The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-12-02
True
Detective Stories
FOURTH DECREE

TsHERE WAS but little doubt In the
mind OF Thomas Byrnes, superin-
tendent Of police in New York
city, that Louis Hanier had been muir.
deted for the sake OF the money that
he was carrying With him Mt the time.
The little Frenchman had been the
proprietor of a cafe. and. having
fear Of the banks Of America. had the
habit of carrying hundreds of dollars
In his wallet until the opportunity pre-
sented itself Of purchasing an inter
national money order.
One morning he was found dead In
the vestibule OF his home. .3s call
her bullet through his heart, and his
pocketbook missing.
That was all Byrnes had to work
upon, for there were no Indications
whatever of the persons who had COM
mitted the crime. The dispatch will,
which the matter had been handled,
appeared to point to professional
criminal, so Byrnes gave orders that
all the pnwnshops in New York were
to he closely watched. and reports
made to him of the pnwning OF amy
.3S caliber revolvers.
Invest ign ton of the dozen or more
ass pawncd during the week which
followed the Hnnier shooting. showed
that all but one OF them had been
pledged by persons who very evident
ly had no connection with the murder.
The single exception was one Michael
McGloIn, whom the pawnbrokcr In
question Identified by. means of his
photograph In the Rouges' gallery.
McGloIn's gun had been pnwned on
the morning after the murder. and
while the police had little difficulty
in locating the mnn himself, there was
not a shred Of evidence to connect
him with the Hanier case. beyond the
fact that he had been absent from
home on the night OF the shooting In
the company OF four OF his boon com
paniOns.
Quietly. and without allowing n
word Of his Intentions to leak out.
Byrnes rounded up the quintet one
at time. none Of them knowing that
the others were being arrested. Each
Of them was lodged In n cell by him
self and questioned closely as I" his
actions and his whereabouts at the
time OF the murder. In spite OF the
fact that Byrnes had definite infor-
nation that the five men had been to-
gether. each OF them told different
story, and each claimed to have been
alone, at n considerable distance from
the Hanicr house.
"It's no use, Inspector" said one Of
the policemen who had been workin.
on the case about n week after the
FIVE men Ind been picked up. "you
emit get thing out of 'cm. They
know. all right, but YOU can't convict
any Of 'em without confcssi"n--and
we've tried everything. including the
third degree
"vcry WELL" said Byrnes quietly.
"we'll have to try the fourth degree.
Fourth degree? What's thatY
Just u little way OF getting at the
truth when man wants TO hold out
on you" was Byrncs' answer. you
think there's no doubt that Mct;loln's
the mani Have him brought to this
office tomorrow morning. promptly AT
ten o'clock"
At the time specified. McGloin, sui.
len and resentful al what he clnimed
was an illegal detention. walked into
the Inspectors office, alone. Had h'
been interested In such details. he
might have noted that Byrncs was
seated SO that he could watch the
window OF his office which looked out
upon a corridor. and also keep m eye
upon the occupant OF the only chnlr
In the room, bolted to the floor in
front OF the desk. But McGIon wnsn''
worrying about such tribes. He was
there to demnnd his release, aud h,
told the inspector so In no measured
terms.
That's all right. McGloin.' replied
Byrncs. "Sit down minute. I've
several things to attend to-" and he
motioned to the chair. placed so that
II too commanded II view of the cor
ridor window. A moment later the
Office door opened and a man came In
Byrnes. watching the gunmnn closely
saw that he was barely able TO sup
press a sturt-fOr the visitor WIS the
pawnbroker with whom McGloin had
pledged his revolver. Without saying
a word. the pnwnbroker crossed the
room, laid McGIoIn's gun on the in
spector's desk and walked out.
Meat little boy" remarked Byrnes
picking up the revolver. Ever SEE
II befOrer'
"Ncver," growled McnlOin.
"I thought not" was the reply. "It'
the gun that Hanier. the Frenrhman
was shot with. We've finally got 4
line on that ease, after working ON II
for over a month. Found II man who
was witness OF the shooting
At this moment. by n prearrangct
signal, one Of McGloin's partners was
marched past the corridor window
ayes" continued Byrnes, aDpearin,
not to notice the gunman's agitation
sand ,yp'ye also founI n man who was