davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

She went back to her corner and
struck a match; the wallet was filled
with money She did not count it,
but it seemed to be several hundred
dollars. In the other side of the wal
let she found folded paper, letter.
Lighting one match after another,
she read:
To whoevery you are-I found yure
stuff in my kill and I've took it away
and hid it. if you want it back you
can fetch me four hundred dollars
over to the constabel Its worth a
lot moar than four hundred.
MIKE MULLARKY.
The girl slipped the letter back into
the wallet. For moment she hest
tated; then she placed the wallet
under the charred wood in the center
of the floor and glided out of the kiln.
Except for barking dog or two, the
village was as if dead. When she
| reached the boat her father was sleep
ing so heavily he did not awaken, and
she stole into the little cabin set aside
for her and threw herself on the bed.
She slept instantly.
The moment, the next morning,
that Alice left the boat, Black Pete
pushed it out into the stream. The
girl walked to White Clay and
through the village until she came to
the Durham house. Mrs. Durham
welcomed her.
Il seen Shagbark last night" Alice
said. Hes coming down-river to-
day and he says he'll stop here l
told him about your Jim and all. He
seemed sort of curious about it"
Did he think Jim done it?" queried
the woman intensely.
"He says: Why don't the passed. of
don't they ask the dead man? What
they come Fostering me for? l don't
know-the dead man knows.
What did he nean?"
"He meant that if he wanted to find
out, he'd have to ask the dead man.
and he didn't see why you folks
wouldn't do it if you wanted to know
so bad ! got him to say he'd do it"
DO WHAT" asked Mrs. Durham.
trembling
ask the dead man." said Alice 81
got him to say he'd do it, but some
body has to dig the dead man up for
him. You'd better get your husband
and somebody to do it"
"I1l get him dug up!" cried Mrs.
Durham. "I'll get him dug up if ]
have to do it myself. And she rushed
from the house. In fifteen minutes
all White Clay knew that the Mystery
Man was coming and that he had
promised to make the dead stranger
speak AS soon as the Euripides came
into sight, men, women and children
crowded to the levee.
When the boat touched the levee.
Mrs Durham was in the front rank,
her drink-sodden husband close be-
hind her. Black Pete, as the boat
grounded. leaped ashore and cast a
rope around the post that represented
the town wharfage
where's Shagbark?" Mrs Durham
asked, grasping the negro by the arm.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11
OF SI1AGBARK JONES Ellis ra, (, Butte,

there was known to him, for one river
rat knows another, and more than
once Shagbark had met this man. The
Mystery Man seated himself cross
legged on the edge of the grave. He
held out his hand for the fourth brick
and set it on end at the edge of the
grave. In an easy, conversational
tone he addressed the dead man.
Good mornin', Henry" he said.
Sorry to bother you when you wasn't
expectin' to be disturbed, but these
folks amt got gumption to ask you
what they want to know. Did Jim
Durham kill you, Henry?"
There was not sound. The hairy
imposter listened, and the crowd held
its breath.
HE says he don't know no Jim
Durham" drawled Shagbark. HE
says Jim Durham never done nothin'
to him. Henry, what fetched you to
White Clay, anyhow"
The same silence.
HE says" drawled Shagbark, he'd
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

you'll be along soon. Set up and
listen"
Shagbark raised himself to a sitting
position on the sofa; and then, while
the giant negro kne1t and bathed the
girls feet with all the tenderness of a
woman, Orlando set food on the table
AS Alice ate, she talked
Here's a photo of the Teller they
arrested, Dad; and I'll bet your boots
he never killed a man. l stole it off
his mas nlantel. She is nice woman,
but the tired kind. She's sort of
loony just now over him being taken
away. Her husband drinks"
Shagbark studied the photograph
DO they know who the dead man
is YETI" he asked
No, they don't. He's a mystery
nobody ever saw him before They
found him dead in a deserted pottery
kiln, hole shot in his chest with a
shotgun. The shotgun belonged to
Jim Durham. the Teller I gave you
the photo Of"
No papers or nothing on the dead
man" asked ShaRbark.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

