The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-07-18


IL * you, believe. Something
mighty queer. Can you
make IT." Where are you, doctOr7"
"Eight.twenty-four Madison avenue.
ASK for me or Mrs. Mitchell-that's
the name of the woman who owns
the house. Be up right away? o. X.
I'll wait"
The foregoing was q telephone in
terchange between Inspector Finney
Valentine at police headquarters and
Doctor Zabriskie at the uptown ad.
dress named. The latter was prac-
Using physician and also one of the
city coroners.
While Inspector Valentine is on his
way to No. S24 we may rapidly review
the tragic occurrence which demand.
ed the presence of New York's chief
OF detectives.
That very morning a certain MT
Caleb Winnett had been found dead
in swivel-chair before his desk in
the back parlor Of the Madison ave-
nue. house-a respectable domicile In
the "brown-stone district" Doctor
Zabriskie had been Immediately sent
for in his capacity of private prac.
titioner: that he was also one Of the
medico-legal officers of the great city
enabled him to act at his discretion
and without publicity until he had
consulted with his old friend, Finney
Valentine, whose one hobby 1t 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
high-class clearinghouse by the Mrs.
Michel 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
ers had been gradually eliminated,
until uncle and niece were the sole
inmates outside of Mrs. Michel and
her step-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 extern
sion, the first as sitting or recep-
ton room, the second as an Office, the
third as a sleeping chamber. Miss
Winnett slept upstairs on the second
floor. 1t was generally understood
though the definite terms were known
only to Mrs. Michel and Mr.. Win
nett-that the latter paid well for the
privilege of being her star ledger.
Caleb Winnett was ostensibly man
of independent fortune; he followed
no regular business-that Is, he was
not ''in the street" or engaged in any
mercantile affairs. Yet there was
pretty constant stream of callers at
1924 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 Michell's interest lay in be
ing close-mouthed. as Caleb Winnett
had often cautioned her. And yet
one scarcely knows how these things
get QUIT was currently rumored
that the tall old man with the stoop
shoulders, the long iron-gray hair. and
the hawk-like face and nose, was a
money-lender at cent-per-cent rates of
interest-a veritable New York replica |
of London's master money-lender. |
Sam Lewis. Of savory memory. And |
rumor was not far out Of the way. |
Caleb Winnett was a 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
CT ruinous secrets.
And now he was dead-dying the
death or q lonely and mated old man.
Even as there had been something
mysterious and secretive about his
life, SO there was more than suspicion
as to the manner of his taking of.
Doctor Zabriskie met Inspector
Valentine 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 to
the bed. Coat. vest and shirt were
partly open as they had been left
after the physicians examination.
Doctor Zabriskie was the first to
speak. II was called about an hour
ago" he said. land found him dead
in his chair in the middle room Life
had been extinct for at least eight