The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-08-04
Ackert had received the first of the
anonymous letters.

Ackert had received the first of the
anonymous letters.
In addition to the attempt to destroy
property or. at any rate. to the drain
ing off of Mr. Ackert's tank, there had
been the theft of oil we'll tools and
other material on the Ackert and ad-
jacent leases. This corroborated the
supposition that the perpetrator Of
these acts was familiar with that por-
ton of the oil territory. In fact. every
thing pointed to Henry Book as the
guilty man.
Being familiar with the manner in
which oil leases were operated.
donned the suit of an oil driller, con-
sisting Of overalls spattered over with
sand pumpings. which gives the wear
er the general appearance of q, bill
poster. Thus equipped, set forth
on a cold night in February, the Their
mometer at the time standing below
zero. My objective was the pumping
house of well where l knew George
Book would be on duty until midnight,
when he would retire, to be succeeded
by the man who had taken the posi-
ton formerly held by his brother.
Henry
Before making my way from Oil
City to The Ackert property, visited
meat market in the town, where I
asked for five cents worth of liver.
There's a pet cat that seems to
have adopted me-" l explained to the
meat market owner. "She stays round
my place and cries for food regularly
at meal times. and so l guess it's up
to me to see that she gets it."
Having planked down my nickel, I
received the chunk of liver which
the proprietor cut off and wrapped up
in a piece of paper. 1 took it around
the corner, where I made further in
roads into it with my jackknife. A
small slice l placed in the hollow Of
my right hand. l then cut a thin
piece and spread it on the back of the
same hand, which afterward tightly
bandaged with a piece of white mus
lin. The liver soiled the tightly
drawn bandage, which gave the ap-
pearance of a wound extremely in
famed and sore. l then tied two hand
kerchiefs together and improvised
sling in which I could put my right
hand at the right time. SO equipped
left Oil City, passing unrecognized
through the streets by reason of my
costume, and walked through the dark
ness and bitter cold to the pumping
house on the Ackert property, where I
arrived a few minutes after nine in
the evening.
Inside the pumping house George
Book was seated alone in large easy
chair, close to the boiler, which was
fired and well lighted with natural
gas. and was kept warm and neat.
He was reading a novel when l en-
tered. a
The engine house was located only
between Oil City and the neighboring
town of Plummer, and it was not an
unusual thing for oil men, or any other
men for the matter of that, TO stop
at the door while passing, to get a
drink or to warm themselves, espe-
cially on a February night with zero
temperature. Book, looking up from
his book, was consequently not in the
least surprised to see another of his
fraternity-as he imagined me to be
standing at the door at that hour
in the evening.
Would you mind my standing by
your boiler to get warmed?" l asked.
mot Bit" responded George
Book. tits mighty cold outside, and
I'll be glad of your company. Where
do you work." he continued. cycling
me closely. and little suspiciously
at first.
Il have been working on the Foster
farm" I replied, naming a property
which was situated on the Allegheny
river, about fifteen miles southwest of
Oil City.
How did you get hurt?" asked
Book Immediately afterward, observ-
ing the bandaged hand, which l had
slipped into the sling just before en-
tering the pumping house.