The Washington herald., 1919-01-26

That's all you can say. There's no
way to determine the exact hour
these two sets OF prints were made. ;"
Drew lifted a second print. mo.
16" he said, turning to the expert.
/ Where was that made?"
!, Pope consulted his book. He glanced
] UP at Fosdick, who was Ill at ease
! over the development In the case.
That" he said, swinging his eyes
| till they met Dfew's. that was made
on the hardwood floor directly un-
/ der Stockbridge's body. We fosnd
the print. with others of the little
| finger and middle finger when the
coroner moved the corpse!'
The detective stared at Pope. You
mean" he said shrewdiy, that the
man who made the prints in the
booth and on the little table, also
was down on his knees arranging
Stockbridge's body, or doing some
thing like that?"
| He made a distinct impression on
the floor despite the fact the body
was moved over 1t. The polish and
| the varnish helped to hold this i'm
preston. I venture to say that 1t is
there yet"
"Good!" said Drew. II may have
a look at IT. l never went after
prints in my Investigation. left that
to men who knew their business
like yourself"
Pope smiled. He glanced at his
book for a third time, What's the
number of that last print?" he asked
''Forty-four"
| Taken from the edge of the heavy
door which was broken down by De
laney. ! guess. Looks like his work, &"
Il had a hand in that" admitted
Drew.
This print was close to the knob.
There's none like it on the knob it.
self"
I "Umph"' declared Fosdick.
Drew glanced at the commissioner.
He smiled as he. laid his hand on
Fosdick's shoulder. 1--WE got YOU to
thank" he said, for letting me use
the brains and facilities of the DO
lice department / think it clears
the case in remarkable manner"
! How" asked the commissioner.
Well for one thing" Drew said.
lifting the third photo. For one
thing. we know that our man passed
through the doorway before or after
the murder. He was in the library.
He was in that booth which is a half
mile or more away from the man
sion.''
"I'll grant you that. bat what does
! it prove"
| Drew laid the photo on the table
and turned toward the doorway. 1T
proves" he said, that StockbridCe
was murdered by a man who was
never arrested in New York"
| That's a large order,' chuckled
the commissioner. There are a few
good citizens and a number OF bad
ones we haven't got-yet"
| I'm satisfied" said the detective.
pulling his hat down over his head
I'm going to look for a man who
is too clever for his own good. He's
stayed out of your clutches. He's
forgotten more about telephones than
most men know. He's as slippery as
an eel and as clever as the very
devil. In one thing only did her err. so
far in this chase"
| What's that asked the commits
sioner
He didn't wear gloves on the lob.
That's where We may trip him up"
They all forget something" said
tosdick. as Drew hurried out through
the door with a bow toward the
staring finger-print man.
The detective hurried down the
: steps-passed the sergeant at the
entrance. and turned up his coat
collar as he plunged from the build
ing and lowered his head beneath the
down driving snow. The entire mat
ter was as he had told Delaney. He
would have to find who made the
! prints.
Deep. drifted snow barred his
progress as he struck down through
towering canyon and walked east
ward. He had no coherent idea save
the one that he wanted the grin of
the open places in his lungs ana the
feel OF freedom from sitting rooms
and skepticaI men.
| The case had resolved itself into
| a battle OF wits wherein the cuInrit
who had murdered Stockbridge nv
unknown means. had all the advan-
! tages. He was unknown. He had
the largest city in the world to hide
himself in. He could strike at any
time and in any quarter. Also. the
detective realized. with chilly oath.
the murderer might already BE flee
ing the city for the South or West.
1t would be a natural thing for him
\ to do.
Drew had one undisputed ouaIifica-
tion for detective He was a work.
/ er. He lacked the Latin sense of
deduction. or the cleverness of a
great operative who secured his men
| through quick brain work and
| shrewdness.
Hard work. and more work and
still more work had won for him the
little position he held in the city. He
did not overrate his own powers. He
had failed too often TO hold himself
| too highly. Chance was a big factor
| in the criminal game. The members
OF the criminal tribe worked through
| luck and sheer audacity. Many -es-
capped from the net and moved in
the underworld until they made their
final mistake which was probably so
glaring it couldn't be overlooked.
Despite the fact that the finger
prints were not of record, Drew held
to the swirling conviction that the
man he was after was of the Grim
| inal horde. There was much to lead
/ him to this belief. The cleverness in
| connecting up the two telephone
booths-the warning through he mai,
to Stockbridge-the manner in which
the murder had been covered I'D in
score of details. all pointed to a
criminal mind of the cunningest or
] der. 1t savored of practice in crime
/ and study of natural conditions. ITS
! bizarre features placed it out from
other crimes and raised II to a class
of its own.
The snow which impeded the de-
| tective's steps, in some manner clear
ed his brain. He began to review
| the series of events. He boxed the
case with returning shrewdness. He
| went over the points like a sailof
| repeating the compassionate. He