The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-04-12

idliOlio VI Soiuc soit- OuppOSe, lOf III
stance. old Andrew Elser, when his
law business had failed him, had be-
gun to speculate with tho funds be-
longing to the boy for whom he was
guardian. His speculations are un-
fortunate. He plunges and loses still
more. He becomes desperate. He
sees no way Of replacing the money
he has stolen. 1t seems certain that
his crime will be discovered and that
he will be disgraced. He can not
sleep nights. His brain, constantly
agltated by fear and worry. will not
permit him to rest. His judgment.
never acute, or he would not have be-
come thief. becomes more and more
unbalanced. Then one day this vel
low letter comes. 1t reads convinc-
ingly. 1t promises immediate aid. 1t
pledges secrecy. At last he sees an
honorable way out. He hastens to
send reply to Lock Box No. II,
Ardway. N. j.. as directed. Can't you
. imagine what happens then? Young
communicates with him at once. You
used the telephone. didn't your
Sure" he said, ''the telephone ev-
cry time. 1t leaves no records behind
1t and the Bertillon system can't
identify voice."
"Now." the inspector went on.
what does Young say over the tele-
phone to Elser? Something like this
You're an old thief. I've got the
proof You are stealing somebody's
| money. Steal some more and give
1t to me or I'll TELL Unfortunately.
in old Elser's case there was no more
money left to steal. SO he killed him.
self. Am I right. Young?"
/ Again the prisoner nodded, and
again he demanded another dose Of
| morphine. His muscles were again
getting beyond his control. As Davis
fixed the hypodermic. asked: But
where does the old maid from Con-
necticut come in? Surely she wasn't
defauIter."
Il suspect 1t was the brother with
| whom she made her home." said the
inspector.
Damn her." said Young bitterly, 1t
was she who queered the whole game.
We tackled her brother for five hun
dred and 1t came so easily we de-
cided to make another try. The weak
kneed old thief. in his terror Of US.
told his sister all about it. She In
sisted on coming down here. She
saw Rouser and tried to find the sign
er of the letter. Rouser denied know
ing him. She was wise old creature
and pointed out that as postmaster he
| must know who got the mail. Her
suspicion of Rouser scared him stiff.
He wanted to give her the money
back. but at first I wouldn't hear to
It. She was threatening to commit
suicide II we didn't. He was so
scared that finally consented to let
him square her. wanted to use him
still further and wasn't ready to have
him get cold feet. I gave him the
money, and he went to the hotel late
In the afternoon to see the old girl.
He slipped up to her room and found
her hanging there. 1t gave him such
a shock that he dashed back to the
post Office. grabbed his bicycle and
hustled out here as fast as he could
come. where was waiting to meet
Katharine Parrish"
| With difficulty | suppressed an ex-
| clamaticn of establishment. l could
not doubt that he was telling the
truth. for his story dovetailed so well
with what Louise had told me. Yet
1t seemed impossible TO believe. 1t
surely was preposterous to imagine
that General Parrish. wealthy and
honorable as he was. could have
been thief. I refused to believe It,
decided to demand an explanation
from Young OF why he had sought a
meeting with Katharine
| tits too bad Rouser was SO easily
frightened" Davis was saying sar-
castically. "He was so scared that he
left behind in the cash drawer FIVE
thousand he had just received from
Henry Eberle."
| The accursed fool" screamed
Young in frenzy of rage that he had
failed to get his hands on this bit Of
plumber The sneak didn't tell me
that All he said was that Dora Hast
ings, who was a restaurant cashier.
had insisted that 1t was utterly i'm
possible for her to pay up. The dirty.
damned sneak,"
In ct OF madness he cursed and
cursed again his dead associate. foul
oaths rolling in streams from his
parched lips. Anxiously l waited for
his fury to subside to ask him about
Katharine and Hugh Crandall It
secured dissertation OF her woman
hood to mention Katharine's name in
the presence of such a man, SO as he