before dusk. He returned to the
house between ten and eleven, his
face and hands scratched and bleed
ing, and his rough clothes torn. He
was pale and somewhat weak and did
not have his gun.
Mrs. Durham was still up, waiting
for her husband, and Jim told her a
story no one believed. He said he
had gone down to the pond and found
the fish had not run in yet; so he had
thrown himself on the grass by the
road and waited, and waiting, had
fallen asleep. He did not know how
long he had slept, but he had awak-
ened suddenly and found his gun was
gone. He had thought some one had
picked it up, either in malicious theft
or as joke. and had thought he might
overtake the fellow. He had started
toward the village on a run It had
been dark. and forgetting that Null
larky had recently strung a barbed-
wire around his pottery-held, he had
run full into the wire, scratching him
self. tearing his clothes; and the wire
seboundinE had thrown him back
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

| since the crime had been committed,
and Time himself had not solved the
mystery. Alice told Shagbark of it
when she returned to the boat. That
night Shagbark did not sleep. He lay
on the caved-in sofa, combing his
beard with his fingers. staring at the
puzzle again and again, arranging and
rearranging the pieces. For the first
time in his life he had found some
thing that interested him. Before
morning he knew which of the men
under suspicion were the real GRIM
ina1s
When next he learned of crime
| mystery, he went up into the town
himself He could do nothing.
The things he saw and the things he
heard became a clotted, indigestible
mass in his brain. He was muddled
and fuddled; his mind went blind and
and refused to work. He moped for
three DAYS, and then sent Alice into
the town. She returned and told him
nothing new, but told him the things
he already knew and had himself seen
In an hour he announced the solution
1t was correct. For success Shay
bark required Alice's eyes and memory
and tongue. She was the fact-gath-
erer, he the more than clever brain.
Each required the other.
Half an hour after Alice left the
houseboat, a shocking odor began
making itself apparent in the boat
Orlando, in the small kitchen at the
rear of the boat, was cooking up
new mess of Shagbark Oil, the work
in which he took the greatest pride
in every detail He argued that those
who bought Shagbark Oil wanted to
know it was medicine-real medicine.
They could get ordinarily obnoxious
drugs at a store-castor oil, -quinine,
ipecac and so on-but when they took
Shagbark Oil, they wanted to know
they were taking something. Shay
bark shifted the air and raised his
head.
"How's she taste, Orlando?" he
drawled. "She smells dod-gallux fine,
don't she?"
She tastes like Samuel J. Hades,
voice of Orlando from the kitchen ex-
ultantly. "She never tasted SO Etur-
nu-el J. Rotten since 1 been maxim
her. She's a dandy this time, Shay
bark, Dan-u-e1 ]. Dandy! She tastes
meaner than anything l ever tasted in
all my Born-u-e1 J. Days"
On the stove a second and smaller
kettle containing the Liniment bub-
bled, but this was a more simple mat
ter. The Liniment was in reality a
salve, put up in small tin boxes, and
as it was for outward application only,
it needed but to look mean and raise
more or less of blister. Its compost
ton was simple: Cooking lard melted
until liquid, FIVE. drops of carbolic
acid to give healthy" odor, one
pound of raw ground mustard and
enough common blueing to turn the
mess sickly green.
1t was late that night when Alice
returned to the Euripides. She threw
her valise into a corner and dropped
into a chair.
Orlando. get me something to eat;
I'm hungry. Pete, get a pan of cool
water and wash my feet; they're all
bruised up. Listen, Dadi It's big
mystery they've got at White Clay,
and some folks there are praying
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

