Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-11-04
"The Finger
Prints of Crime"
BY CLINTON Fl. STAGG
he Frank A. Munsey Co.

Of terror when they got through with
him, but no fear the police were able
to put into his yellow neart could
equal the fear he had of Mike Garyen.
Trevor denied every statement
had made regarding the blank-eyed
man who directed countrywide swInd-
ling operations from his quietly luxu-
rious Wall Street Office.
He swore that l had engineered the
whole game; even that had planned
getting acquainted with the girl.
| He declared that he had been an
honest bond salesman until forced
him to assist me in my crooked
games. His lesson was wei learned,
and nothing could shake it.
But even overshadowing the muir
der itself, was the detectives interest
in the confidence game of which Alice
and her father were victims. The
nerve of us working such trick in
New York and for quarter of mill
lion dollars staggered them.
That case was in their territory,
while the murder had been committed
in Jersey. And the thing that arous-
ed them most was the disappearance
of the money. A detective had taken
the girl and her father to the hotel
and had gotten the whole story. But
that was as far as it went. To every
question regarding the two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars 1 answered
| sullenly:
Find it,"
They sent men to the bank, and the
| officials proved that eight thousand
dollars was all that 1 had deposited.
| They sent other men to my rooms,
who literally tore them to pieces, and
| all they found was the packed suit
case as evidence that l intended to
get away the instant 1 had my hands
on the money.
They searched me again, but never
suspected the clever money vest, be-
cause they never even considered the
possibility of having money under my
clothes. They knew hadn't time to
put two hundred hundred and fifty
thousand anywhere.
At last, baffled and enraged, they
sent me 10 cell.
I demanded that George v. Jane.
son, the best criminal lawyer in New
York, be sent for. I'd met him several
times, and knew that he was absolute
ly on the level.
They sent for him, probably be-
cause they thought it might give them
a clue as to the whereabouts of the
money. But the lawyer was out of
town and wouldn't be back till to-
morrow.
My whole idea now was to drag
Mike Garven down with me. / didn't
care what else happened. paced
the narrow cell like tiger as l vain
ly tried to figure out who could be the
murderer of Slivers O'Hagen. l must
find him before / could fix the blame
on Mike.
But what chance had I, locked in
cell? l cursed the years of snug
complacency that had caused me to
neglect getting some details of the or
ganization.
How many men did It include?
Where were they? Who was the one
on whom Mike Garven had hold SO
strong that he could compel him to
commit murder?
The last question Knocked me more
and more as the hours passed. Who?
Who? Who? 1t dinned into my brain
over and over. I must put the murder
at the door of that blank-eyed devil.
Id ., "a
Slivers O'Hagen: "Some day yer goin'
t. blow up! All them feelin's is goin'
T. pop out In one grand explosion!" II
1t were only true prophecy! Then
sneered at myself for holding so fool
fish hope. He was a thing of steel
end stone; there wasn't human feel
ing in his body. Still it persisted. as
hope always will.
Revenge! That was all wanted.
Proving the guilt of Mike Garyen
might save me from the electric chair
but would welcome death now.
Despair had banished all its terrors.
Better swift death than years in pris.
on with only bitter hopelessness for
company.
realized that IL my one vain dream
did come true by some miracle there
would still he the forgery charge and
the proof of my years of grating to
put me behind the bars. Alice and her
father I banished from my mind by
sheer will-power.
Night came, but I paid no heed to
the passing hours. Thor the turnkey
snapped out an order for me to get In
he'd. didn't resent 1t, because was
incapable of resenting anything.
Dumbly sat down and began re-
tmoving my clothes. Suddenly ! re
'membered the money that was distrib
uted so cleverly around my body. He
watched me as took OFF my coat and
collar and tic. snapped out another or
der to hustle, and walked on.
crept to the door in my stockinged
feet and saw tho distance he would