The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-12-05

him after l did. The coroner told me
you saw him leaving the room during
the inquest"
Il seen him." volunteered the clerk.
Where? When ?" l asked sxc1tedly.
About an hour ago, driving past
here lickety-split with the black mare
from Jones livery stable"
(Which direction did he go?" l
cries, all excitement at the thought
that Crandall was escaping just at the
very moment when 1, for the first
time, had made sure of his identity.
"He must be followed and found at
once" l said, turning to the landlord.
Don't his actions look to you like
those of guilty man? The minute he
hears me ask about yellow letter he
disappears from the hotel. There is
no train by which he can escape. So
desperate is he that he hires a horse
and tries to get away cross country"
| had hoped by my eagerness to
stir in the landlord something of my
own feeling in regard to Crandall's
guilt, but these country yokels are
nara 10 move.
What do you suspect him Off" he
inquired calmly. why should he
want to escape from you? Have you
got warrant for him?'
l was not yet ready to divulge my
reason for wanting Crandall captured.
Even if We had him, what definite
crime was there of which I could ac-
cuse him? ! was morally certain that
the yellow letter or letters emanated
from him, yet how could l prove it? A
new thought came to me.
where is his baggage?" l asked.
He only had a hand-satchel with
him." said Mr.. Williams, land l guess
| that is up in his room"
Suppose we go look for it." | sug-
gested.
You don't do no such thing as that
in my hotel" said the landlord de-
cisively, mot unless you've got a war
rant. He's paid for his room for a
week in advance, and there amt no
law to prevent his going and coming
as he pleases, SO long as there amt
no warrant out for him. If he wants
to get out Of town behind the fastest
horses in Jones stable | amt a-going
to try to stop him, and what's more, if
he has left his grip in his room it is
going to stay there. Maybe or maybe
not there are things in it, but there
amt no prying stranger going to know
what's there unless he can show me
due warrant of law"
you may be defeating the ends of
Justice" l warned him sternly, indig-
nantly resenting his remark, yet see
ing no way in which | could success
fully dodge his appellation of ''prying
stranger" without revealing my whole
hand, and this was determined not to
| do until Davis arrived and I had had
an opportunity to consult with him.
Il may be blocking your Plans" said
the landlord gruff1y, "but you'll get no
more help out of me unless | know
what it is you are after. The right
kind of a mystery doesn't hurt the ho-
tel business, but there's things that
do, and if you want any help from me.
young man, I've got to know what's
going on"
q wish l knew myself" said men,
tally, adding aloud: when l am
ready to speak you will hear many
things that will astound you. Mean
while, | tell you that l have every rea-
son to believe that that man who fed
from here is a great criminal and that
if you do not aid in his apprehension
you will be doing serious wrong to
the community. I'll tell you this
much, l am convinced that he was re-
sponsible for this woman's death and
for other deaths"
Maybe he is and maybe he ain't, -
said the landlord. II saw the lady
myself, and nobody can persuade me
it was anything but a suicide. Why,
cut her down."
81 am not denying that she commit
ted suicide" I replied with some as
perity, but I am morally certain that
if she killed herself she was driven to
it by the man who has just fed. I
insist on being allowed to examine his
baggage"
Look here, young man." said Mr.
Williams, Il have told you once and
for all that the baggage of no guest in
this house is going to be examined
without due process Of law. And
want to say right here that it's evident
that you yourself know a lot more
about this case than you are telling.
IL you are an officer and can show me
warrant / am ready to give you all
the aid and assistance I can, but until
you do, I'd advise you to keep your
nose out OF things that amt your bust
less and to stay out of places you
Amt got right to be in"
The suspicion crossed my mind that
1t might be he who had discovered me
in the post office the night before. /
decided quickly that it could not have
been, for he was in the hotel when l
arrived. felt sure it must have been
either Crandall or the postmaster.
Plainly, though, there was nothing
further to be gained by argument with
the obtuse Mr.. Williams. After. all.
there ought not to be much difficulty
in tracing Crandall by the vehicle in
which he had driven away. That could
wait until Davis arrived. Meanwhile |
pondered on what could do to throw
light on the case. had it. would
visit the post office again and see what
| could learn about the holder of the
lock box from which Davis believed
the yellow letters came.
Abruptly leaving the landlord,
strolled out into the street, determined
to go boldly to the post Office and
make inquiries. AS l approached the
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