been doin' some house-robbin' up to
Tenersville and hid the stuff in a dead
kiln whilst waitin' for the thing to
quiet down. He says he hid it there
and some Teller come and took it away
and left a note tellin' him to fetch
some money or he couldn't have the
stuff back, SO he come to fetch the
money. He says that when he come,
the Teller was in the dark in the kiln
and when he come inside, the Teller
shot him dead, so he could have the
money and the stuff too.-What say,
Henry? l didn't catch that?"
He listened and spoke again.
THE kiln where l sot up the brickl
That was the kiln, he says. That was
where he was killed. l guess we
dead there. Now, Henry, where is
the money you was killed for?"
Mike Mullarky moved forward in
the crowd. His wife clutched him by
the arm, but he shook her off.
He says" Shagbark drawled,
Henry says it is in wallet under the
charred wood on the floor of the kiln.
Right under the burnt wood and all,
Henry? That's funny place"
Mike Mullarky pushed forward.
Say" he said, whats the use lis
TENN to this nonsense? You all know
it amt SO. Twenty of US an the
sheriff himself scraped that floor with
our fngernails, almost, and there was
Shut up, Mikel" shouted some one.
Mike, be still" cried his wife. She
was white with fear. She grasped her
husbands arm and tried to draw him
away. He pushed her aside, and his
foot struck the upright brick. 1t fell
1t went hurting over and over and
struck the coffin, giving out hollow
sound. Mrs. Mullarky shrieked and
clapped her hands over her ears. She
sank to the ground at the grave-edge.
What say, Henry?" drawled Shay
bark without emotion. you think
this here Mullarky is a mean cuss?
Why, Henry?"
Mullarky pushed two men aside and
turned to go.
Henry says" drawled the Mystery
Man, that any Teller is mean cuss
who would kill man and then throw
brick at him"
The leap through the crowd that
Mullarky made, only to be grasped by
twenty hands, was proof enough that
the Mystery Man had solved another
mystery. Shagbark arose. He held
his hand high for silence Every eye
was on him.
This ! say" he cried, "the guilty
shall be found outl Remember thati
Remember it, and, ladies and gents,
remember that the Grand Musical En-
tertainment and Anatomical Lecture
will take place on the levee each after
noon and evening at three and seven
P NJ, until further notice"
The next moment the crowd was
rushing pellmell down the wood-road
to find the indisputab1e evidence of
Mike Mullarky's guilt under the
charred wood On the floor of the de-
serted kiln.
Copyright, 1913. by the Mcclure Newspapss
eyndicata)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11
THE MYSTERY MAN

Nothing like that" said Allie.
well, went to town and looked
around and sold two or three cakes of
Infallible, and then I went to this Jim
Dunham's house and got his mother
to talking. l said to her: 'Shucksi
your boy wouldn't kill nobodyl You
wait until Shagbark comes along, and
he'll prove it, 1 bet So she broke
loose talking and crying. pumped
her dry"
Everybody thinks Jim Durham
killed the fel1er?" asked Shagbark.
Seems so. His dad does-or lets
on he does. His name is Mike. Now,
let me tell it my own way. You know
what White Clay is like-a scraggly
place under the big bluff, with thirty
or forty houses and two stores and a
saloon. All the houses are on the side
of the road toward the bluff, and on
the other side, between the river and
the road, are the pottery kilns."
She described the deserted kiln in
which the dead man had been found.
1t was like brick beehive daubed
with clay, with an opening SO low a
enter it. On the floor were shards of
pottery and the ashes and charred
remnants of the last FIRE. Under these
the body of the dead man had been
hidden.
who found him?" asked Shagbark.
"A man by name of Mike Null
larky," said ALICE. "It was his kiln.
He happened to go into it and found
the dead man"
She continued her story Mike Dun
ham. the father of Jim, was himself
the owner of kiln, turning the pots
and crooks and jugs, and burning
kt .e%o Il -
fellow, his son. Durham had never
got on" and never would. He was
one of the rum-sodden sort of drink
ers; he was always hard up; the night
of the murder he had been in the
saloon most of the time and did not
come home until late.
The Dunhams lived in a small house
at the down-river end of the village,
and below it was nothing but weedy
fats, except the deserted Mullarky
kiln on the opposite side of the road
a quarter of mile down-river Half
mile or SO below this, the river
formed pond, weedy and grass
grown, with an inlet a hundred feet
wide
She had not seen Jim Durham, be-
cause he had already been taken to
the county seat under arrest The
case against him, while circumstantia1,
appeared complete. At first he had
only reiterated that he had killed no
one and that he did not know who
had killed the stranger; later he had
refused to talk at all
At night, Alice said, the big, stodgy
uffalo-hsh-carplike creatures-often
swan into the pond below the village
to feed on the grass and weeds, and
on the Friday evening when the muir
der was done, Jim Durham had taken
his shotgun from its rack in the
kitchen, saying he was going down to
the pond to shoot buffalo fish 1t was
a sport sometimes favored by the men
and boys of White Clay. This was
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

