The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-06

which was carefully noted by Wang
Foo in the little leather notebook in
his sleeve.
Some ten days afterwards a COM
pany OF gentlemen met the Inspector
Of Police by special invitation in his
private Office. Among them were the
British Vice-Consul. Mr.. Bellsize of
the Australian Wharf. and Messrs.
Peasely and Rodero of the firm of Mac
MILAN & Co.. besides Captain Brown
low and several English and Chinese
detectives. When all were seated In
spector Gubbins rose and said: Gen
temen. have invited you here this
morning to listen to something of the
deepest interest and concern to us all
from the lips of a man who has no
superior in the matter of the unwilling
Of Chinese mysteries, have the, pleas
ure of introducing Mr.. Wang Foo of
Hong Kong. better known as the
Prince of Chinese Detectives
What Wang Eco said, condensed into
very few words. was as follows:
Gentlemen. on the seventeenth of July
The goodwin of Messrs. Macmillan &
Co. was. as you know, mysreriously set
on fire and much of its contents de-
strcyed. Suspicion happened to fall
upon one Nam Tuck. the night watch
man on the adjoining wharf He was
proved to have expressed a desire to
see the old goodwin burn, to have been
in it on the day of the fire and to have
purchased four fuses with which
supposedly to fire it. and, moreover,
he is known to have had material
interest in the destruction, Because his
brother runs a brickyard and sold the
material for rebuilding. Circumstau-
tial evidence is strongly against him,
but propose to show you now that he
had nothing whatever to do with 1t.
More than this, gentlemen, that go
down was never set on fire by a
Chinese. but by a European!" The
company started and looked at each
other in surprise. He continued: THE
four fires, as shown by the times of
the alarms. were started in the exact
order of the European points of the
compass, viz: North, South, East and
West. Now. no Chinese would ever
do that; he would always start-no
matter whether his deed was good or
evil-with the Asiatic order of 'Taa0,
81, Nam, Pek,. that is. East, West,
South, North. The moment / was GER
tain of this order my suspicion lighted
on Messrs. Peasely and Rodero, the
latter member of which firm is not I'M
hIlOWu 10 lll0 IN f1OnR AOnB-
Inspector Gubbins. at my suggestion,
had their houses searched, and COM
plete outfits of fuses and slow matches
-as he will himself show you-were
discovered there. Gentlemen, will not
detain you longer, the story is a very
brief one: Messrs. Peasely and Rodero
set their own goodwin on fire to secure
their very heavy insurance. The req
son you did not suspect them was be-
cause they concealed themselves be-
hind the good name of one of -China's
oldest and most respected firms, which
makes their action more contemplate
in the eyes of both East and West
You remember what Shakespeare says
about the man who steals a good name;
! the sacred literature of the Orient is
/ full of the self-same sentiment"
.Brownlow." said the Inspector,
bring in the prisoneHand let us honor
ably release him in the midst OF this
company" --e-s
The Captain motioned to an officer,
who returned in a moment with the
figure of Nam Tuck. Mingled fear and
joy played across his countenance as
he heard of his release.
What is that piece Of paper sticking
to your forehead?" asked his employer
Mr.. Bellsize.
Il think, SIR" he stammeringly re-
piled, that must have been struck
with the Temple Gongi"