The Raymer enterprise., 1911-04-20

A< sob, DcilCNNs
mighty queer. Can you
make IT." Where are you, DOCTOR"
"E!ghttwen,y-four Madison avenue.
Ask for me or Mrs, Mitchell-thats
the name OF the woman who owns
the house. Be up right away o. X.
III wait"
The foregoing was telephone In
terchange between Inspector Ftnney
Valentine at police headquarters and
Doctor Zabriskie at the uptown ad-
dress named. The latter was prac'
tisIng physician and also one of the
city coroners.
While Inspector Valentine Is on his
way to No S2i We may rapidly review
the tragic occurrence which demand.
ed the presence OF New York's chief
OF detectives
That very morning certain Mr..
Caleb Winnett had been found dead
In a swiyel-chair before his desk in
the back parlor OF the Madison ave
Ilbf lpiF' l'HptNNaDI' NoIIlI'llt III
the "brown.stOne district" Doctor
Zabrskie had been Immediately sent
for in his capacity OF private praC.
tItIOner; that he was also one OF the
mcdcO-legal officers OF the great city
enabled him TO act at his discretion
and without publicity until he had
consulted with his old friend. Fnney
Valentine. whose one hobby II was TO
be first in the field when some ap-
parent crime had been committed be
fore the case was muddled by un-
skillful subOrdinates on his staff
The residence on Madison avenue
was owned and had been run as a
h!gh-Class clearinghouse by the Mrs
Mitchell afore mentioned. For the last
twelve years her chief guests" had
been Caleb Winnett and his niece
Zenith Winnett By degrees and at
the request OF the former, other board.
crs had been gradually eliminated,
until uncle and niece were the sole
inmates outside OF Mrs. Michel and
her stcp-son. young man named
Felix Carnaby.
As may perhaps be inferred, Caleb
Winnett was eccentric and rich; how
rich no one knew He occupied the
parlor floor suite, consisting OF three
rooms. front. middle and rear exten,
sion, the first as a sitting or recep-
tiOn room, the second as an Office, the
third as sleeping chamber Miss
WIrnctt slept upstairs on the second
floor II was generally understood
though the definite terms we're known
only to Mrs. Michel and Mr.. Win
nc'rr-that the latter paid well for the
privilege Of being her star lodger
Caleb Winnett was ostensibly man
Of independent fortune. he followed
no regular business-that Is. he was
not TN the street" or engaged in any
mercantile affairs Yet there was a
pretty constant stream OF callers at
S2i Madison avenue-both men and
women. young and old. many of whom
came In private carriages. taxicabs,
or motor cars, and at various hours,
day and night.
Mrs MIchel's interest lay in be.
ing clOse-mOuthed, as Caleb Winnctt
had often cautioned her. And yet
one scarcely knows how these things
get out, was currently rumored
that the tall old man with the stoOp
Ehoulders the long iron-gray hair, and
the hawk Ike face and nose, was a
money.lender at Cent.per-cent rates Of
intercst-a veritable New York replica
OF l.ondOn's master mOney.lender,
Sam Lewis. OF savOry memory. And
rumOr was not far out OF the way.
Caleb Winnett was plethoriC spider,
fattenIng and gloating over the money
difficulties OF rich mems SONS who
had exceeded their allowances, OF
silly women whose losses at bridge
compelled them TO borrow at ruinous
rates or to hypothecate their Jewels,
or OF plungers on street" or track
who needed to replenish their bank
rolls. All of this was true; Caleb
Winnett had made the business pay
to the extent OF being many times a
millionaire. Likewise the necessities
OF his unfortunate clients had time
and again put him In the possession
OF ruinous secrets.
And now he was dead-dying the
death OF lonely and hated old man
Even as there had been something
mysterious and secretive about his
life. 20 there was more than suspicion
as to the manner OF his taking on
Doctor Zabriskie met Inspector
Valentino at the door topping the
high stoop, and led the way to the
rear apartment on the parlor floor
which had been the old usurer's bed
room. So far no undertaken had been
called: ZabriskIe and Mrs. Michel be
tween them had carried the body tC
the bed. Coat. vest and shirt were
partly open as they had been left
after the physicians examination
Doctor Zabriskie was the first tc
sneak 81 was called about an hour
ago" he said, and found him dead
I'm his chair In the middle room LIE
had been extinct for at least eishI