Alice pushed to her side.
"He amt woke up yet" said Pete.
"He sot up most all night readin' the
horoscopes in the stars, and I reckon
he won't open his eyes till long about
noon when he gifts hongry. He's
gettin' his beauty sleep"
"Awl go wake him upi" some one
cried. 1--WE got murder here. Can't
you see this woman's most crazy?
"Orlando, reckon we burst wake
him up?" asked Pete.
He'll be the most Eturn-u-e1 J.
Mailman you ever see in your life if
you do" squeaked Orlando. 81
wouldn't wake Shagbark up for all
the money in the Epluribus ]. Unum-
no, sirl'
81 will call him." said Alice.
She climbed into the small foredeck
and went inside. Black Pete and Or
lando followed her.
They jes' plumb crazy TO you,
boss" said Black Pete to Shagbark.
81 never see a gang SO up an comm
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

that the dead man will answer back
and tell the truth"
The girl slipped out into the dark.
Shagbark stretched himself out on the
caved-in sofa and slept Orlando and
Black Pete sought their hunks and
SLEPT
kilns not deserted, Alice lodged her
way. She was not in the least afraid.
She stopped at the entrance of Null
larky's kiln, went inside and crouched
low in the dark far from the entrance.
Suddenly the thought came to her that
within touch of her hand, almost, the
dead man had reposed, and her flesh
arose in goose--pimples; her hair erept
at the roots; she began to tremb1e.
She did not tremble long.
She heard a noise, the sound of feet
cautiously treading the shards outside,
and a black form darkened the kiln
entrance man; she knew it was a
man by the black bars his legs made
against the dim light. She saw him
stoop and enter, and Immediately the
entrance was darkened again. She
feeling along the bricks of the inside
of the kiln. The sound came from
over the mans head-he was evil
IDENTIFY feeling among the bricks
high up.
as it there, Mixer" she heard a
woman whisper.
YES"
"Come on, then, and let it be-"
The woman went out of the kiln and
the man followed her Alice waited
until their steps had died in the dis
lance. She heaped a few bricks. on
the floor and stood on them, feeling
where the man had felt Some of the
bricks were loose, and She moved
them until her hand touched some
thing soft and fat-a leather wallet
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11
Won't nothin' do but

as what they is. Won't nothin' do but
you come out"
They're primed, Dad" said Alice.
"I'll tell 'em twenty bottles-shall III
"Yupl Get the oil, Orlando"
drawled Shagbark.
Alice went outside She stood on
the edge of the deck.
You know Shagbark don't care for
this mystery business, folks" she said.
HE hates it, it tires him out so. His
business is se1lin' Shagbark Oil. But
he says he'll see what the dead man
has to say if it don't interfere with
business. If he can sell somewhere
around twenty bottles of oil, dollar a
lars"
Shagbark amb1ed out upon the
deck, with Orlando following Or
lando carried the box of oil
Now, folks" Shagbark began. He
reached into the box and held up a
bottle; Now, folks, this here Shay
Forty hands reached for the bottle
AS rapidly as Orlando could hand
them to him, Shagbark exchanged the
bottles of the vile concoction for sill
yer dollars. In FIVE minutes the box
was empty.
Seems like you fe1lers ought to
tend to your own troubles and let me
get my sleep out" he drawled. You're
too plumb lazy; that's what ai1s you.
Where is this dead man you're maxim
such fuss about?"
Come on; we'll show your they
cried.
Shagbark waved his hand at Or
lando, and the cook went inside. He
returned with an astrological chart
(for effecD and the dirty red-cotton
gown covered with stars and moons.
Black Pete slipped this over Shay
bark's head and drew it down. He
slid the landing plank ashore, and
Shagbark walked down it in state.
Mrs. Durham crowded close beside
him and led the way. 1t led through
the village and up the wood-road to
the top of the bluff The Mystery
Man mumbled to himself. Now and
then he stopped and listened and then
went on again. AS the crowd turned
from the levee into the village he
passed pile of common red bricks,
and he stopped and lifted four from
When they reached the Mullarky
house, Shagbark stopped suddenly.
"Hey?" he queried, and he took one
of the bricks from Orlando and held it
to his ear, listening. He placed the
brick carefully upright before the gate
of the Mullarky place and went on.
Twice more he hardened to the bricks
and placed one before the deserted
kiln and one on the spot where Jim
Durham had slept beside the pond.
Each time Mrs. Mullarky, following
behind. crossed herself and cast a
Mortified glance at her husband. The
fourth brick Orlando carried until
they reached the side of the opened
grave
Shagbark looked down into the
grave He gave an involuntary start
of surprise The lid of the coffin had
been removed, and the face he saw
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

