Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-10

ceived a letter that had been posted
the day before from a city quite y
number of miles nearer. the east than
Sefkirk was. In the left-hand, lower
corner of the envelope, heavily I'M
derscored. was the word: Conf
DENTAL" What MacVightie read,
when he opened the letter. was this;
Dear Mr.. MacVightie:
II feel that you are entitled to an
explanation will not call it an
apology. for I am sure you will rec
oEnixe with me the unavoidable ma :
ture Of the circumstances existing at
leave taking of you two evenings
ago; and am afraid that my ac-
tons on that occasion have not en-
HANGED your opinion of-the Hawk. !
shall try and redeem myself. You
have, I make no doubt, already
searched that room where first had
the pleasure OF making your ac-
Quaiitance-and have found nothing.
Let me begin, then, by saying that
the diamond necklace belonging to
His Excellency the Governors wife,
L
unset stones, and cash in varying
amounts derived from sources with
which you are acquainted, are in u
black valise which you will find in
the parcel room of the Selkirk sta
tion-and for which / enclose here
with the parcel-room check.
u imagine that you are sceptical.
I wonder, then. IL it would also oc-
casion you surprise to know that
Birks Of the Secret Service was, aft
er all, on deck the night that the
Wire Devils fell into your hospitable
hands? Yes, 1t is quite true-I am
Birks. The newspaper biographies
OF the Hawk, the apparent anthem
ITCHY of his prison record and re-
lease from Sing Sing was but in
spired' fiction supplied from 'au-
thoritative' sources. The east was
being swamped with one of the clev-
crest counterfeit notes that the fed
eral authorities. popularity called the
Secret Service, had ever had to deal
with: and it was evident at once
that the gang at work possessed an
organization against which ordinary
methods would be Of no avail. Facts
in the possession of the federal au-
Ethorities indicated that the head
quarters of the gang was In the west,
and. indeed, as you later concluded
yourself, that the so-called Wire
Devils, who were just beginning to
operate over the wires around Sell
kirk, were the men we wanted. That,
because Of my knowledge of teleg-
raphy. was detailed to the case.
and how. almost at the outset, was
fortunate enough to secure the key
to their cipher. need not be gone
into here. knowing their code. then,
it would have been a simple enough
matter to have run one or two of
them to earth at almost any time,
but that was not enough; it was nee
essary that the entire organisation,
and especially It's head, should be
caught. The role Of the Hawk fur
nished the solution to the problem.
It enabled me to Illustrate their plans.
while at the same time l was work
ing on the case, and 1t enabled me
to do this without arousing their sus-
picions that the Secret Service was
on the track of their counterfeiting
plant. Birds OF feather, you called
us, Mr.. MacVightie; and birds OF a
feather I am going to ask you to al
low US, In the public's eyes, and par
ticularly in the eyes OF those you
now have behind the bars. to- re-
main.
u am sure you readily acquiesce
In this. You will instantly see that
my usefulness would be DESTROYED IL
the Hawk became known and rec
ognized as Birks of the Secret Ser
vice by every crook in the country,
as would result If he now figured in
the case in his proper person. And
this leads to word of explanation
In reference to the final act in our
little drama Of two nights ago. + had
discovered the headquarters OF the
gang, and had found that cleverest
OF unhung crooks. the Ladybird, to
be in command. The plan outlined
to you from Washington was at my
suggestion. and was simply q trap to
collect them all into one net; a trap,
might add, which they walked into,
as they believed. with their eyes wide
open. for they were well aware OF
every move you had made. The
purpose of the money In bank notes
accompanying the gold shipment was
to supply the Hawk with q reason
for his appearance on the scene. It
was not altogether a question of co.
incidence that the train was stopped
Just outside Conmore; nor that the
chase led you to the farm house and
the Ladybird. The rest you know.
It was necessary that should be
captured and arrested in their pres
ence. be caught in fact with the
goods. and also that my escape
should in their eyes appear equally
genuine, II was to preserve the
Hawks Identity. AS for this last
point, things turned out little diff
ferently than had planned, for |
had expected to be taken to Jail with
the common herd, and there had in
tended to arrange some sort of an
escape to keep UP appearances. AS
It turned out, however, I am sure
you will agree with me that there
are worse things at times than a
trapdoor in q cellar floor!
II think that is all-save for one
little detail. I would suggest that
you account for the recovery Of the
'swag and the black valise thru the
fact that, dissatisfied with your first
search Of that room over our friend
Seidelberters saloon, you searched it
again more minutely found Z parcel
room check ingeniously hidden, say,
behind tho wall bracket Of the cleo
trio light dxture-and by 70 doins
permit mo to remain,
SEveg and most sincerely yoma