The Meeker herald., 1922-09-30
True
Detective Stories
ALL EVIDENCE

~ d. WEST. head Of the prosecs-
|A ton department Of the National
| Association of Credit Men,
leaned back In his chair and placed
the tips Of the fingers Of his left hand
precisely against the tips Of the nm
gers of his right. habit that was sec
ond-nature to him during the consid-
GRAFTON Of dinicait problem.
"Why on earth. Edwards. didn't you
come to me with this story before1
It's too late TO help you now. Your
stocks gone. your credit ruined. and
they've MIXED you dry. A word to
the association In time would have
saved you money and US time"
II didn't dare to come out In the
OPEN" groaned the man on the 9TH
er side Of the desk. "They had the
goods on me. too. remember. did
hire q private detective agency,
but
"Private detsctives!" snorted West.
Detectives Of any kind are practical.
~ useless In cases connected with COM
| mercial crimes. There's nothing that
| can be done In this case, but there IL
| q way In which you can assist the law,
land the men who heeced you. and pos
sibly make q grubstake for yourself.
Listen
Less than six months later. Abe Elm
stein, who called himself Z 'credit
manager" wandered into the Office Of
Henry w. Easton. lawyer. and after
seeing that all the doors were care
fully closed. inquired II Easton re-
membered Edwards, the shoe dealer.
| whom they had nicked some time be-
fore.
..The names familiar" replied the
lawyer, "but don't recall the de-
tails"
"Oh, It was the same old game"
grunted Elnstein. II got him to come
MP and talk to- you-you suggested
that he ship the bulk Of his stock out
Of town to me-Td sell II. and we'd
split with him after the usual fees
had been deducted"
81 remember now. Then. when he
came back here and timidly asked for
his part of the rake-ofY. I told him he
was lucky not to be In jail for vio-
latin4 six or eight different statutes.
Our fees as I carefully explained to
him. more than ate up the proceeds
Of his stock at q forced sale. and he
really owed us money! You should
have seen his fade then. But what's
the trouble? Has he made peep to
| the police?
| "No, nothing like that" Einstein re-
l Piled. but I happened to be pass
ing through Wilkesbarre the other day.
| and who should run into but Ed
wards. Prosperous. too. knew him
| In 4 minute, and wondered where he'd
| gotten his money. Followed him down
the street Always. and found that he'd
opened another store. Flashy. but
good-iOoking. Somebody's evidently
staked him. and he's trying his luck.
but-and here's the part that concerns
us-he's nearly on the rocks again I"
"what? On the verge Of bank
ruptcy?"
Exactly: only this time he evident
| ~ intends to work the game all his
own. You can't blame him for that.
after he's been burned once"
But" protested Easton. che can't
handle It by himself!
] That's what I figured" said Elm
stein. ".3ut. naturally. didn't put the
matter up to him. Things have been
pretty dull around here for a while.
Why don't you run up and see Ed
wards? Admit that We didn't do as
well for him the first time as We might
have. and make him a guarantee Of
$500 On q 1910 split.
Fright" snapped the lawyer. "I'll
take run up there tomorrow"
The following afternoon. In the pri-
vate office Of his store. Edwards and
Easton thrashed out the details Of
their former arrangement the lawyer
stating that he had come to pay over
5000. (which had been Unexpectedly
saved from the wreck"
Incidentally" he added. II under
stand that you won't he here much
longer. Going TO try the same game
yourself?"
"Pos.itny." replied tile shoe dealer.
sWhy not7'
"You can't do 1t without an organi-
xation." insisted the lawyer. ''You
need us. and We need you.
Then, while Edwards nervously
played with some papers on his desk.
Easton outlined his pian-how the
goods were to be shipped. how Elm
stein would handle them, and the g..
500 guarantee which would be paid
the shoe dealer for his part in the
fraudulent bankruptcy proceedings.
Terms were finally agreed up. and
the whole court proceedings went for.
ward without hitch.
The day after he had been declared
bankrupt. Edwards accompanied East
on to the bank. and there received the
$500 which had been promised him.
| Az tha 1a,prnp hn pdoL hin, nvor tho