The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-20

and good brain power In short, as our
English friend say, 1 DON'T THINK"
Inspector Gubbins ana Chief Detec-
tive Morehead OF the Shanghai Police
had had several conferences with the
members of the American Mission re-
! garding the robbery at the hotel and
the kidnapping and murder of the un-
| fortunate servant. From them and
from the Chinese members of the force
they had obtained information that led
them clearly to the following conclu-
sion, viz: the sword which Lieutenant
Ward had purchased. for Mrs Chester
was not the personal possession Of the
Canton Executioner, but was the prop
erty Of secret organization known as
1.-THE Executioners' Guild, who were
enraeed at the sale Of 1t to the for
eigner and who determined at any cost
to recover 1t. They had evidently
traced it as far as Shanghai and there
had lost track Of 1t until the afternoon
when Tack Sing, the hotel boy. caught
the first glimpse OF It at the tea party
and refused to help put 1t away. Re-
| turning to Mrs. Chester's room In an
swer to her cries for help and utterly
distracted by seeing her lying uncon-
scious upon the floor, mingled fear and
excitement led him to do exactly the
opposite thing from what he intended.
He seized the sword. wrapped 1t hastily
up, and rushing out of the room with
it. before he gave the alarm or made
| any effort whatever to assist his unfor-
tunate "Missee", never stopped until he
had tucked it safely away under the
mattress OF his bed in the garnet. or In
some other convenient hiding-place.
| Returning to the apartment he rang
the bell violently ana shrieked down the
hallway for the other boys to come to
his assistance. Equally paralyzed with
fear at seeing the foreign lady-as they
supposed-dead upon the floor, they re-
fused to touch her and ran to call the
proprietor. Tack Sing rushed by them
ana down the stairs. crying as he did
30, "Missee go makee die, my go hossi-
pital side catchee doctor mani" That
was the last that was seen or heard Of
him and, as the ablest native detectives
could find no trace Of him in all the
Settlement the natural conclusion wae
that the "Executioners Guild" had prob
ably drowned him in the river.
And Is there no chance Of my re-
covering itf" asked Mrs. Chester Of DR.
Cortelyou the Consul as she sat in his
office a week or so after the robbery
MY husband will be so disappointed"
Inspector Gubbins gives me very
little hope, madam, because, as he says
when these things get into the hands Of
secret societies ana the like. they have
ali sorts Of mysterious ways Of hiding
them ana then they take advantage Of
all the superstitions Of the people and
threaten them SO severely IL they d.
vulge anything that it's really impos-
sfble to get a word out Of them.
"And do you suppose they really kid.
mapped Tack Sing and drowned him If
the river or Anything horrible like that
He was such a nice boy and I fee
awfully conscience.stricken about II
Dear met II 1t only hadn't been fol
that foolish fainting flt OF mine, THU
would never have happened. And 4
seems so strange to accuse him of steal
ing the sword when he was scared Il
death at the sight Of it and wouldn'
even put his fingers on it."
well, madam, the Inspector is no
positive about the drowning or the muir
der. because his body has never beer
recovered, but he and the Chinese Off
GERS all feel that that is probably wha
has taken place. A secret organiza
ton like the "Executioners' Guild
wouldn't stop at anything to accomplish
their object. you know. And as to tn
taking OF the sword. the missionarie;
tell us that under excitement and fea,
the natives will often do exactly tn
opposite thing from what they orig
inally intended. Haven't you notice,
that when a native starts to cross tn
street from north to south and yor
frighten him by screaming at him from
your 3ih-rik-sha. he will immediatel.
turn -afound and go in the opposit
direction"
yes, know they are easily discon
certed."
'''They most certainly are" replied tn
Consul, as he rose to show his visito
to the door.
The European community at Shang
hal. Consuls, Police, Residents, Tour
lists, Missionaries, one and all, woul
stin be in blissful ignorance-as they S
often are in Chinese matters-of tn
whereabouts or final disposition {
Tack Sing and the executioner's swort
had the ever watchful eye of Wan
Foo at Hong Kong not happened to sc
a little account Of the occurrence in tn
Shanghai Daily News Although nc
l. requested officially to take up the cas-,
3 he had for his own pleasure and salts
= faction decided to follow the evidenc
/ and the conclusion arrived at by tn
police was to him very far from salts
factory. He had talked it all over wit
, his old friend the Abbot at the Tempt
4 Of the queen OF Heaven and had fol
lowed It by a trip up the river to Can
ton and a careful inquiry from til
- inner circles as to the so-ca1led Exc
. cutioners' Guild. which mysterious OF
= ganization, he was obliged to conclud,
existed only in the imagination of tn
authorities at Shanghai. He decided I
d take trip on his own initiative to tn
great northern seaport.
II Il am here. Mr.. Inspector" he sal
to the Chief as he greeted him on
= morning at Headquarters. mot beeaus
e you have sent for me. but simply fc
> my own personal interest in the cas-
l. of Tack Sing. the hotel boy. ana III
a theft of the exectjti0ner,e Svvord "