Tombstone epitaph., 1915-09-05

UT haNinH m possession any raise or counterfeit plate or impression of 1t. or any paper made in imitation of the Paper on which it is printed Is Eel ony. and is punishable by Five Thou sand ($5 5.000J Dollars FINE. or Fifteen t15D years Imprisonment at Hard La bour or both"
 "Well-" he said. looking up.
 You wouldn't amount 10 much In working out one Of these advertising puzzles where they offer a prize for finding the misspelled word" replied Poe
 There was something near the last" reflected Mitchell. Some word seemed out of its regular appear. ance."
 Read 1t again" suggested Poe.
 "Oh. see," cried the other, having glanced through the last line once more. Its the word 'labour:" that should be spelled labor"
 That's what Webster says"
 Its not one of the usual ways of detecting a counterfeit wouldn't ever think Of reading the printing on a bill"
 The little things count
 'Brt surely you can't see any clue in that misspelling."
 T certainly have an inklins to the counterfeiter from H." was the abrupt reply, as Poe rapidly thunbed through the stack of fiye-dollar bills. looking first at one side and then the other. and paying no attention to Mitchell's importunate questions.
 Finally he folded the roll carefully and placed it in his breast-pocket.
 I'll take these with me. If you don't need them" he said. Tell me. where have those things been passed,"
 Mostly around New York It's funny. the counterfeiting band doesn't seem to have many agents outside. most of 1t has cropped out Ia Brook lyn; but then. this is the first batch. and I suppose we'll soon be getting others from the interior states" Poe secured . list of the banks that had been caught on the bills and de. parted.
 He went at once to his rooms. where | nc bpChI ScFcIdA hOHIs NiOocly SAoul- ing each bill Finally he separated one from the lot. the only one which showed a slight difference from the others. This he put beneath the mag nifying-glass. and studied 1t at great length. Only one portion Of the bill interested hin; it was the white 800, on the back. at the left balancing the frame which contained the printed notice with labor" misspelled. On that blank spot was the light impression of finger. Poe bent close | over 1t. and folioged the light ridges 1 which had left their impressions. Evi dently he was classifying the kind ol mark t was. in accordance with the system of fnger-print identification He studied away. mumbling quick phrases to himself. according to a habit he could not break:
 First finger. right hand. Loops ap frox- tented arches-eieyen ridges uinar-outer terminus-accidenta Callus-engraysr- Hmmmm- curious - twins - needles, no. - ah East India. Fakir. Paper. T." Christopher Poe dropped the mag nifier, and swung around to the tele phone at his elbow. In a minutes time he was connected with Mitchell
 How about the Coney Island bank?' he asked. How much of the queer was showed of there?"
 They took in seven thousand of 1t nearly. Got ia heaviest there. Doesn't seem possible: but it's the cleveres, counterfeit ever made"
 And the Brooklyn NationaI,"
 Stuck for nearly five thousand" Good" Poe started to hang ur when Mitchell's voice broke in axious ly:
 'T hope you're not trusting entirely to that misspelled word? l don't see anything in that"
 l No. I've got finger-print to worl on now Just discovered 1t on one oi the notes"
 ''Is that so7" the voice became anX ious. Suppose run over and have g look at it.
 Better hurry. then" replied Poe Its after three now. and I've got tc get out to Coney before supper" Ht paused, started to hang up. and theI called, Bring Burns with you
 The pair of bankers arrived shortly and Poe showed them the finger prints he had discovered Both looked at f carefully. but neither believed that i l. was an important discovery. Why" insisted Mitchell. that fin . ger print could have been left by anI of a hundred people who might hay, handled the bill"
 Then how on earth are you goint , to find the man? It's impossible. To, l say he can't be an old crook. and hi work certainly isn't that Of any one
 recognize. You aren't going to lool . at everybody's fingers until you fin, , the one that matches this, are you? , queried Burns.
 Hardly that" smiled Poe Sine - you fellows are so skepticai. I won ' trouble to tell you my theory at all
 But, Burns. suppose you run over t' } Coney Island with me this afternoon We may bump into something interes,