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

and clever foe. All other means cf
detection had failed. Unless the In
spector or his men could catch "Vic.
tim" red-handed in the act of mailing
one of the discriminating letters the
case looked hopeless.
However, nothing succeeds like sue
cess, and Finney Valentines elaborate
and well-laid plot was justified by the
result.
At about three o'clock in the after
noon of the fateful day an elderly,
well-dressed man of military type and
bearing, white mustached and erect,
carrying a tightly-rolled umbrella.
came strolling along Thirty-sixth
street between Seventh and Eighth
avenues. The thoroughfare was al
most deserted, it being quiet resi-
dence street.
AS the gentleman reached the cor
ner he drew from his overcoat pocket
letter, which he casually dropped in
the lamppost box, in the act Of do
ing so giving a quick glance around
him. Then he leisurely continued on
his way west on Thirty-sixth street.
The carrier on duty at that spot
was named Charles King. AS though
in the line of duty he had the box
open almost as soon as the man had
passed on. Even had the latter turned
his head to look back it is probable
that he would have been unsuspicious,
seeing merely a uniformed letter-car.
rier collecting the mail
Carrier King glanced quickly at the
topmost letter and gave the agreed
signal. The address was that of
Shanklin Skene!
On the northwest corner diagonally
opposite stood Riley Cannon from the
Central Office, >while a second officer,
Dan Williams, stood On the north side
of the street. He also picked up the
signal.
Before he knew what was impend.
ing, the two detectives had the white.
mustached man under arrest. On the
way to face Inspector Valentine at
500 Mulberry street the captive pre-,
served cool, jaunty demeanor and
resolutely kept his mouth shut.
But on being ushered into that ter
rible room where SO many criminals
had practically convicted themselves,
and which was decorated with the
symbols and weapons of almost every
known crime, the prisoner lost his
nerve, broke down and confessed
everything.
His name he gave as Robert Jordan,
formerly colonel in the Confederate
service. He admitted that he had
written all the letters signed Victim"
and "Texas Correspondent" giving az
reason and justification therefor the
fact that Shanklin Skene, through one
of his railroad wreckings, had almost
completely ruined Colonel Jordan and
his family. These losses he had at
tempted to recoup by "coppering"
what he supposed were Skene's trades
in the open market, with the result
that he only got deeper into the mire.
While he was being put through
Valentines famous third degree"
after obtaining his place of residence,
Detective Bob Quade had made a bur.
ried trip uptown and found in the
prisoners rooms not only an old-fash.
toned Caxton typewriter, but lot of
stationery similar to that used in the
Skene letters.
It was Inspector Valentines merci.
full opinion that Jerdan's mind was
slightly unhinged. Now that the anony-
nous writer was caught and the food
Of threatening letters stopped, Shank.
lin Skene lost his nerve, probably
dreading the exposure and the scandal
Of public trial, and declined to pros
ecute on condition that Colonel Jer-
dan gave his word to "go and sin no
more" in that particular way. But he
remained a firm friend to Inspector
Valentine as long as he lived.