The Ordway new era., 1913-05-02
l10RCHA

1
geezer halfbreed. neither Chink nor
white man. but slimy mixture OF all
that's bad In the two. We've had him
on the griddle all night. Talk about
the third degree! He got 1t good, and
he's made enough admissions already
to, send him straight to the chair"
"And Murphy?" suggested.
Hes a tough one, that lad! When
they'd brought him to. they figured
they'd get him to convict himself in
the same old way. But there was
nothin' doing. He Just shut his trap.
and not a word would he answer one
way or the other But his turnIl come.
all right. I've got 1t on him. Mr.. Clyde.
While Nv. been shadowin' him for the
past month I've picked up q bunch Of
stun that will come In good. To be-
gin with. his name amt Murphy. It's
Pat Moran. and his mugs at head
quarters"
"His mug?" ~
Sure! in the Rogue's Gallery. And
his records there too. He's done time.
already"
For what"
For stabbin' man in the back"
1t requires no great mathematical
ability to put two and two together.
The result is always either four or
twenty-five. So. in logic. the answer is
invariably either right or wrong. MUIR
ply had stabbed a man in the back;
wound under his shoulder blade. There
were the two and two.
What were the facts?" I asked.
with kindled interest. Whom did he
stab? When? Where?"
The bloke's name." O'Hara an
swered. after a moments thumbing Of
his note book, was MacNichol-Doug-
lass MacNichol. It was in Buffalo. in
1900"
My putting together Of names could
hardly be a coincidence.
Pat Moran served five years in Au-
burn" the detective added.
you don't know what became Of
McNish-I mean MacNichol?"
mo"
Nor any facts about the cause Of
the stabbing?"
That's easy got" O'Hara informed
me. But II amt in the record at
headquarters. What is there. though.
is that Moran had lived in Chinatown
In Frisco. and was arrested there and
tried for smuggling opium. but was ac-
quilted for lack Of evidence"
For moment slipped my coffee In
thoughtful silence.
"The skeleton guy knows Moran. all
right" O'Hara broke in.
| You mean the half-breed?"
Yes. He give that away"
What does he call himself?"
Hes known in Chinatown as John
Soy. He says he's n cook"
Once again was busy with two and
two. Unless all signs failed this John
Soy and Peter johnson and the Eura-
sian cook of the Sable Lorcha were a
single entity.
"O'Hara," ! said. finishing my cof-
fee, and putting down the cup and sau-
Ger. Il have the key witness in this
case. You and together are going
to take him with US and have him con-
front both Murphy and John Soy. !
promise you the result will be interest
Ing"
The detective looked his perplexity.
Some one who knows them?" he
asked.
Unless am very much mistaken"
I answered, 1T Is some one who knows
them both better than any other per-
son in New York. Unless Heaven is
Just now engaged in constructing enig-
mas simply for the bewilderment of us
mortals, the witness have is the man
whom Murphy stabbed in the back, in
Buffalo. eight years ago."
! But before could carry out nv
| r1ap fhara 1yoro aovoro1 r.tna. -.A
ters which claimed my attention.
Ever since reading the note which
Miss Clement placed in my hands I
had been uneasy concerning her safe
ty. To Judge from O'Hara's report
Chinatown had been In n ferment
most Of the night. and feared lest
the blame for the disturbance be Wis
tied upon the brave woman mission
ary and some measures of vengeance
meted out to her.
For half an hour tried unsuccess-
fully to reach her by telephone. The
Mission did not answer. With my
anxiety intensified by this repeated
failure, ordered my motor car
around at once. and taking O'Hara
with me. made the trip to Pell street
In record time. despite obstructive
trucks and other vehicles which were
encountered.
Eager inquiry Of none.too-loquacious
neighbors eventually ELECTED the in.
formation that Miss Clement, alive
and uninjured. had started at day
break. If not indeed before. to hunt
up brother OF the murdered Ling
Fo. in Long Island City.
Half an hour later. having stopped
at Bellevue hospital on the way up
town to inquire as to the condition
Of Eloi Lacoste. the injured chauffeur.
and leave instructions that every
thins possible should be done for his
comfort / aliEhted from the car at