The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-12-05

victim mas blinded you to the strong
resemblance which her case bears to
one you know, in which the sufferer
had none of the worldly advantages OF
Miss Challoner. / allude to"
Wait! The washerwoman in Hicks
street,"
The same. Mr. Gryce, there's a
startling similarity in the two cases
II you study the essential features
only. Startling, l assure you"
"Tes, you are right there. But what
Il there is? We were no more sue
cessful in solving that case than we
have been in solving this. Yet you
look and act like hound which has
struck a hot SCENT
The young man smoothed his fea.
lures with an embarrassed laugh.
II shall never learn" said he, mo-!
to give tongue till the hunt is fairly
started. If you will excuse me, we'll
first make sure OF the similarity
have mentioned. Then I'll explain my.
self. l have some notes here, made at
the time it was decided to drop the
Hicks street case as a wholly inexplic.
able one. Shall l read them?"
Fire away, my boy, though l hardly
see your purpose or what real bearing
the affair in Hicks street has upon
the Clermont one. A poor washer
woman and the wealthy Miss Challon.
erl True, they were not unlike in
their end"
"The connection will come later.s
smiled the young detective, with that
strange softening of his features
which made one at times forget his
extreme plainness.
And he read:
ION the afternoon of December 4
1910, the strong and persistent scream
ing of young child in one of the
rooms of rear tenement in Hicks
street, Brooklyn, drew the attention
OF some of the inmates and led them
after several Intellectual efforts te
gain an entrance, to the breaking IL
of door which had been fastened or
the inside by an old-fashioned door
button.
1.-THE tenant, whom all knew for an
honest, Woodworking woman, had not
infrequently fastened her door in this
manner, in order to safeguard heJ
child who was abnormally active ant
had a way of rafting the door opeI
when it was not thus secured. But
she had never refused to open before
and the child's cries were pitiful.
"This was no longer a matter O,
wonder, when, the door having beer
Wrenched from its hinges, they al
rushed in. Across a tub Of steamins
clothes lifted upon a bench in tine
open window, they saw the body o:
this good woman, lying inert and
seemingly dead; the frightened child
Juggling at her skirts. She was of 3
robust make, fleshy and fair, and hat
always been considered a model O.
health and energy, but at the sigh
of her helpless figure, thus stricken
while at work, the one cry was a
stroke!' till she had been lifted of
and laid upon the floor. Then some
discoloration in the water at the bot
tom Of the tub led to a closer examin
alton OF her body, and the discover,
Of bullet-hoie in her breast directl,
over the heart.
I'm just in TIE mood to settle that
question. This last failure to my &C
count ought to make me an excellent
judge of another's folly. I've med
died with the old business for the last
time, Sweetwater. You'll have to &c
it alone from now on. But what's the
matter with you? Speak out, my boy
Something new in the wind?"
mo, Mr.. Gryce; nothing new. You're
not satisfied with the coroner's YER
dict in the Challoner case?"
mo. I'm satisfied with nothing that
leaves all ends dangling. Suicide was
not proved. There was no blood-stain
on that cutter-point.'
Nor any evidence that it had ever
been there"
"No. I'm not proud of the chain
which lacks a link where it should be
strongest
THAT chain we must throw away"
And forge another?"
Sweetwater approached and sat
down.
Yes; I believe we can do it; yet
l have only one indisputable fact for
starter. Mr.. Gryce, don't trust
Brotherson. Though he should tell a
story ten times more plausible than
the one with which he has satisfied
the coroner's jury, l would still listen
to him with more misgiving than con-
fidence. Perhaps it is simply deeply
rooted antipathy on my part, or the
rage one feels at finding he has placed
his finger on the wrong man. Again
1t may be"
What, Sweetwater?"
"A well-founded distrust. Mr.. Gryce,
I'm going to ask you a question"
ASK away. Ask fifty if you want
to-"
did you ever hear of case before,
that in some of it's details was similar
to this?''
mo, it stands alone. That's why it
IL SO pulling"
"Yon forget. Tine wealth. heantx