Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-11-01

II ence School of Detecting, sal
I'm his office In the Opera House BLOCK
with large green volume open on hi
knees reading paragraph of some tel
clines. He had read this paragraph
ttwenty times before, but he never tiret
'of reading 1t. 1t began: "Gubb, PhilO
| detective and decorator. b. Higgins
vile. Ia, June 20, 1868. Educated
IIigginsville, Ia, primary schools. En-
tered decorating profession 1888. Grad
,uated with honors Rising Sun Detec
tive Bureaus Correspondence School o.
Detecting 1910"
The book with the green cover was
ltTowa's Prominent Citizens sixth edi
\ ton, and was-as the intelligent reader
will guess-a sort of local or state
who's Who.2 In its pages for the
first time Philo Gubb appeared and he
took great delight in reading there how
great he was We all do. We are
never so sure we are great as when we
read 1t in print.
Outside Phlo Gubb's door man
oIOBBtu. anu ltt WIS StHIulHS lutIt
thumbing that part of "Iowa's Promi.
nent Citizens" devoted to the town of
Riverbank when the pOstman slid a
letter through the slit I'm Philo Gubb's
door. The man was not as young as
he appeared to be. His garments were
Of youthful cut and cloth. being OF
the sort generally known as college
youth style" but they were themselves
mo longer youthful. They had had
more than sufficient wear. In fact, the
man looked seedy.
Y Notwithstanding this he had an air.
A something-that attracted and held
The attention. A cane gave some of 1t.
The extreme good style of his Panama
nat gave some of 1t. His carriage and
he gold trimmed eyeglasses with the
black silk neck ribbon gave sti1l more
When, however. he removed his hat
one saw that he was partly bald and
hat his reddish hair was combed care
FULLY to cover the bald spot
The book in his hand was small
Dress board covered memorandum
book, and I'm this he had pasted the va.
'ious notices cut from "IowaS Promi-
lent Citizens" and one only-cut from
Who's Who relating to citizens of
3iverbank. He had done this for con
7enience as well as for safety, for thus
ne had all the Rverbank prominents
IN compact form and avoided the neces-
ity OF carrying "Iowa'S Prominent
Citizens" and who's Who" about with
aim. That would have been more or
ess dangerous, particularly so since he
lad been exposed by the New York
sun as the Bald Impostor.
\ The Bald Impostor, to explain him
briefly. was professional relative
lie was the greatest son-cousin- nephew
m the United States. and always he
vas the son cousin or nephew of one
IF the great. OF one of the great men
Bioned in "Whos Who" lie was as
Parable as Il chameleon. Sometimes
le was son, cousin or nephew of
some one beginning with A and some
lines Of some one beginning with Y.
put usually of some one with about
5welve to fourteen lines in Who's
Who" The reason was that twelve
ines of information gave him better
tata with which to work than mere
iotice Of four lines.
The great theory he had established
and which was the basis of all his op-
frations was this. Every Who's Who
: proud of every other Who's Who"
This Is not 50. but II is almost so.
& The co-relative theory that formed
lis working plan was this. No Who's
fVho can refuse the son, cousin or
ephew of any other Who's Who
bl.SO' Neither was this 40. but II
vas equally almost so.
The Bald Impostor's operation was
impis In the extreme He went to
Siyerbank. He found. let us say. the
anne of Judge orley Morvis in Who's
Who. "A judge" he said to himself.
Some old stick in the mud dry rotting
Ia country town" Then he looked up
T hief Justice BassiO Bates in the latest
Il who's Who gathered few facts
4 egarding him from that useful vol
me and called on Judge Orley Morvis.
seing in Iowa, the Bald Impostor was
his way from Denver to Chicago.
Having judge TO impose upon. he
vas Tor the moment the fayorite
ephew of Chief Justice Bassio Bates
lie began by introducing himself.
Being In town" he would say when
he judge was mellowed by the Thought
hat nephew of Bassio Rates was ho
ore him, Il remembered that You were
,cated here. My uncle has often