The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-12-29
True
Detective Stories
TOE-PRINTS

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Copyright b The wheeler syndicate. lac.
u UT I'm not taking any chances,
ID Jenl I know that house like I
, know the inside Of this room.
What do you suppose l got that job as
furnace man for? You don't think /
like the work, do your Just ten min
utes-that's all I'll need. The safes
over in n corner Of the bedroom, and
the combinations one l could work In
my sleep-One of those old-fashioned
affairs where you can hear the tum-
blers drop clear across the room.
Besides" continued the man known
to his accomplices as Lefty joe" and
to the police as one Of the %cleverest
second-story men in the business,
"thisll be the last job I'll tackle. I
promise you that. Wen sink the stuff
down at Uncle Abie's and make a get
away before the bulls know the place
has been cleaned out"
1T sounds all right" admitted the
girl to whom the burglar was speak
ing, but I've got a bunch that there's
a slip-up somewhere. You'll be care
full to wear those rubber gloves2"
sure I WILL" answered the other.
"Foro, or whatever he calls himself,
amt goin' to find any Of my finger
marks all over the place. No. nor any
footprints either. l tell you, Jen, this
u a cinch. This time next week we'll
be out in the sticks-somewhere where
they don't know us-landin' a decent
Job with no fear Of bulls. Hurry up
with those socks, will youi Don't
bother to finish them. It amt the first
time that rye worn EN- full O. holes"
Shortly after ten o'clock anyone who
might have been watching the fence
which marked the end Of the Phipps'
property, would have seen q shadow
balance itself for a moment, silhouet-
ted against the dark gray sky, and
then drop, noiselessly, inside the
grounds.
Moving cautiously, 80 az to avoid
the burglar-alarm wires which he had
previously charted, Lefty Joe crept
softly toward the house.
It was the work Of a moment to
Jimmy open one of the windows on the
first floor, and In almost less time than
it takes to tell it, Joe was in the bed
room, spinning the combination of the
wall safe, his sensitive ears listening
for the click of the tumblers as they
dropped into position Less than half
an hour later he was back in his room,
pouring his loot into Jennie's lap,
"We'n have to lay low for a couple
of days or So" he informed the girl.
IF the police find out that I've
skipped, they'll suspect me right away,
and try to frame up something. They'll
have a hard time proving it though. I
had my gloves on and my shoes off,
and not q soul saw me. So we're safe,
girl, and I'm through-at least until I
find another crib as easy as this one"
But even as Joe was speaking, In
York detective force, was on his way
to the Phipps home. One Of the serv-
ants, returning early, had noted the
opened window and had notified Mr..
Phipps. The latter, after a hasty ex-
animation Of the rifed safe, had
phoned for the police, and the mere
statement that some $4,000 worth Of
jewels were missing, had been enough
to bring Faurot, the finger-print ex-
pert, to the scene Of the crime.
"Whoever broke in here knew what
he was doing" stated the inspector,
after he had examined the house and
the grounds. 1T wasn't much of a
trick to open the safe, and u friend
took good care to use rubber gloves.
No finger prints anywhere about the
house. Anything outside?
Nothing at all, Chief" replied one
of the policemen who had accompa'
MED the inspector. "Wires all right
and no footprints in sight"
"Hmmm." unused FauroE his eyes
fixed meditatively on the hardwood
floor Of the bedroom. Then he moved
his head suddenly to one side, as il
trying to catch a clearer glimpse Of
the light reflected from above. An in
slant later he was on his knees, dust
ing the floor with a powder which hi
produced from his pocket-a cOmbina
ton of mercury and chalk. A few
strokes Of a camels hair brush, tt
eliminate the surplus powder, and HI
photographed the smudge with .
pocket camera which he invariably car
ried with him.
"This is an experts job" he an
nounced as he arose. Round up ever.
second-story man in town, andgive or
ders that no ones to leave the cit,
without my permission-anyone witt
q record, I mean" A..
Ore by one, as they were brough
into headquarters, the suspected me-
were put through a strange ordea
After removing their shoes and socks
prints of their toes e taken, pre-
cisely as their finger Hints had pre-
viously been recorded. TT took the In
spector less than five seconds to orde
the release Of each man, unttR>he e.
amined the prints Of the sixteenth pri'
oner.
Bring him in |" he ordered. Thel
as Lefty Joe faced him. defiantly, Fal
rot inquired mildly, Where's the stu
you got from the Phipps' place lai
night, Joe1 Oh, it's no use TO registe
innocence. We've got the goods Q
you this time. You wore rubber glove
but you forgot that the human t.
leaves q mark just as individual an
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