The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-18


The cashier went into details IN a
desultory manner. 1t was evident he
had little hope. Having told Poe all
/ that had been learned. he summed up
! in a weary, disheartened tone. You
see. it's something extraordinary. A
I crime greater than the Manhattan rob-
berry. in rs: greater than the Kensing-
] ton job
| Christopher Poe leaned back. thought
fully knitting his slender fingers to-
gether, and two lines deepened into a
| cynical set, one at each side of his
mouth, drawing the ends Of the sensi-
tive nose to the corners of his witch
ing lips. He did not speak for full
minute; then looked up with those In
tense violet eyes that puzzled all man
kind, and remarkedi You say the
man your Waterman saw had a dead
white facet.
Cribben looked up at him with mix
ture of doubt and disappointment.
! What possible difference can that
made? He doesn't answer the descrip-
ton of any known criminal
Poe caught the Irritation in his tone
and the lines deepened around his
mouth. He answered in a musing
tone. almost as though talking 10 him
self, thought maybe he took burmese
or the white stuff. If that's the case
We may hear some hoptalk somewhere.
( Those gervers often let something slip
in brassing up the bundle of rag"
What kind of lingo is that? F."
cried the cashier. irascibly Are you
an insane man or detective?"
Poe Strengthened tip, threw out his
square chest and took deep respira-
ton: his mouth. which had suddenly
tightened. relaxed, and the wrinkles
in his cheeks grew deeper, as he re-
piled in pleasant tone:
Neither You'll pardon me for
talking shop. The jargon is so fasci-
/ mating. you know. It's comfort to the
mouth. like those exquisite preserved
rose leaves one gets in Turkey"
4 Cribben's eyes widened. as though he
! had suddenly encountered a forged
check He scanned Poe with an inclu-
( sive frown and then sank back in his
chair, his manner more hopeless than
before: for time had graved the one
word Business 7" on his brow: trifling
naturalness had been stamped out of
Z his character by the little punch with
which he had cancelled checks for
years.
merely borrowed from the thief's
own language" Poe Went on. - to In.
4 fer that. as the man had a fixed pale
/ face and watery eyes he might be an
1 opium f1end. and possibly could be
found in some New York den, where
1 the bundle. or swag, is often divided
( and that he might let out something
while under the influence of the drug"
oh, see; jumping at conclu:
sions Cribben seemed relieved by
the explanation. But let's stick TO
facts. The safes back there and over
two million dollars is somewhere else.
I'd like to have them connected"
BY all means, lets look at It." re-
piled Poe following the all-but- pomp.
GUS cashier to the temporary barricade
about the safe.
Poe crouched down and swung the
big outer door open. so that the small
drilled hole could be seen in better
light.
Clever, he exclaimed to the cash
Ter. The fellow studied this lock q
long time. He's made the hole in the
single vulnerable spot and lined up the
tumblers so they dropped when he
punched through. Think Of boring g
hole for year. He looked up and
held out on his palm perfectly round
ed bit OF wood. the size of pencil. two
inches long. and enaneled glistening
black at one end.
WHATS that" cried Cribben
where'd you get It? What do yor
mean by working at the hole for Owe
a year." He bent closer and fingered
the round, smooth piece blankly
You can see here, at the mouth o
the hole" answered Poe. indicatin,
with his slim forefnger :" It's NOR
than year old. l should say, from tn
number Of rings which show where b
left off drilling each time This sticl
fits exactly in the hole. found it Oh
the floor here. Evidently overlooked
You notice the end is enameled2"
Yes. But what's the point?
bresthed the other
Why. It's evident, The burgla
had access to the safe in some name
for over year and managed, bit b
bit. 10 drill through the steel. At frs
he probably puttied and painted owe
the small hole. Then. as IT becam
deeper, he made this stick to plug
with. and enameled the end to mate
the safe door, the spot being so sma
ss to escape notice. He did his stir
Of work every so often and replace
the plug each time to conceal all trace
Then when he calculated to within a
eighth Of an inch Of the spot where
could get the tumblers into alignmel
he simply waited for a chance ar
turned the trick.
But no one could do this. Jot
Beggs is the only man ever left aloi
With the safe; he couldn't play pal
| told you he is above suspicion"
I'm quite sure OF II. just had
look at him. He hasn't enou,
, brains, was the reply. as Poe turn
: