The Monroe journal., 1921-05-27

we Must Stand by Him and Defend
Him"
aud thresh Il out with Iuneman, or
Rilloughhy. or Mr.. Ripley. From these
private talks | found OUT that there
was still some doubt In the minds of
all four of them about the boss drop
rni--as 10 whether 1t was voluntary
ar not.
Also. | found out what had been
done during the four days. We had
no company detective" at that time.
snd Mr.. Hornack had borrowed a man
named Grlmmer from his old com.
pany. the overlsnd Central, wiring for
him and getting him on the ground
within twenty.four hours OF the time
~ Mr.. Norcross' disappearance.
Grlmmer had gone to work at once.
hut everything he had turned up. so
far. favored the voluntary runaway
theory. Mr.. Norcross trunks were
,til In his rooms at the Bullard; but
his two grips were gone. And the
night clerk at the hotel. when he was
pushed to II. remembered that the
boss had paid his bill up to date that
night, before going up To his rooms.
Past that. the trace was completely
lost. The conductor on the Fast Mall,
eastbound on the night In question,
swore hy all that was good aud great
that Mr.. Norcross hadn't been n
passenger on his train. And he would
certainly have known II If he had been
carrying his general manager.
Over In the oh,r field there was
absolutely nothing to incriminate the
Hatch people So far from II, Hatch
had turned up at the railroad ofiice,
bright and early the morning after
MIR Norrross had gone, He had asked
fCr the boss. and failing 70 find him,
he had hunted up Mr. Van Britt. What
he wanted 1t seemed, was chance
to reopen the proposition that had
been made to him the day before
the offer ~ the new Citizens Storage
4 Warehouse company TO purchase the
various Red Tower equipments and
plants.
Mr.. Van Britt had referred him IA
Mr.. Ripley, and TO our lawyer Hatch
had made what mrported to he an
open confession. admitting that he had
gone to Mr.. Norcross the night be
fore. determined To fight the new com
psny 10 finish. and that there had
been good many things said that
would better be forgotten. Now. HOW
ever. he was willing to talk straight
business and compromise. He hac
called his hoard OF directors together
and they had voted to sell their track
bordering plants to Citizens Storage
4 Warehouse II a price could be ami
cably agreed upon.
With Mr.. Sorcross gone and new
general manager coming. Mr.. Rlplel
was afraid 10 make a move. and Hatcl
was pressing him to get busy on tn
bargain and sale proposition; was ap
parently as anxious now TO sell an'
withdraw as he had AZ first been 4
hght everything In sight.
BY the morning came on the seen
the man C;rimmer had, as they SAY
lust about done his do. He was onl
sort of journeymsn detective, an
had run out of clues. When he cam
In and talked to Mr.. Van Britt an
Mr.. Ripley, could see that he full
believed In the drop-out theory, an
even the lawyer and Mr.. Van Brit
had to admit that the facts were wit
him. The boss had written n lstte
saying definitely that he was quitting
he had paid his hotel bill. and hi
grips were gone: and two days late
President Dunton had appointed
new general manager. which was proc
positive, you'd say, that the boss ha
resigned and had so notified the Ne
York Office.
WHEN tlr HoUn hVuh tuin' o'o"
Fred May took me out 10 luncheo
J and we went to the Billiard cafe.
was pretty rich for our blood at fW
dollars per. but guess Fred thougl
. his job was gone. anyway. and fe
! reckless. Over the good things at OF
/ corner table We did little threshiI
on our own account-and got ]
/ more chaff and no grain.
Fred didn't want TO agree wi
, Grimpier and the facts. but the
didn't seem to be any help for IT, Al
. as for M. had other things In mil
! all the time-the big scary fear ih
! somebody had got to the b,ss AFT