The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-12-02
True
Detective Stories
ToE-PRINTs

cd UT I'm not taking any chances,
- Jen | know that house like /
know the inside of this room.
What do You suppose got that job as
furnace man for7 You don't think /
like the work, do your Just ten min
utes-thats all I'll need. The safes
over In one corner of the bedroom, and
the combinations one / could work In
my sleep-one OF those old-fashioned
afrairs where you can hear the tu' l.
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,
"this'n be the last job I'll tackle.
| promise you that. Wen sink the stun
down at Uncle Abie's and make get
away before the bulls know the place
has been cleaned out"
ut sounds all right" admitted the
girl to whom the burglar was speak
Ing, fbut I've got bunch that there's
a slip-up somewhere. You'll be care
ful to wear those rubber gloyesT
"Sure / 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. tell you, Jen, this
Is a cinch. This time next week Wen
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 you? Don't
bother to finish them. 1t amt the first
time that I've worn 'em 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 a shadow
balance Itself for a moment, silhouet-
ted against the dark gray sky, and
then drop, noiselessly, inside the
grounds.
Moving cautiously, so as to avoid
the burglar-alarm wires which he had
previously charted, Lefty Joe crept
softly toward the house.
1t was the work of a moment to
Jimmy open one Of the windows on the
arst floor, and in almost less time than
1t takes to tell 1t, Joe was in the bed
room, spinning the combination of the
wall safe, his sensitive ears listening
for the click of the tHznblers as they
dropped into position. Less than half
an hour later he was back in his roem,
pouring his loot int Jennie's lap,
Wen have to lay low for a couple
| nF nr Gu ha TIA GIRL
IF the police ind out that I've
skipped, they'll suspect me right away,
. and try to frame up something. They'll
nave hard time proving It though.
had my gloves on and my shoes off,
and not a soul saw me. So we'Fe safe
girl, and I'm fhrough-at least until
dnd another crib as easy as this one.
| But even as joe was speaking, In
specter Joseph A. Faur0t of the New
York detective force, wRs on his way
10 the Phipps home. One of the serv'
ants, returning early, had noted the
opened window and had notified Mr.
Phipps. The latter, after a thasty rex
animation of the rffled 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 finger7print ex
pert, to the seen> of the crime.
whoever broke In here knew what
= he was doing" stated the inspector
after he had examined the house anG
the grounds. ut wasn't much of 6
trick to open the safe, and our friend
took good care to use rubber gloves
/, No finger prints anywhere about the
, house. Anything outsider
( Nothing at all, chief" replied one
, of the policemen who had aecompa
. MED the inspector. wires all right
: and no footprints in sight"
! "Hmmm," unused Faurot, his eye:
, fixed meditatively on the hardwood
floor of the bedroom. Then he moved
his head suddenly to one side, as Il
trying to catch clearer glimpse Of
: the light reflected from above. An in
slant later he was on his knees, dust
ing the floor with powder which h
: produced from his pocket-a comblna
ton of mercury and chalk. A few
strokes of a camels hair brush, Il
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,
I second-story man in town, and give or
: ders that no ones to leave the cit!
without nv permission--anyone will
q record, mean"
One by one. as they were brough
into headquarters, the suspected mel
were put through strange ordeal
/ fAo, ,.o,,,n,yFnu thar ShoaS and SnckS