The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-09-03

THAT, lOT dDOuI all the Ddu HdDlUS Al
bert had collected durin' his college
career was a weakness for lettin' his
hair grow long in the back and fond
ness for playin' popular tunes on the
piano. However, Sister Alice hadn't
had him in hand more'n a month be-
fore he was visitin' the barber regular
and was confnin' his musical orgies to
thumpin' out pieces like 1.-THE Maiden's
Prayer" and "The Moonlight Sonata"
1t was SisterAlice who prodded him
into takin' advanced bookkeepin'
courses at the Y. M. c. A and finally
got him launched as an expert, with
desk room in the top floor of the
buildin' where I'm located here.
You wouldn't think work like that
would expose him to many tempta-
lions, would you? But Sister Alice
seems to have had fine lot of sus-
picions all her own. She made Albert
give detailed report every night of
where he'd been durin' the day, just
what he'd done, and what he expected
to do tomorrow. AS for his evenin's
she didn't need to be told. She had
him right under her eyes. Oh, he did
| beg off occasionally to take in movie
show or a concert at Carnegie Hall.
but mainly he got his evening dissipa-
ton by walkin' Sister Alice around
Prospect Park or listenin' to the latest
bulletins as to how the work was goin'
on in Kaio, Chow. No, that's wrong.
/ remember Albert's sayin' how some
times him and Sister Alice got real
frivolous and INDUCED in a game of
lotto.
so you see," says he, bunchin' his
shoulders, 1--WE never really had a
chance"
Maybe that's lucky too" says l.
you quiet ones are the lads that
tear things loose when you get
started"
Albert only smiles patient at that
jab. 81 did get to Coney Island once
says he, land drank two glasses of
beer"
you hardened wretch" says l.
But, then, most of us have something
or other in our past
Well, that was the Albert Hickson
I'd known for going on five years.
So you can judge what a jolt l got
when read in the papers one mornin'
how they was holdin' him without bail
for shootin' Big Bill Barsden. YG.i
remember the Barsden case, l expect?
1t amt more'n a couple of months old,
but of course them murder mysteries
soon get stale and only the latest one
sticks in your mind.
First off, too, didn't follow it close.
I'd heard of this Big Bill, like most
everybody else, but l didn't know him
personally. No, don't mix much with
the race track crowd, nor run around
with squad fanciers like Big Bill. You
know he owned a string of uptown
movie houses as we'll as his bunch of
selling platers, and for a while there,
after he was found plugged through
vate Office it was a question whether
some grouchy pony trainer or a green.
eyed sportin' friend that Big Bill had
frisked off his lady love had done the
job. l didn't get much excited over
either proposition. But when they
dropped them two clues and the papers
announced that the arrow pointed to
a certain party by the name of Albert
Hickson sure got interested.
What nuts them headquarters men
are at times" remarked to Swiftly Joe
''Tryin' to pin thing like that on our
Albert. Why, he wouldn't pat anybody
on the wrist real rough"
"Ah, you can't always TELL" says
Swiftly, shakin' his head. mot about
them brainy guys. I've often thought
he had a queer look in his eyes, And
it seems like they got the goods on
him straight"
Just because he'd done work on
Barsden's books?" 1 demands.
He was the last one seen with him
that night" insists Swiftly, land the
lady typewriter heard 'em havin
words over the bill. Looks like Hick
son was thrown out. Then he must
have bought the gun, sneaked back
later on, and croaked him for it."
BAH" says I. Can you imagine
Albert facin' big rough-neck like
Bill Barsden?"
Swiftly wags his head. He was
queer in the head, him." says he.
Elise he wouldn't have been such d
wizard at figures. Anw when you get
that kind stirred up once. and let 'em
loose with a gun-well, likely he saw
red. Besides, why don't he tell where
he was between midnight and $50
A. M? Eh?"
That was the puzzlin' part Of it.
AS one of the headline writer's put it,
Case Hinges on Hickson's Hidden
! Hours" Then the article goes on to
trace out every move of Albert, from
the time he left his desk at o'clock
that afternoon to go up for his inter
view with Barsden; until his sister
went in to route him out at 700 A. M.
next mornin' and found him pale and
ItremhlY. Course. Sister Alice told the