The Tupelo journal., 1917-02-23
Tracked by a
Human Weakness
By WILLARD

- ~ SN
nouncement that Leonard Marston had
been found murdered in his bed. Sill
yer Waters was a summer settlement
of wealthy persons who were not there
In winter. but Marstop had remained
beyond the usual time, and the tragedy
occurred late in November.
The house had evidently been enter
ed for the purpose of plumber. 1t was
generally known that Mrs. Marston.
who was in the city ut the time of the
murder. had a great deal Of valuable
jewelry. Some of this was at the
country house, and it was all taken by
the robbers. as were her husbands
studs. sleeve buttons, scarfpins. etc.
When the police. who were called in
at once. came they took possession of
the premises. allowing nothing to be
touched till the arrival of Dempsey, a
detective. who was to make a thorough
examination. j
Dempsey had a reputation of being one
OF the most skillful probers of crimes
In America. When he arrived he be
gan his search for something the Grim
inal or criminals had left as a possible
clew. There were no footprints. which
are usually considered the most impor-
tant pointers. Indeed. after an hours
m%ethodical investigation Dempsey had
discovered nothing. Then his eye
caught a small object under a dresser
from which Mr.. Marston's belongings
had been taken.
Drawing an electric lamp from his
pocket. he flashed it upon the object
and revealed a stud. Taking it up, he
saw that it was a mosaic and recog
nized it as one that must have been
made in Italy. Evidently in taking it
from the box in which it and other
articles of like character had been kept
the thief had dropped it and it had
rolled under the dresser.
This was the only clew that was
found. Dempsey inquired of Mrs.
Marston how many studs Of the set
her husband had possessed. where they
had been procured and any other in
formation the lady might give. He
was told that there were three studs
In the set. with a pair of sleeve but
tons to match. She had brought them
from Rome with her after her last Wis.,
1t there during the previous summer.
The design was the same ON all the
studs and the sleeve links, a copy Of
the head of a statue in the Vatican
called the Apollo Belvidere.
THAT will do" said Dempsey. ut
may be a long chase. but if persisted
in the thief and murderer will at last
be found"
Dempsey did not begin to probe the
matter till a month after the robbery,
then he got up a circular, a copy Of
which he sent to every pawnbroker
and manufacturing jeweler in Amer
lea. He gave a description of the mo-
sale stud and a picture of it. He got
nothing from any pawnbroker, but
from a jeweler he received a letter
stating that two studs answering the
description in his letter had been made
into a pair of earrings in his shop.
Dempsey responded to the letter in
person and learned that the work had
been done for a m She was well
remembered by the clerk who took the
order and was described as about
tw~enty-eight or thirty years old. large.
rather iashy in her dress. and her face
and neck had been 'calcimined."
From this point Dempsey worked
with allarge corps of assistants, whom
he employed to go to public places of
amusement. dining places. cabarets-
indeed, such places as are f~requented
by the floating population of cities.
Nevertheless a year passed with no
results.
At last one Of Dempsey's assistants.
a girl about sixteen years old. report
ed that a friend of hers had told her
that she had sat next to a oma at
a movie show who wore mosaic ear
rings representing "the head of a man
with curly hair" The assistants were
instructed to follow the person If met
with and note the residence. But the
woman with the earrings could not be
found. So the game was lost.
But Dempsey went at nee to the city
where the discovery had been made.
hired a special corps Of assistants and
went about himself where pleasure
loving people go.
One evening after dining at a caba-
ret he was lighting a cigar and about
to o on when a woman entered,
brushed past hin, and took a seat at a
table with her escort. Dempsey's eyes
were out for earrings. and he thought
those the woman wore were mosaics.
He took a seat at a table near the one
at which the couple sat, but not near
enough to get a close view Of ber ear
rings. The man ordered drinks. after
which the couple danced. While they
were dancing Dempsey took a seat
within a few feet OF the one the wom-
an had left. though his back would be
toward her. When she returned she