had just been looted of
more than two hundred thousand dol.
lars.
Even thus early in the case the
vice-president didn't quite ring true
to Abner Hemus, but he was too wise
and experienced an investigator to be
influenced by first impressions, either
favorable or hostile. Rather, he as
cribed his quite intangible distrust to
Moomaw's personality. Although it
was patent that he carried the presi-
dent and the directors in the hollow of
his hand, Hon. Virgil P. was the d.
rect antithesis of each and every one
of his slow-going and conservative
country-town associates. His manner
might be described as breezy" his
clothes verged on being cloud" and he
put up what is known as good
front" But these qualities are often
characteristic of the most successful
modern business men, so really there
was nothing tangible upon which He
mus could hang his faint feeling of dis.
like and distrust.
Guess I'd better see your local po.
lice" said Abner, rising. do yGu in.
tend to offer any reward for arrest,
conviction or recovery?
1--WE were. speaking of that just be.
fore you came in," answered Moo
nav, still acting as spokesman. How
does ten thousand strike you?"
about right, l guess" was the an
swer. Then: Zone final question,
gentlemen: Have you any suspicious
as to the honesty of your employes?"
mot single one, I'm proud to say!"
exclaimed Moomaw. They're all fine
boys and straight as string"
Abner Hemus nodded to the vice.
president, bowed to the president and
directors and stepped into the main
room of the bank, Moomaw at his
heels.
"Er-when shall we see you again,
Mr.. Hemus?' he inquired, as he &C.
companied Bullivants' man to the
door.
"The instant there is anything to
report or an arrest to be made" was
the curt reply. Good morning."
A call on Dorsey's captain of police
produced nothing of value, except that
the robbers had probably made their
getaway via motor car, since no sus-
picious characters had been seen leav.
ing on any of the infrequent Sunday
or early Monday trains. So Hemus
went to the hotel engaged room and
did a rather peculiar thing. Although
1t was yet early afternoon he pro.
ceeded to undress, pulled down the
shades and went to bed-not to sleep.
but to shut out all sights and sounds
and to think, marshaling all the scanty
facts and formulating working the
DRY to fit. Abner Hemus possessed the
logical and the intuitive mind of a
truly great detective-the ability to
put finger on the one salient point of a
case and work out details from the
webs center to its circumference. An
hours cogitation convinced him that
in the present case Virgil P. Moomaw
was the spider. True, he had not a
scintilla of evidence save particular.
ly strong sixth sense. and an intense
conviction that there was one man in
the Drillers and Drovers' bank who