Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-03-07


"Leastways not in Maiden Square"
We'll. have you found the place?
oh. that is all right" for the man had
glanced at me with brief suspicion.
This is Mr.. Phillips. who has been
OF much service to me In our little
affair; let me introduce you to Ser
teant jackson, Mr.. Phillips"
l shook hands with the serjeant,
who said that he would take a glass
of beer.
And the placer" asked Peace, when
we had seated ourselves on a corner
bench out Of earshot Of the man be-
hind the bar-a bottle-nosed rufian,
who watched US furtively as he rinsed
the dirty glasses.
That's the address. sir" said the
ser1eant. handing his superior a crum-
pied sheet Of paper
"A club. is it?" he said. glancing up
In his quick. blrd-like way And what
sort Of club?"
Foreign, sir. They call themselves
social democrats, but our special
branch men tell me that a full half
OF the crowd are anarchists, and such
rats as that. think it must be SO.
for Nicolin and his Russians have had
the place under close observation for
weeks. And you know what that
means. sir"
"Yes. know what that means"
"Amaroff was not a member. but
used to drop in there from time to
time. He was very thick with the
man who runs the place, Greatman.
as he calls himself. They tell me that
Greatman sat as a model for some
statue he was doing, back in July. 1t
must have been funny sort of statue
Tor Greatman's weedy little Pole.
and drinks like fish"
For some time the inspector sat in
silence, drawing circles on the floor
with the point OF the light cane he
carried. The bartender dropped
glass. swore, and then. with stare
at US. retreated into little cage he
had at the back Of his domain. Doubt
less the presence OF detectives was no
incentive to trade in the bars of Mai
den Square
This Greatman-what more do you
know of him."
I'VE have had nothing against him
before; but all the same. it's his pri-
vate room that has the sanded floor"
The inspectors prophecy Of the pre-
vious night came back to me with a
sudden remembrance: "Amaroff was
murdered in a room with a sanded
floor, probably at no great distance
from Leman street, seeing that they
carried him there in a coster's bar
row." began to understand the NOR
bid significance OF the private room
in this little foreign club
We were drawing nearer TO our
game; the scent was growing strong
er. Addington Peace leant little for
ward, with twist in his Jaw that
raised ripple of muscles under the
skin
Continue. II you please" he said.
"The room is at the rear Of the club
and there is a back staircase to a yard
| behind, where costers store their bar
rows when not in use. 1t fits in with
what you told us to inquire for. don't
| 1t, sir?"
Yes"
The inspectors stick recommended
| its interlacing circles on the floor;
and we sat and watched, as II thereby
he were disentangling his sordid story
So still were we all that the bartender
poked his luminous nose from his cage
in the hope that we had gone. He
withdrew 1t with remarks on the po-
lice force which were distinctly audi.
BILE, and opposed to the complimentary
Suddenly the inspector turned to me
with motion Of half-apology. as II
at the neglect Of a guest.
"There are times, Mr.. Phillips" no
said, when evidence runs In absurd
contradictions. Observe the present
case, in which you are SO good as to
interest yourself We have 1t from the
Russian police that Amaroff Is their
man, and that In their opinion-they
being well qualified to judge-he was
murdered by Nihilists We now learn
that he was apparently on intimate
teTmS Will INluiilslh, anu we udV6
good reason to believe that he was
strangled In one OF their clubs. What
do you gather from that?"
"They discovered his .reachery and
took an excusable revenge" said |.
"A sound conclusion. And now let
us suppose that Amaroff was not a po-
lice spy at all; being, In fact. dan
| gerous Nihillst. What then?"
"Why set yourself such puzzle?"
mot for amusement" he said. with
his quiet smile. And now propose
a little experiment. You must intro
duce us to this club, Jackson; the
door.keeper will know You. and pass
us in. Afterwards you will 10 to the
back entrance in the yard you spoke
Of, and wait 1t should be easy to
conceal yourself"
"Yes, sir. Am to stop Greatman
| n he comes out2"