Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-03

well. you can do 1t pretty quick,
can't your" suggested MacVightie.
Sort Of accidentally like! We don't
want to throw g scare into him. You'd
know almost Instantly whether he
was east or west, wouldn't you?
That's all that's necessary-tonight
Then let him go ahead again. Well
have found out what we want to
know" He turned to Lanson, his
voice rasping suddenly. Did you
see the Journal on the Crime Wave
this afternoon?"
Lanson's alert, grey eyes took on an
angry CLINT.
mo: didn't see 1t, but 1 suppose
it's the same old story. wish they'd
cut 1t out! It hurts the road, and, it
doesn't get them anywhere"
Perhaps not" said MacVightie,
with a thin smile; "but 1t gets me!
Yes, it's about the same--all except
the last of it. Big headlines: Ten
thousand dollars stolen from pay
masters safe last night-What is be-
ing done to stop this reign Of assassi-
nation, theft, outrage, crime?-Has
the clue afforded by the Hawks re-
lease from Sing Sing been thoroughly
investigator And then n list of the
crimes committed In the last ten days
two murders. one In the compart-
ment of that sleeping car; the theft
OF the diamond necklace; the express
robbery; and SO on thru the list, end
ing up with last night Then nasty
shot at the local police; and, finally.
prefacing the remark with the state
ment that the crimes were all con-
nected with the railroad, n thinly
yelled hint that am either boy on
q mans job, or else asleep, in either
of which cases l ought to be-well,
you understand? MacVighties fist
came down with a crash on the oper-
ator's table.
ded his head.
Damn it," said MacVightie. Il"
He stopped abruptly, and laid his
hand on the operators sleeve. Look
here, Martini" he said evenly, you're
the one man that Mr.. Lanson has
picked out of the division, you're the
one man outside of Mr.. Lanson and
myself who has any inkling that
the secret messages coming over our
wires have anything to do with these
crimes-you understand that, don't
you? This is pretty serious business.
The newspaper didn't exaggerate any.
We're UP against a gang of crooks,
cleverly organized, who will stop at
nothing. Murder appears to be a
pastime with them! Do you get me
Martini"
For a long second the two men
looked each other steadily in the eyes.
YES" said Martin simply.
All right" said MacVightie. u
just want you to realize the necessity
of keeping anything you may hear. or
that may happen here tonight under
your hat" He turned to Lanson
again. the scowl heavy upon his face
once more. II was going to-say that
l know who the man is that slipped
thru my fingers last night"
"You - what?" Lanson leaned
sharply forward in his chair. "But he
got away! You said he"
ut was the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES bit
off the words.
"The Hawk?"
"The Hawk"
but how do you known" demand
ed Lanson incredulously. You said
yourself that he left no clue to his
identity. How do you known"
MacVightie reached into his pocket,
took out his pocketbook, and from the
pocketbook passed o new, crisp ten
dollar note to Lanson.
whats this?" inquired Lanson.
1.-THE counterfeit ten-dollar bill you
showed me last night?"
'No---another one" MacVightie an
swered CURLY. Look on the other
side"
Lanson turned the banknote over,
stared at it, and whistled suddenly
under his breath.
With the compliments Of the
Hawk!" he read aloud. He stared
now at MacVightie. Perhaps it's
fake, inspired by that newspaper art
icle yesterday evening" he suggested.
It's no fake" declared Macvightie
grin1ly. 1.-THE Hawk wrote that there
all right-it was inside the pay bag
In which the ten thousand was car
last night"
you mean-you recovered the
bag 2" cried Lanson eagerly. "Where :?
When?"
The Hawk. watching MacVightie's
face, grinned wickedly. MacVightie's
jaws were clamped belligerently, and
upon MacVightie's cheeks was an
angry flush.
ooh. yes, recovered I'll" Mac
Vghtie snapped. Ties got his nerve
with him! The bag was found re-
posing in full view on the <baggaRe
counter at Selkirk this afternoon
addressed to me. Nobody knows how
1t got there. But"-MacVightie's fist
came down again upon the operators
table-"this time he's overplayed his
hand. We knew he had been released
from Sing Sing, and that he had
come West, but it was only surmise
that he was actually around here
now we know. In the second place.
it's pretty good evidence that he's in
with the gang that's flooded the
couatry with those counterfeit tens,
and you'll remember I told you last
night had bunch it was the same
! gang that was operating out here
well, two and two make four!"
"You think he's-?" Lanson
swept his hand suggestively toward
the telegraph instruments.
"Yes-and the leader Of 'em, now
he's out here on the ground" re-
turned MacVightie gruffly.