The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-09-26

Of finding out If ! want to trust q
man"
"Well2" said /.
WELL" said he, Il believe ] have
been fortunate enough to find such a
man at my flrst try. ! believe ] can
trust you. My name is Ezra Brun'
dage."
At first the name conveyed nothing
to me.
Inventor Of the Brundage novel
ties" he continued, and president Of
the Brundage Novelty Company, OF
Hoboken."
/ placed him, then; ! had seen his
photograph In the advertisements of
the Brundage novelties.
What is 1t that you want me to do,
Mr.. Brundage?" ! asked.
Il want you" said he, ito satisfy
me that the Brundage Novelty Com
pany is not being robbed"
Then he went on to explain. 1t
seems that he had no definite reason
for being suspicious. He said IT was
only his intuition that told him all
was not right in the company. He
said that sense of wrong-doing on
the part Of someone in the Office had
impressed him several weeks before;
that the impression had grown until
he had begun to investigate, and
though he could find no signs, he now
was fully convinced that the company
and therefore himself-was being
robbed.
Intuition entirely, Mr. Cornell" he
said But all my life have listened
to my intuition, even in my business
dealings and ! find that 1t guards me
better than anything else / know"
Whom do you suspect@ said
bluntiy.
"Mr Cornell, ! am in partnership
with a young man named Gerber"
'And he's the man, is he?"
He bowed. Il am afraid SO, though
/ dislike to say 1t, Mr.. Gerber is a
young man, and hitherto have
thought him the soul of honor-one
whom 1t was privilege and pleasure
to associate with"
"And how do you think he's get
ting away with the loot?"
He thought it over for a few sec
onds and said slowly: Il do not
know. That is what what you to
find out. He is our treasurer and
so has charge of all the finances of
the firm 80
well" said /, "are there any de-
tails you can give me? Any point
ers?"
None" he said. "But l have this
suggestion to make; that you go to
work In our office as a clerk where
you will have opportunities for close
observation"
ITO watch you partner. Gerber?"
ITO watch Mr.. Gerber place the
case In your hands: watch Mr.. Ger
ber."
Back to the Office went to report
to the chief.
Il thought you would find sort Of a
queer bird from the way he phoned. .
said the chief. "But business is bus
mess; he's retained us for the job,
and your job is to watch Gerber.
However, don't be so slow as to mere
ly follow his suggestion about going
to work In the Office Beat the old
man to It; look up Gerber-after
hours. You'll get more there, prob
ably than you would in the office"
Under these instructions went
over to Hoboken at once with an
other man to get a "spot" on Gerber,
who was unknown to me. Getting
spot" on a man in detective par
lance signifies this process: one de-
tective enters an office or place of
business and asks for the man that
Is wanted Meeting him, he makes
some excuse and gets away at the
door of the place he waits for the man
to come out. Across the street is an.
other detective. When the man who
Is to be shadowed comes out the first
detective signals to the man across
the street in some unobtrusive way,
and drops out. In this case Cluffer
the man who went with me, entered
the offices of the Brundage Novelty
Company and asked for Mr.. Gerber
Having met him Clutter merely ap
piled for a position-and was turned
down. When Gerber came out at 6
In the afternoon Clutter. standing neal
the office entrance. took a paper from
his pocket and began TO read 1.-THE
signal we had agreed upon. Then Cluf
fer went back to New York, and /
whom Gerber had never seen, tool
up the trail In this way all chance
for suspicion on the part Of the sub
ject is eliminated.
For the next three days we "tooh
him up In the morning and put him t.
bed at night" That is. from the mo
ment when he left his house in tbs
morning to when he retired for the
night, Gerber never was out of sigh
Of a detective.
By day, in the Office, had him un
der my eye, having gone to worl
there as a clerk. Outside of the Office
another man from the agency watch
ed him, no matter where he went
Gerber didn't have chance to make
move that wasn't reported on.
But nothing developed IN this time
and went to the chief and reported
my belief that old Brundage was hal
cracked and that his suspicion wa
nothing more or less than a hallucina