Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-09-16

ne HdU puill q SGSICk aSSuSS"aJ
and his pasS.key would unlock every
door there was. And In addition to
all this
HE HAD BUILT A SECRET PAS
SAGEWAY.
W. found II that night and eS-
plored it. fumiliarizing ourselves with
all lis exits. greatly 10 the alna2ement
and coufuunding OF German. Con
Meeting with the service elevator by a
masked opening, ii ran along the hall
Of each apartment, with entrances
concealed in wall panels. 1t enabled
Grauders tn wander ut will through
the apartments at night, leaving inys-
FERROUS notes to terrify his tenants,
prying into the secrets hidden IN their
wall safes. listening when he chose to
their most private conversations, eX-
aiming the contents Of their pockets.
As he had planned from the begin
ming, he gained in this way much in
formation thar he was able to utilize
10 his financial profit without arous.
ing suspicion. He had discovered,
Mrs. Moore said, secret stock market
movements nne of his tenants was
planning and had made Il small for.
tune out Of the advance Information.
Several iuiudicious ONE he had
successfully tlackmailed, turning over
to agents who never came near the
Granddeck the secrets he learned from
letters he opened and telephone con.
versations he had listened to.
In the case of Rufus CASTOR, he had
plotted to steal the CASTOR pea rls,
Mrs. Moore explained, first terrlfyi ing
the old couple into leaving the apart
ment. the whispers that had been
heard coming of course from tho Sc
cret pasSageway.
But | can't understand" l said,
"why, after he had once got hold Of
the pearls in Mr.. Gaston's absence, he
should have restored them to their
hiding place"
He had a duplicate made Of phony
pearls" explained Mrs. Moore. at
was part of his plan not to have any
OF the tenants discover the>thefts for
a long time after they occurred"
IF he was SO cautious" said the
district attorney, Il am puzzled as to
why he killed Miss Lutan and Mr..
CASTOR. He must have realized that
both murders would be thoroughly In.
veStigated."
Both were accidents, so to speak,"
-. ,{,' ..I.f-nI aINnab nt ,L,,o
surprised him in their apartment, and
he had to kill them to make his get
away. | suppose he had been roaming
around 50 much he had got careless"
How about the revolverT' asked
Gorman. How did he come to plant
II in Nelson's roomi'
"He was puzzled by Mr.. Nelson hut.
ting IN on the Bradford case, and II
made him sore. I heard him and Wick
talking abeut it one day, and he said
that he'd teach Mr.. Nelson not to In.
t~erfere. How! asked Wick. ri
frame him for the goat If anything
h~appea6'"
sand was II he who had me DIS.
'IihIgfu from ny DIIItc1 1 hSkeu' cus-
erly.
Sure It was. He wrote q note on
Mr.. Gaston's stationery saying that
you had forged a check after he had
befriended you. He wrote in the let
ter that he was not going to prosecute
you because of your mother, but that
he felt that you were unworthy Of en-
ployment anywhere"
81 believe" said the district attor-
ney, that that clears everything up,
except for one thing-why, Mrs.
Moore. did you aid him and Wick In
all thesc crimes?"
"He promised that II I would help
him he would get Eddie out" she
cried. 81 was desperate. I'd do any
thing to get my husband back"
German and the district attorney
exchanged meaning %glances. While
nothing more was said, | felt sure as
they departed that both were thinking
that this brave young CONAN who had
solved he mystery for them certainly
deserved some reward, and | think w,
All realized mat the only reward im
ever could hold for her was the free
dom Of her husband.
Presently they went and left ~
alone, German, my mother, barbara.
and J.
"Tl"re are sim two things | capnd
understand" said, AS We sat ,aDting
IL over. The first is"-nud | turned
to Barbarn-"whDt was your sister do
ing In this apartment on the night ~
the first murder; When | came up
from the IutHn apartment ! caught
her just coming ont Of my door. l
could not help wondering II they had
made her plant the revolver"
Barbara started up, blushing.
"Oh, no." she cried, at was nothing
Ike that. You renember q few mo.