The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-06-06
A, /, Detective
Problem
a, T. C. ARNOLD

n nj Burnet
-. they're having there. Some one
s s's~u it'll incendlory acts and they
~ and out who is doing it. Go down
.na see If you Can do anything
4 tben-' T.. .,o aotoo.,r.
and was ambitious to show
.sility in the case with a view to
s ..on 10 more important cases and
nav reached Burnett in the
- Ion and met the gentlemen who
.,t for a detective. They told
49,, the fires invariably occurred
1T never in the daytime. lasked
Inv they hadn't established a
and they said the matter did
..ur often enough to warrant their
there having been only three
ssrr cases during year. There
oolv a few policemen in the town,
.oo,eh to light upon the incendi.
s,cept BY. accident. | asked them
: 4. buruings we're confined to Bur
md they replied that a blacksmith
auring the time Of their occur
~ had been set afre in the next
80, below. Wharton. That was the
- csse they knew Of. No one was
..,ted no stranger had been seen
,'ss,,oe about, and they didn't believe
= one had come into the town to 90
N dsmage.
=. case for me seemed hopeless. j
"a see no way to solve it except by
s.,,ne watch, and another outrage
-. not occur within two or three
s,bs Il at all. Nevertheless l didn't
Z. 10 90 back to report that / hadn't
- an effort, so l concluded to settle
-,,,lf In the town for a week. The
81 vas a very poor one, and one OF
!. man Mr.. Aborn, who had sent for
!. osered to take me into his home.
: .ceuted and was in no hurry to get
~ for bis daughter, Alice, girl of
.s,teeu. took my fancy, and while pre-
Ling to investigate the incendiary
Z was really dawdling about with
~ Aborn, II Is true, took a great
...pst IN the matter about which l
"a come to Burnet, or, rather. the
h.xtIye features pertaining to 1t. l
- the first one Of the profession she
~ aver met, and / was quite a Gu
Am to her. She wished to know
= uethods in the case l was sup
- to be working on, but i told her
~ detectives had no confidants.
Il the end of the week / returned
4 nuadquarters and reported no prog
N Before leaving Burnet Alice
nm told me that she was going
~ 10 Wharton to visit cousin for
IN weeks. To please her / told
/ n de might try to find out some
~ about the fire that had occurred
N she was delighted at the COM
nhion and promised to do all she
~ to ind clew.
I hadn't been away from Burnet
~ than three or four days when !
/ Uslvd Q telegram that another n1ys-
miOm 1Ee had occurred at Wharton.
Ibsk 4 train for that point at once
- entering the town incog. began
bneop around for what l could find
= But my incog didn't last long.
n Mt Alice Aborn on the street
( | skd her II she had learned any
~ ana she admitted she had not.
Ius not disappointed. for I had ex-
~ nothing from her.
lner q couple Of days spent at
Shrton without results l went over
Burnet on q train with Alice. She
- NJ she had thought so much
1T ths incendiary cases that on
Wal occasions she had dreamed she
= heFself set fire to buildings.
N asked her II these dreams had
urred about the time the fires had
,l0 place she said she didn't re-
no8. except In the last one that
jua passed. She had one Of her
odlay dreams on the very night
tEs occurred.
ny remarkable suspicion enter
~ head Could Alice be uncon-
My tie incendiary? Nonsense!
could abe get out Of bed in the
y of the night and. unseen. 60
= drs to Z. building? But / could
- her dreams out of my head
- fact that q fire had occurred
yoalson Just when she was there.
= her where she had been when
Hu8 IRE had occurred there, and
z ufus thought she said that on
eccaston she had also been at
1n>n.
mat moment there was no
y ny mind that while In some
~ condition Alice Aborn in her
e succeeded In escaping from
sns unknown to any one in it
ct IRE to the buildings burn
= soon % we reached Burnet I
mterview with her father, told
ny suspicions and suggested
ING watch upon his daughter.
saok my leave and reported the
- ~ chief.
months from that date I re-
Z letter from Mr.. Aborn in
4! - that during the previous
= daughter had walked in her
- I'D been stopped just as she |
70 set fire to an old stable. |
~. q . wing Of the house and |
q eut Of her window on to a
nence to the ground and re-