Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-03
How many, Murphy?" crewe asked


1.-TWO hundred and seventy-three,
sir" Murphy responded. Seventy
four" he added, as a man hurried by,
almost brushing into us.
You are keeping the three parts
of the day separate, Murphy" asked
Crewe. Good. Keep up your count
and report to me tomorrow morning
at five. At the stroke of midnight you
vacate your post"
Five o'clock till midnight seems
long hours, Crewe," 1 said.
'It is. But 1t is only for three days,
and the men are trained to such
periods of work. Besides, they I'M
derstand that they share in the re-
ward and, somehow or other, l have
been able to persuade them that thsy
can trust in me-. I happened to know
something of the past history OF
each" he added, smiling.
You remember them alp
"Assuredly. 1 told Murphy that in
1909 he was on duty at the intersec-
ton of Eighty-first street and Broad
way when the explosion occurred in
the subway and that he helped to car
~ up the victims. l reminded him
of an unpleasant little incident con-
nected with a fruit peddler's license
last year. Langton, 1t is fine thing
to remember faces. I have convinced
all four men, l believe, that 1 have
some supernatural knowledge about
them-and merely because, in my
strolls about the city, l have en-
countered almost all the police force
at some time or another, and remem-
bered them. But let US hurry
southwark Our next objective is the
Brooklyn bridge"
We emerged at the bridge subway
station, in front of which, leaning
against the ratings of the City Hall
park, 1 recognized O'Rourke. He
Strengthened himself and came up to
us.
"Eighty-seven this morning and
thirty-nine up to this moment" he
said.
II see you know your business, -
Crewe responded. Don't let any one
! pass, O'Rourke. Remember your
/ share of the reward will pay the
/ mortgage on that house of yours"
/ O'Rourke leaped back in astonish-
ment. His mouth opened and he
/ looked at Crewe in amazement.
Don't jump like that" said Crewe.
( You brighten me. l mean the house
in jamaica" Then, as we turned
away, he added: 81 saw him talking
TO his wife one afternoon two years
ago when he was on duty. 1t was
a long shot, though-the house might
have been paid for. Now for our
other two"
! We took the elevated to Sixth ave
nue. and Twenty-third street, where
we found Kelly looking ostentaticusly
into a shop window.
Every good" said Crewe, slapping
him upon the back. You saw us
coming? Some men are too dense to
know that one can see the passers-
by just as well when they are reflect
ed in a plate-glass window. Happily
the precaution is unnecessary, but l
am glad to see so much intelligent
zeal in your work, Kelly. You are
keeping the numbers separator"
Seventy and thirty-thirty-on this
instant, sir" said Kelly, and we moved
away.
A cross-town car and a brisk walk
soon landed us at the Fourteenth
was seated in a shoeblack's chair
getting a polish.
"Sixty-eight and twenty-seven, sir,
he whispered as we passed by Crewe
nodded almost imperceptibly and we
turned back into Union park Al
Crewe's invitation we took our seats
upon a bench.
And now, Langton," he said "you
want to know what this apparently
unintelligible process means and
will let you into the secret You may
} have observed that chose four points
in New York at which to station my
, detectives. The selection of those
j points was Influenced by two causes
In the first place, they are the foul
chief places where men walk, by pref
erence, on one side of the street alone
and consequently it is easier to coun
the passers-by than if my men had t.
oNCh DOLn SluCo VI Tic olCSL- -
the juncture of Broadway and Forty
. second street everybody who is no
l bent upon business-and Rowell i
, distinctly a pleasure-seeker in thes,
r days-walks on the west side of tn
street, because extensive building
r operations are in process upon tn
E east side. At our southern point, tn
3 subway entrance to the Brookly1
4 bridge, almost every one enters an
energies on the city hall side. At Sixtl
: avenue and Twenty-third street GU
Y populace walk on the south side, be
/ cause that side of the thoroughfare
/ devoted to large stores whose window
4 hold q tempting array of goods. An
/ on Fourteenth street everybody walk
on the south side in order to pass tn
e numerous moving picture shows
) which afford a spectacle of some il
r terest. externally, even to the ma
s who affects TO despise them.
so much for the minor reason c
)" my selection. Now for the major res
t son. These four points embrace pra,
: tically the entire amusement an
e shopping district Of the city. Wher
t would a stranger go, an Englishna
C without q friend in town, but in thi
I he