Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-22
Hickson's Hidden Hours
By Sewe1l Ford.

the name Of Albert Hickson I sure
got interested.
what nuts them headquarters men
Joe. "Tryin' to pin a 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. Not about
them brainy guys. I've often thought
he had queer look in his eyes. And
it seems like they got the goods on
him straight"
Gust because he'd done work on
Barsden's books?" 1 demands.
He was the last one seen with him
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 a
wizard at figures. And when you get
that kind stirred up once. and let 'em
red. Besides, why don't he tell where
he was between midnight and 2:30
am? 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 3 o'clock
that afternoon to go up for his inter-
view with what the papers always re-
| fer to as 1.-The slain turf man." until
his sister went into rout him out at
Z am. next mornin' and found him
pale and trembly. Course, Sister Alice
| told the head of the homicide squad
that Brother Albert had gone to bed
at 9:45 the night before. complainin'
of a headache. and that he'd been
right in his room all night. But the
and limited they knew better.
| So for two days l read all the re-
ports and wondered why Albert didn't
come across with a workin' alibi. and
! then 1 just naturally had to mix In.
Maybe I wouldn't have if I hadn't
happened to have known this Mr.. Pete
Martin in the district attorneys Office.
Pete took a three weeks course with
me once, when he first got on the
county pay roll. and L meet him now
and then at boxin' bouts. He's quite
sport himself. Which is why puts it
office.
Pete" says I. you're all wrong
on this Hickson party. You never
can tag him with a thing like that
Bardsden shooting"
! MOP" says Pete, hunchin' his eye
| brows. I'VE think we have him fair
ly we'll coppered, Shorty. Know him,
! do your"
like a book" says I, land take
| it from me he couldn't any more
shoot a gun than rabbit could chew
up a bulldog. What's wrong with
| that alibi Of his. anyway"
| Just a moment" says Pete, while
| I shut the door. You. see. Shorty.
we're not giving this out public as
yet, but the fact is. We know that
! Hickson left his room at II pm. and
didn't go back to it until after 8 next
morning. Barsden was killed be-
! tween 1880 and 2:15. So there you
are"
But how could Hickson get out
| with Sister A1ice's room between him
| and the stairs?" I asks.
| Fire escape" says Pete. "One OF
; these let-down affairs that opens into
the back areaway. Fastened it down
| with a wire while he was out. The
janitor knew all about it. He got
scared and squaled. Said Hickson
! had been at that game on and of for
| months. Heard him go out that night.
| in fact Looks bad for him, eh?"
Mean to say you think he made
| a business of night gunnin'?' I de-
! We are quite certain he went gun