The Washington herald., 1919-01-25

II
''oh. maybe mott Sometimes there
isn't much rifling on an old revolver.
Those little twenty-five affairs are
made out OF cast-iron-"
But the cupronickle bullet shows
smokeless nowder and high-class
criminal activity I doubt ~ one Of
those little rods would take a modern
steel-jacketed bullet They're used in
automatics.'
But automstics have good rffling.
That bullet was as smooth as before
81 was shot. Here II is"
Fosdick opened a drawer and pulled
out a lster-day projectile OF the
lesser caliber.
'sThis is smooth he repeated with
heat. "It vas cut from the old
lmiIlionaire's brain. II amt scratched
1t never took the rlfling II was In
tended for My theory is. that IL
was fired from a gun OF larger caliber.
That is TO say, Il didn't fit the bore.
| A thfrty-thirty rife might be used
10 hold a twenty-five caliber bullet
1t would not take the rifling OF this"
| Drew shook his head. THAT'S hard
lIy possible" he declared Its too
vague and doesn't suit me. Were
going TO find that the deeper we get
in this thing, the simpler will be the
explanation. I remember any num-
Der Of cases which have been solved
lin this city where the mystery was
so wrapped up in speculation and
the improbable that our minds failed
TO grasp the simple thing which was
the solution"
Then you think the lack Of rtfltnr
on the bullet might be the opening
wedge to catching the man who shot
Stockbridge?'
1T could well be. FosdicE. The lack
OF thing sometimes Is just as i'm
portant as the visible clew. Do you
remember the Rajah case at Gram
lercy Park -
Fosdick leaned back in his chair
and stared up at the ceiling Seems
10 me that do" he said, thrustinE
out his lower lip. There was a big
jewel missing. Sort Of an Idols Eye
Icsse-wasn't it,"
Exactly, A white diamond was
missing at a dinner. Lights went out
as they were passing the stone
around the table. Lights came on
again and the diamond was gone.
Everybody accused. A strange print
was found on the sideboard. Servants
knew nothing about IL The PRINT
didn't correspond 10 any which we took
there. Seemed impossible and all
that. Well. the very fact that the
print didn't correspond was the
means Of finding the stone and the
culprit. You remember it,
i Vaguely"
Simple! A Lascar who waited On
the table slipped OF his shoes, crePt
into the room, secured the diamond
and climbed to the sideboard where
he hid II on top Of a picture. The
thumb print which we puzzled our
heads over was a toe print, We got
the fellow"
I recall IL now" said Fosdick -
think one Of our men thought out
the matter"
He didn't declared the detective
we worked IL out, The city depart
ment had given up the case. This
may be the same I'll venture to say
that as soon as you get a good opera
tive some private agency secures his
services. Now, commissioner. confess
up. What manner Of gun could FIRE
a bullet such as a cupronicEle one.
without leaving markings?"
Smooth bore. An old fint-lock-
for instance"
Wen grant that, They're clumsy.
however. The shot which killed the
millionaire was fired at very close
range through smooth tube OF a
greater caliber than the diameter Of
the bullet found in his head. II Il
were fired through a gun which was
rined. then there was a collar or
collars on the bullet. which we didn't
find. The same thing was discovered
iby examination OF the shells which
tie Germans fired at Paris There
was no r1ning on those lonE-range
projectiles. The bands dropped off
after the shell left the gun
Then this bullet was fred at long
range" Fosdick was openly incred-
ulous.
NO! Again we have the inposSi-
bility or seeming impossibility. 1 ex-
amined that library, both before and
after the murder. No shot could
that a bullet would reach the old
man. II that were the case there
would have been an opening in the
walls or at the windows or the ven
tilators. Besides. we have the DOW
der burns on the milliOnaire's head.
We are squarely confronted with q
paradox. Riddle me that paardox
and We will 20 a long ways toward
finding the man who murdered Stock
bridge"
Fosdick frowned. 7 can't see II
AT dLls ne CQnIeNNeQ. j still hold
to the theory that we should third
degree all OF the servants. I've got
some OF them. il they don't soueal.
I1II get the others"
Drew glanced at his watch Per
Sonally," he said. Tn OF the opinion
that you will not get anything out
OF them. think IL was a mistake
to arrest them. II would have been
far better 10 trail the butler and the
doorTnan and see IL they connected
with ANYBODY"
I'm doing this exclaimed FoSdiell
with asperity. I've got charge OF
this case. Drew. ] got charge and I
don't want any meddling. I've nv
own methods"
''All right" said the detective. AN
right. I want a check-up on the
finger prints and then I'll be going
1 had TO come to you for this. You
have such an interesting collection. -
Here's your answer,'' said the
commissioner. rising and strfdtnc
around the desk. Take this bullet
and look It over Put It in your
| pocket And"
Drew TUNED swiftly. The messep-
! ger stood in the doorway He came
forward as Fosdick nodded. He
passed over the hastily-developed
, prints which Drew had taken. The
commissioner glanced at them.
! froWned, held them to the light, then
said:
Wen try these on the Man Who
] Can't Be Beat He's the best in the