The Washington times., 1912-10-16

still remains, as helpless and
unintelligent as an infant.
He grins and mumbles as he lies
on his cot; he seems to have lost
the power of speech. and even the
ability to hear"
Again Kirkwood nodded.
And the strshserr', he asked. He
"Ne. After leaving the bank. imme-
diateiy after the tragedy, no went TO q
neighboring chemists. He was greatly
agitated and asked a clerk to direct him
Sonsss &c ass ossre5 oSt d. psSSSsn who s was in
the shop at the time. The stranger
|. .fhereupon told DIR. Borden that MT. Is
| blister had shot himself and that he ap-
sought the physician to attend him at
once. DR.. Borden needed no urging. Is
blister was his banker and the two men
had been on friendly terms for many
years. DIR. borden had never attended
isbister professionally. however.
After having summoned DR.. Borden
the stranger disappeared, and for two
days we were unable to find a trace OF
him Though all the sson clerks ,ss .,r.rssr IN sne
as he left the bank, no one among them
had any recollection Of having seen him
prior to that day. Two or three had
quickly in the direction OF Mr.. Isbis:
ter's private office: they had remarked
that there was a troubled expression on
his face. He moved with sucn assur-
ance. and seemed to be so familiar with
| those who saw him thought him some
| friend of their employer who had visit
| "a the office before. The idea OF stop
ping him did not occur to any one.
Now, before proceeding with an ac-
| count OF our efforts to lind this man. II
might be well to explain something. on
the day following the tragedy the fact
was revealed that for two days prior
to Mr.. Isbister's death the firm was on
| the verge Of bankruptcy. II Mr.. Isbis-
| ter had lived twenty-four hours longer
| he would have been obliged to announce
the inability Of the firm to meet Its obs
| legations"
'dTherc was a weli-deyelopcd motive
for suicide. them" said Kirkwood.
| "And for murder" added the super
intendent. rs IT. not possible that this
stranger might have been the first Of
entrusted to the care Of Isbister Broth
ers had been misappliedT'
"It Is possible, of course" assented
Kirkwood. II am to infer. however,
"The weapon with which the shoot.
ing was done was carried on by the
stranger"
weii-upon what theory have you
been workingT'
The superintendent raised his eye.
brows with an expression OF surprise
There's, only one theory tensble,
be replied with some sharpness. III
Mr.. Isbistcr took his own life, the re-
volver would have been found beside
him. The stranger. whose manner wal
agitated when he entered the office
and who took the revolver away with
him. unquestionably did the shooting
| II he Is Innocent. why did he SO mys
teriously disappear after the tragedy
The newspapers have been full OF &C
must have read them. II he Is limo
| cent. why does he not come forward
and attempt to clear himself OF tn,
suspicion his acts have excited?"
| Have you succeeded in finding an,
clue to his present whereabouts7"
He is still In this city"
"Still In Leeds?''
Yes. or this we have ample evi
DO you know his name?'
You have good description o
"Oh, yes"
And You have been unable to ru,
The superintendent leaned back II
his chair. puffed vigorously at his cigar
for seyeral moments before he spoke.
II the case did not possess severa
remarkable features. We should no
have appealed to Scotland Yard" h
| shlu ! our man mas Detn 10
Gated from time to time. we have beer
unable to run him down. 1t Is thi
inability on the part of my men, and ;
fear that this remarkable stranger ma.
commit some other desperate act
which caused me to send for you.
THE man we seek is no common
malefactor. Whether or not he Is In
sane We cannot tell: but we hav
learned enough OF him to know tina
some strange motive which make
him a menace to our city. Moreover
he Is so resourceful that we can neve
get him of his guard. The manner Il
various parts Of the city has com
pletely mystified us. 1t is because o
these apparent leaps that he has be
come known to US as the Cricket"
s,nds maays fse any tnSyr.ayg Of your men seen hin
"Yes. ! have told you that two o
my detectives-Quilian and Ward
were assigned to the case. Both hav
had encounters with him at differen
times.
Two days after the shooting Quilla
came upon the Cricket near the mai
entrance of the Grand Theater, just q
the crowd was coming out after tn
alarmed by ouiIian's scrutiny, the ma
crossed the street and entered the shad
ows In the rear of st. Johns Churcf
, Without waiting to summon aid, Qui
lhI IOhOwtu. lhe SiiehSt "eo ~
lowed up in the darkness, but Quiila
J pressed on. That's all the poor cha
remembers; for. twenty minutes late
? he was found unconscious and with
fractured skull, His badge. revolvel
: cartridges, and 'darbies' had bee
. taken from him.
, Kirkwood was beginning to loo
. | more interested now
Half an hour later a man conform
' ing with the Crickets description wa
= seen prowling about the residence &
J Thomas Ridgeley, the wealthy manu-
I facturer, In the Great Woodhouse dis
I trict. four miles from the theater &
: which he had been seen by Quillan.,
"Mr. Ridgeley's butler had had II
evening off, and was about to entt
the house when he saw the figure of
man move stealthily behind one Of II
, evergreens just inside the wall. Tf
} butler IL a man OF courage; unarme
as no was. he advanced promptly t.
=. ward the trespagser The man spran
? at him and they grappled- Tf
T Cricket had underestimated' the butler
r strength and ability as boxer. for
. less than a minute a blow at the poir
: OF the jaw sent him to the groun
u apparently unconscious.
"The butler called for lights. an
two of the stablemen brought lar
Il terms. They had scarcely arrived G
: the scene when the Cricket, leapin
a to his feet. attacked the butler
/ savagely that he was knocked uncoI
q scious Another blow, and one OF Il
a stablemen was sent reeling. The thiI
>. MAN Aad Tho rrakaf diaanpRared