Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-07-18

So t. famed :cloHefnsas In. an
g - swertng just one ques,
! !: !: !: !: ]!
= ton, that and NO more, !
- said the great man. He
made the remark with .
half sheer ON his heavy
~ face and 40 near sni6
~ % his huge dubious nose
LII could express. Also IN
40 !: y evil smouldering anger
showed In the eyes that had long
surveyed the finances. Of the world
from the center Of tho web Of Wall
Street and known that they held the
mastery Of most Of Thorn and II they
could maintain their power long
enough and their mighty owner keep
life within his body : sufficient length
Of time tho contest would be complete
and nearly absolute. 5*.-.-5ls.-
sPurdon was speaking to Lawrence
Rand and myself. but his half contemp.
tuous fling was directed ut the great
professional investigator. i saw .
dioker of resentment In Rand's we'll
governed face. but he said very quiet
":
What IL this question. Mr.. Pur-
DOM"
you SEQ this room?"
; We surveyed his spacious private
once with its rows Of rare books and
special reports. it, priceless tapestries.
'You note that It has but the one
door and that 10 set in Z forged steel
easement and leads to outer o6ces,
from which four or more guards are
never absent. Also that door Is locked.
save when l am in this ONCE. by =
double Belgian trick lock. have the
two keys always with me and even It
either of you or anyone else had them
you would not know how to use them.
You notice that there is only this one
broad, steel-casemented window. open
ing on court sixty feet wide. It 10
fifty feet down and fifty feet up and
tnero are no windows above or below
that are not grated and barred. Yet,
gentlemen, yesterday afternoon I left
q paper of value to me of more
than forty million dollars lying on this
desk. went out. locked my door
and returned in an hour. The weight
/ had placed on the paper had been
moved to one side and the paper was
gone.
1.-THE question I ask you Is, how was
that paper taken from my desk, and
where is it,"
:, what was that paper?" Rand asked.
II don't intend to tell you," he thun-
dered. "You are employed to answer
my questions, not I yours. If you
cant, why here's your check and get
out" -.
when was this room swept last?"
1T was cleaned with pneumatic
suction cleaner yesterday morning"
/. "Who has been in it since2"
& Purdon thought q minute.
Il General Thomas Bickle-"
= 'Who has an artificial leg3" inter-
posed Rand.
Eyes. Mrs. Reddington van Petries.
Mr.. Jenkins Of my firm, my secretary
and my wife,"
"Will you send for Mr.. jenkins and
your secretary, please?"
Purdon opened his dictograph and
asked for them and they appeared at
tho door in the fraction Of 4 minute.
This gentleman wanted to sec you"
said Purdon, CURLY.
"step three PAGES inside the door.
please, gentlemen. one Of you to the
right and one to the left" e.,
They did so, their astonishment
thinly concealed.
THAT is all. thank you." said Rand.
his eyes fastened on their feet. AZ
tho door closed behind them he rose
and bent over the tracks they had left
in the deep, rich silk nap Of the car
pct. Under his magnifying glass their
every characteristic was made clear.
Slowly he circled the desk. going
round and round, coming nearer and
nearer the walls each circuit. /
Rand completed his survey and then
said: ...
There was no one in this ONCE "a
take tina: paper" :
Rand now carefully inspected thu
desk, the paper-weight. the chains and
the sill of the open window. He scanned
the court above and below and then
standing on the ledge looked carefully
over the outer face Of the wall about
the window.
r"Also, Mr.. Purdon. you can be SURF
that no one came down from above
by rope or other device or came w
by q ladder. Now you are certain YOU
placed the paper under the weight?
II am"
Then, Mr.. Purdon, cannot answer
your question unless you tell mo thu
story of the paper and let me wor1
toward the thief through the motive o.
the theft ~ Isl
Purdon's brow grew very black. he
reached for his check book and drew
one quickly.
.'That I WIN not Do. Here = ron