The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-09-19
The Clearing Up Of a Pulling Case

II you have been reading the daily
papers at all In the last two years
you already know something OF the
Popham Center murder case. You
know-for the reporters spent oceans
of words In telling you-that Herman
Bauder. the twelve year old son OF a
millionaire florist at Popham Center.
Pennsylvania, was fouad dead on his
fathers lawn one July evening with
his toy air rife by his side, and abb
solutely no trace OF why or how he
met his death or who was responsible
for the dastardly deed. Later 1t was
discovered that the boy had died from
suffocation. which further complicated
the mystery: for how he could have
succumbed In this fashion out there
on the open lawn on a summer even
ing was inexDlicable. More investi-
CATION showed that he bad been
choked. You know also how his
father. frantic with grief. had ragged.
placed his fortune at the disposal of
anyone VINO could clear up the my
stery. and how for weeks the press
rang with stories OF one Of the most
sensational man MINUS IN the
of detective annals in this country.
All this and more you know IL you
were reading the papers at the time.
What you do not know, and what l
propose TO tell is how the mystery
was cleared up IN almost as startling
manner as that in which the crime
had been committed. Startling to the
layman, that is, for to CIuffer and my
self, as operatives in the Burns De
tective Agency. it came merely as
part Of the days work, and to Us in
no way differed from scores OF cases
which We were assigned to clear up in
order to earn our weekly salaries.
The Popham Center murder occur
red on a Monday evening, and Tues
day morning the papers were playing
up THE Popham Center Mystery"
By. this name the case became known.
On the Thursday following the Office
manager Of our agency sent word for
me to go in and see the Chief. Cluf-
fer, another operative, a short, bow
legged and good humored little Eng
lishman, already was in conference
with Burns. Clutter was an old man
I'm the office; l had been a detective
only few months
Cornell" said the Chief, we've
been retained to clear up that Pop
ham Center case over in Pennsyl-
vania. The sheriff and the police
and the county detectives over there
are all up in the air. They've already
arrested three negroes for doing the
Job. 1t isn't likely that they've got
the right man. There Is a reward of
five thousand dollars offered by the
boys father. In addition to that, the
fathers lawyer has retained us by
wire. Now, you and Clutter go over
to Popham Center and clear that
thing up"
I had been reading the newspaper
accounts of the murder and had been
impressed by the apparently insur.
mountable difficulties that lay In q so
luton Of the case. It seemed mighty
cool Of the Chief to order us to run
over and clear 1t up, but that is the
way the modern high class detective
agency works. Crime and the dis.
covery Of It's perpetrators are only
matters Of business, and the high
class agency handles them exactly as
another kind Of business Office hand
les an order for goods.
Have you any theory you want us
to work ONT" I asked
EYES," said the Chief Its a rob
berry crime, sure. The kid must have
got hold of some money or valuables
and somebody must have put him out
Of the way to get them. That's the
way these crimes most always shape
up. I've listed two hundred Of them
and petty robbery has been the motive
in 100 cases. I don't know the situa
ton over there, but that's the ides
want you to base your work on
until you find that I'm wrong, II
am wrong. II the thing looks very
involved after you've been there three
or four days, let me know by wire
That was all. Clutter and cashet
an order for expense money, packet
our grips, and within two hours wer
Pennsylvania bound for what after
wards proved tc be one of the mos
exciting experiences Of our lives.
We reached Popham Center late a
night. 1t was a small, but exceed
ingly prosperous town In the foot
hills of the mountains, and Cluffe
and repaired to its single hotel MAJ
urally the place was buzzing with tai
Of the crime that for the moment ha
made 1t place of national impor
ance. The rooms at the hotel wer
all taken by reporters, photographer
and artists from Philadelphia an
New York, and Cluffer and wer
lucky to find two cots available
one end Of the hall. That night W
met the sheriff Of the county and wer
amazed to find that he considered tn
case already settled. He had give
I'D work on It.
I've got the right man." he sal
hoo cfRrtlv 0Uof him tho frat nro ~