Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-11-04

further crime on their release. his
own criminal Instincts. already devei-
oped. had grown stronger, and he had
spent his time planning a new system
/ OF crime OF which he was 20 be the
head, using as his cOnfederates GER
tain eyildOers with whom he had be-
come acquainted in prison. When he
had been released he had slipped
quietly away TO the West and lived In
close retirement until he had been for
gotten. The white whiskers he had
grown so changed his appearance,
too. that he had little fear of being
recognized. Recovering such part Of
the stolen money as was left to him.
he had come to New York in the guise
of a prosperous Western investor and,
purchasing a plot of land, had erected
the. Granddeck apartments, designed
for the occupancy Of the wealthiest
class of tenants.
In this building, sitting like a little
white spider in his web, he planned to
prey secretly on all who came to live
there. Every attendant in the build
ing was either a criminal or an asSOci-
ate of criminals. reporting to him
daily all that went on, and obeying his
orders implicitly. A special switch
board in his apartment enabled him to
listen in at will on all telephone con-
versatiOns that went on. Every letter
delivered at the Granddeck went
through his hands before reaching the
tenants. For every wall safe in the
building he held a master combination
and his pass-key would unlock every
door there was. And in addition to
all this
HE HAD BUILT A SECRET PAS
SAGEWAY.
We found 1t that night and ex-
plored it, familiarizing ourselves with
all its exits, greatly to the amazement
and confounding of German. Con-
Meeting with the service elevator by
masked opening, it ran along the hall
of each apartment, with entrances
concealed in wall panels. 1t enabled
Granders to wander at will through
the apartments at night, leaving mys-
terious notes to terrify his tenants,
prying into the secrets hidden in their
wall safes, listening when he chose to
their most private conversations, ex-
amining the contents of their pockets.
AS he had planned from the begin
ming he gained In this way much in
formation that he was able to utilize
to his financial profit without arous-
ing suspicion. He had discovered,
Mrs. Moore said, secret stock market
movements one of his tenants was
planning and had made a small for
tune out of the advance information
Several injudicious women he had
successfully blackmailed, 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 pearls,
Mrs. Moore explained, first terrifying
the old couple into leaving the apart
ment, the whispers that had been
heard coming of course, from the Sc
cret passageway.
"But l can't understand" l said,
"why, after he had once got hold of
the pearls in Mr.. Gastons absence, he
should have restored them to their
hiding place."
HE pad a duplicate made of Ebony |
pearls" explained Mrs. Moore. 1T |
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, II 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"
the girl explained. Each of them
him in their apartment, and