Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-06-26

self and the watchers of criminals WhC
wear the police stars OF the city OF
Chicago. And, judging from the queer
little smile which Miss Clement gave
ME as we walked down Fifth avenue
after our meeting, it seemed that the
mission was to remain a secret.
ct seems" l said, that the occa
sion Of your coming to New YORK
ought to be enough to cause you to
tell little of it anyway
She directed one Of those flashing
good humored looks at me.
Can you remember time when
ever told anything of case before
/ finished it?" she queried.
was forced to admit that she was
right. Miss Clement continued:
Resides with smile, New York
isn't so new to me. 1 made an arrest
here once"
1t was then that crossing jam took
our attention from things criminal,
and it was not until an hour later,
when seated in the moonlight on the
top deck of a Coney Island boat. that
the conversation drifted back. | had
said something about the detective
stories of fiction and the wonderful
doctors who always are finding Grim
inals through their scientific investi-
cations.
And yet" said Miss Clement,
there's many story of fiction that
has Its counterpart in real life. For
instance that New York arrest spoke
of was an example of what can be
done by science. The up-to-date po-
lice departments are not SO blind to-
new discoveries as you might think
AS the story started, | could not,
help admiring the picture before me.
the white clad figure with its hat
shielding the face from the pearlliket
flood of the moon, the flash of eyes,
now and then as the head turned, the
clasped hands-and on beyond the
rolling sea. cleaning and swirling in
the night light. In the distance the
shore slid past in black, ever changing
shadows. 1t was a cool night, and the
usual crowd Of the boat was absent,
Here and there about the deck, how
ever, sat young men and young wom-
en- conversing in low tones, or sitting
,si ent and looking out to the thin line
of the horizon. Far ahead a light
house flashed its warning. The steam
of the ships exhaust mixed incongru-
ously with the music OF the boat or
chestra. leaned nearer that | might
hear better.
II can't say that I ever was really
assigned to case where murders or
something of the kind have been CON
cerned" Miss Clement had begun, but
1t always seems | am just happening
along by accident. This New York
case q call it that because the case
was finished here) was one of those
affairs. though not murder.
Il was walking down State street
Chicago, one morning when crowd
around a store caused me to stop. The
shattered glass and general wreckage
within told of some kind of accident.
I elbowed my way to the door, and
thti e HitI OIe vi tAC hlSh iioiii sAi~
central office.
"'What's happened?' l inquired.
"'Safe blowing was the answer
And 1t was real one. The yeggman
who did this job must have thought
he was a Mount Vesuvius. He not
only tore the store to pieces, but he
tried TO do the same thing to himself.
He pointed to few spots Of blood on
the wall, evidently where the safe
blower had been knocked by the ex-
plosion and cut his head. But just the
same the detective continued. that
didn't keep him from cleaning the safe
of about $4,000 in money and paper
and getting away. And that's what
gets me. | can't for the life of me
see how he managed to escape
"A cursory glance on the out
side, however, showed that the
matter of escape had been fair
ly easy An alley was at the
side of the building. and from there.
by dark routes through an excavation
and an unfinished building, 1t was easy
to reach Wabash avenue and the rail-
road yards beyond. have never made
1t much Of point to spend much time
figuring out by what method man
has escaped. 1t doesn't do much to-
ward finding him. l went back into
the store.
"'What do you think of it?' l asked
the central office man.
"'It isn't what you'd call the best
chance in the world was his answer.
There's not thing to hang clue on.
The only chance We have is to get
track of some of that negotiable pa
per and trace him that-huh!
"He had been digging around In the
rubbish near the safe, and pulled forth
bundle of papers. That clue was
gone. The robber had taken only the
money. l looked around the room.
"'At least said, we can find out
whether he fs a negro or white
man. Lend me your knife
II stepped to the wainscoting and
Clipped off bit of blood-stained wood.
Then l started for microscopist.
THAT night a chance was in my
grasp and I was on a Kansas City
Flyer. bound for Fort Leayenworth,
Kan. And the next afternoon"
why Leavenworth? asked. Had
you found out his name?"
Miss Clements smile flashed in the
moonlight