The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-07-22
True
Detective Stories
BY PERSONS
UNKNOWN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Copyright b. The wheeler syndicate, Inc.
<<YT rs absolutely essential" said
the secretary Of treasury. glanc-
Ing across bis desk at the short.
ruddy-complexioned. rather stout man
who sat opposite him. "that the per-
sons responsible for these lynchings
at Versailles be arrested, tried and
convicted. don't think 1t Is over
stating the matter to say that this
case ID more Important than any
counterfeiting plot or smuggling
scheme which the department has ever
worked on, for the governor Of In
diana has applied to the federal gov
eminent for troops to handle the up
rising which threatens to sweep over
that part Of the country. and the en-
tire state IL taking sides in the mat
ter.
Naturally we do not wish to send
troops to Versailles unless 1t Is alb
solutely necessary. It would only
lead to additional bloodshed and dis
order. What We need is someone
who has the nerve to 20 out there
Investigate the case from every pos
sible angle and make report as Il
the persons responsible fol the lynch
ings. That's why sent for YOU"
The man on the other side of the
desk smiled and tapped thoughtfully
with the forefineer Of hand which
indicated strength and determination
Of character.
"Of course" continued the secre-
tary, IT must warn you that the case
Is one that IL apt to prove dangerous
More no, In fact, than anything you
have ever attempted. Compared to
It. the roundup Of gang Of moon
sinners Is child's play-for here you
will have to work entirely In the dark.
one man against practically an entire
state. A single slip would mean your
death, and would force the govern
ment 10 take steps which might lead
to protracted bloodshed"
"In which case" replied the other,
ut would be well for me to get out
to Versailles as soon a. I can. The
lsnger we wait the less chance there
10 Of success. Don't make any at
tempt to hear from me or to locate me
for at least month. If. At the end
Of that time, you haven't received
some kind Of q report. You will know
that they've got me. But. somehow.
rye got q bunch that they WON'T"
II was two days later that the train
which stopped at Versailles. Ind,
halted tust long enough to permit
single passenger to alight-a man
who was short and rather plump and
With q rudy complexion, a man who
registered at the local hotel AZ flames
N. Beck" and who allowed It to he
come known that he was an insur'
ance agent, representing one Of the
best.known companies In the country.
But Versailles, % Beck soon discov.
cred, was poor field for life insur-
ance at that time. There WAS only
one topic Of conversation In which
the natives were interested; the lynch.
ing Of the i've prisoners who had
been taken from jail and murdered by
nm inftlriated mob. This, coupled with
open threats Of defiance against the
governors edict that the guilty men
must be punished. kept the town In a
continual state Of simmering, seething
unrest-punctuated by frequent state
ments that any state or government
ofiicial who tried to fnd,o the names
Of the men implicated in the lynchins
would be shot on sight.
Beck. apparently. wasn't In the least
interested in the local turmoil. He
had been sent to Versailles to sell In
surance, aud he was determined to
nell II. no matter how many people
he had to Interview. The fact that
he was q stranger led. Of course. to
immediate. suspicion Of his motives.
and some two weeks passed before he
was able to allay this.
About the end Of the third week
matters were brought to head by
reason of wire which Beck sent to
NeN York, dispatch which was In
code and which caused the operator
to spread the report that the life
insurance agent" was q detective In
disguise. Getting wind Of this and
realixing that he must take some rad.
ical step to Offset suspicion. Beck ap
preached the man who appeared to b.
the leader Of the troublefaction. The
agent explained to him that he waa
getting tired Of the quarters at the
hotel, and wondered II 1t would be
possible to secure lodgings in some
private house where he would be
little more comfortable.
Certainly" said the native. y
reckon we can put you up all right
And :. smiled at the thought Of this
man yhom he suspected placing him
self gntlrely In his power. That. how
sver, was precisely what Beck wished
and Il only took q couple Of days Of
clever acting to convince the local
leader that he was only what he ap-
peared to be-a slow, ploddinE and
conscientious Insurance agent. 1t wac
In the house Of the most dangerous
Ia VA