The Washington herald., 1919-01-26
Whispering Wires y HENRY Z LEVERAGE n E
Nyho HmJ Mo.4rou,.. Cx.,LL~:Jos
Copyright 1918. BY Morat Yard Company York;
CHAPTER X. Continued

Drew feif tnat the case was Shipping
from him as Pope fluttered from
cabinet to cabinet. pulled out drawers.
replaced them and tried still others
mo go%' he asked as the expert
| shot back the last cross-index cab
| met and turned with shaking head.
mo go?" Try again"
Absolutely no record Of the maker
of these prints" said Pope, holding
i out the photos He hasn't registered
| with us yet. Whoever made these
prints has never been arrested in the
United States for a felony"
How about a misdemeanor?" asked
Drew.
mo! They're all in this cabinet.
Even IL he was picked up on sus-
picion or for auto speeding or beating
his wife-if he has one-he would be
here. I'm sorry. inspector"
Drew pulled down the lapels OF his
, black coat and turned toward Fosdick.
Have you got a print of Finkle-
| stein?" he asked. You remember
| the fellow who was arrested in the
| Morphy case. He was afterwards re-
| leased for lack of evidence or else
he claimed exemption. I've forgotten
how he got off. He's supposed to be
| in Florida or somewhere in the South.
1 had a man out to Morristown who
| reports along those lines. I wish
you'd compare these prints with
Finklestein's."
60 ahead" said the commissioner.
Go as far as you like. I don't think
4 that there is anything in these prints.
You got the wrong ones-that's all"
What's Finkle-Finklestein' in
itials?" asked the expert.
Ipl
By
! index. a consultation of two drawers,
out of which the expert pulled some
tiny squares of cardboard. and then
! a slow shaking of his head. brought
Drew back to where he had started
from before taking the prints in the
! booth.
No record could be more different
Pope said. "Finklestein has a big
hand and very broad fingers. The
fellow. who made these prints has a
! little hand with thin fingers. The
whorls and loops are entirely dis.
| similar. He comes under classified
\ ton 2-4-N. Finklestein Is in cabinet
$50 They couldn't be further
away"
Drew started out through the door
way with Fosdick following him
They stood on the landing leading to
the downstairs steps. where the de-
tective was about to leave the COM
missioner with a curt good-by. His
hand was out when he drew 1t back
dropped it to his side and wheeled
with sudden intuition.
Good Lord" he exclaimed. Are
you and 1 detectives or children
Come back to the fineer-print room
Hurry now. I want to see Pope.
forgot something"
The expert rose as they entered
"Well?" he asked with arching brows
and a slight frown on his face. Well
what is it?"
| Drew pointed a finger as steady as
rifle. He barred his eyes into Pope S
own. Were you up to Stockbridge'
Yes: Why
of everything in the library? I un-
derstand that this was done after ]
turned the case over to Commissioner
Fosdick."
1T was done" rasped Fosdick. "Oi
course it was done. It's always done
when a case looks like a homicide"
This case looked worse than that
said Drew. "It was slaughter"
! The commissioner turned to the
finger-print man. Where are the
prints and photos you took up at
the house," he asked
Still in the developing room"
! DO you think they are developed?
'1ll soon know. sir. he answered,
pressing a button.
! The messenger entered who had at
tended TO Drew's prints which the de-
l tective took in the telephone booth
Get down to the developing room. -
ordered Pope. Get me all the prints
and positives of Exhibit IL OF the
Stockbridge case. Bring what Is al
ready developed. Tell them to rush
the others"
The three men waited in silence for
| the return OF the messenger. Drew
paced the floor thoughtfully. He
clasped and unclasped his hands be-
! hind his back. He had almost slipped
in an important matter. 1t was a
chance he was taking, but a vital one
in the case. The finger prints taken
! by the expert in the library might
and might not jibe with those taken
| in the slot booth. II they were the
same, or any one was the same. the
! case would offer a new line for in
vestiga tion.
A sliding footstep at the door an
nounced the messenger. He held a
sheath of curling papers in his hand.
Pope reached and snatched the
| photos. He ran over them with
widening eyes. He sorted them into
two piles upon the table
Five prints" he announced. glanc-
/ fnrr xYrtt
of these prints are the same as your
set. In other words, the man who
made the impressions in the tele-
phone booth was also In the library
at or about the time of the murder
"Impossible" snorted Fosdick.
All" said Drew. Photos don't
lie. Now were getting there. That's
the first light I've seen in some time.
1t puts 1T where it belongs-in the
material world of flesh and blood and
hate and revenge"
1T does that" corroborated the ex-
pert. siding with Drew. Now" he
| added good naturedly, "I'n help out
some more. I've got a book of nota-
tions made in the library. 1 spent two
hours there this morning. I flashed
every print I could see. There's some
of the butler on the bottle and the
| tray. There's a number on the pol
| ished table. There are at least six
on the door knob, to say nothing of
the smashed panel. I suppose yours
! is among them, Inspector"
Drew held out his right hand. Look
and see," he suggested with a short
laugh. I've never been printed in
my life
That won't be necessary. These
three prints which correspond, with
the ones you took in the booth. settle