The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-23
'We Wan1 you, Mr. Rowell.

Kelly looking ostentntiously into a show
window.
Very good said crewe, slapping him
upon the back. You saw us coming?
Some men are too dense to know that
one can see the passersby just as well
slant. sir, said Kelly, and we moved
away.
a cross town car and brisk walk soon
landed us AT the Fourteenth street sub
way entrance. where Cohen was seated
In a shoeblack's chair getting polish
'Si%ty-eight and twenty-seven. sir, he
whispered as we passed by. Crcwe nod
dcd almost imperceptiby and we turned
back into Union park. At Crewe's invi-
tation we took our seats upon a bench.
want to know what this apparently un-
intelligiblc process means and / VIII let
you into the secret, You may have 90
served that | chose four points in New
York at which to station my detectives.
The selection OF those points was in
lluenced by two causes. In the first place
men walk. by preference on one side OF
the street alone, and consequently II is
easier 10 count the passersby than II my
men had to watch both sides of the
street. At the Juncture OF Broadway and
Forty-second street everybody who Is not
bent upon business-and Rowell Is dis
tlnctly a pleasure seeker in these days
walks on the west side of the street, be-
cause extensive building operations are
in process upon the east side. AT our
southern point. the subway entrance 10
enters and emerges on the city hall side.
At Sixth avenue and Twentythird street
our populace walk on the south side, be
cause that side of the thorouShfare Is de-
voted TO larNe stores whose windows hold
a tempting array OF goods. And on Four
teenth street everybody walks on the
south side In order TO pass the numerous
moving picture shows. which afford a
spectacle OF some interest. externally.
even to the man who affects TO despise
them.
so much for the minor reason OF my
selection. Now for the major reason.
These four points embrace practically
the entire amusement and shopping dis
trict of the city. Where would a strang-
er go, an EnglIshman without a friend
In town, but In this region' Would he
seek his amusement In the dreary wastes
OF Harlems Would lie moon all day In
Central park, a prey TO his thoughts2
in the world that Rowell. a victim of a
bad conscience and an overful purse.
spends all his waking life within this re-
eon. And il is safe TO say that he alter
mates between the Fourteenth street re-
gson and Broadway. with the preference
for Broadway. Now l have told you
enough for the present. Dine with me
lobby of the Hotel Memphis and I think
! shall be able 10 afford you an even
!ng's entertainment.
] knew better than TO attempt to ques-
ton my companion further, but / was In
fever OF anxiety during the three en-
suing days to understand Crewo's pur
pose. His reasoning was excellent upon
an abstract plane. But how did this
coun ting OF faces go toward the capture
OF Rowe!?
1t was not until after dinner that my
curiosity was gratiBed Crewe rinsed his
fingers In the silver dinner bowl. folded
his napkin leisurely. and took from his
pocket pad OF paper upon which we're
jotted several series OF figures
"Do YOU believe in statistics, Lang
ford? he asked abruptly.
II have heard IL said that they can
prove anything"
"They can: but not In the derogatory
sense YOU mean. Are you aware that,
while small numbers are apt to nuctuate
In the aggregate they are practically un-
Yarylng2
For instance in the gambling palace
at Monte Carlo, red may turn up nifty
times more than black during single
day But In a week the relative mum
bers Will be almos, equal In month |
they Will he practically equal: at the end
OF year there is usually hardly a SEN
slble difference between the number OF
times that each has to its credit,
Take life insurance, individually g
human life is n most uncertain thing, |
'3ut when you take ten thousand lives |
rou can state with mathematical preci- |
5Cn that definite number of, these ten |
thousand persons Will die at thirty n |
certain number at forty. increasing num- !
her at nifty. and so on. untn at the age |
OF nlnctysiX the last survivor perishes. |
"Langton, / have simply applied this |
fact to the search for RowalA