In several counties IN Oregon. the rail-
roads constitute more than one-fourth or
all the assessed property, and in such coun-
ties 1t is the habit to lay out road dis
tricts and school districts along the rail
lines, and thereby enable districts to sote
high taxes on the railroads. The Columbia
highway construction cost is being assessed
against the railroad with which IL is In
tended to compete, so says the Oregon
Voter
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-17
Blending Christmas Cheer With Economy
Warmth and Cheer in
these CretOnneS

The Christmas gathering will be
happier, more memorable affair, if the
home be coy and cheerful.
The new patterns and colorings in
Cretonnes shown for Christmas home
decoration and for the making of the
many pretty gift things clever hands
can create, are full of warmth and
cheer.
Here they are priced 35c, SOC and
75c the yard
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-17

ganlzation. and Mrs. Frank D. Tracy
The feature of the conference will be
an address by Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gatt, rational president.
The conference will be called at tn
Morgan hotel, and will be the fifth
annual meeting of the state associa-
ton Or the Afternoon of Monday. No
Vem5or Is. the executive board will
meet at three o'clock, with appoint
mcnt OF committees and credentials
and resolutions will be framed.
On Monday evening, Mrs. Frank
Stranahan, of FIT Lauderdale. state
President, will bake an address. THE
National American Woman's Suffrage
ASSOCIATION and the State" and Dr.
Mary y. Stafford, OF Orlando, former
state president, will speak on Woman
suffrage as Means of Patriotism.
tuesday morning Will be devoted to
business, featured by election of Of
Ulcers, and reports of the years work
NH be made. Mrs. w. 6. Jennings
Gt Jacksonville, will speak on What
u Would Mean To The Cause If Every
Snffragist Would Do Her Part, anf
Miss Elizabeth Skinner will address
The members on the Power and Right
of Petition.
On Tuesday evening reports will BIZ
received and Mrs. T. C. Ravens of Mi
III: VII speak on Woman's CROWNS
Loyalty to Her Sex. The Press AS 4
Power For Suffrage, will be discussed
led by Miss Irene G.. Adam, of Lake
Helen and Woman Suffrage In War
time. by Mrs. B. A. Pierce, of Mel
hourre. Mrs. L. A Address of Chi
caGn will talk on the value Of organl-
cation.
The conference will close with a
meeting Of the executive board
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-17
Breaking Up of u.
S. Army in Progress

Continued from Page One.)
placement units; ninth, combat divi-
Sions.
There are now in the United States
100000 men under arms, General
March said. Orders which will result
in the immediae rehabilitation of
100000 men are already issued and
these men will be at their homes in
the next two weeks.
When the reduction plan is under
fuln operation the chief of staff ex-
planned, 10000 men each day will be
released from the army.
The question of final disposition of
the great environments is being stud
led, General March said. and no de-
cision has been reached. New con-
struction already largely has been
stopped
1t was announced that congress will
be asked to give each man dis
charged from the army, regardless of
whether he re-enliSts, bonus of one
months salary. General March point
ed out also that all soldiers are entitled
under law. to wear their uniforms for
three months after discharge. This
will make less difficult the immediate
.. task of supplying civilian clothing to
the demobilized army.
Inc return or commissioned person.
mel of the army to civilian life, Gen
eral March said, will be effected by
dividing the present list of officers
into three classes, those who desire
commissions in the regular army, those
who are willing to hold themselves
available for future service as reserve
officers and those who desire honorable
discharges from the service.
1t appears probable that the flow Of
returning troops will be in full tide
before February.
General March indicated that the
Rainbow Division, on account of its
fighting record, might be given special
treatment. There is a possibility that
the entire division will be home before
New Years.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-11-17
HYSTERlCAL APPEALS OF
GERMANY ARE UNNECESSARY

WASHINGTON, Nov 16.--In the almost
hysterical appeals of the German pro-
visional government for supplies OF
food and PERMISSION to address itself
directly through a commission to the
American public. of:il'als here see the
purpose to excite the sympathies of
the German eIemen, Of the American
population.
Such appeals are said to be quite
unnecessary and not likely to have
beneficial results 1t is known Off
cially that there is sufficient food in
Germany to meet immediate needs.
Germany Will be required to pay for
whatever food Is sert and as cash is
probably lacking. it. may be necessary
for the allies In open a credit with
Germany, but America will not take
the sole risk