Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-01-28
True
Detective Stories
VANISHING MAN

was notified over the long dis
lance wire from Buffalo, that the
police OF that city had captured the
four men responsible for the murder
of patrOlman Leroy Bouker, he smiled,
shrugged his shoulders, and mut,ered:
Fine work That much Is out Of
the way
But, had RabShaw only known
II. his troubles were only beginning
for one of the bandits. man by the
name of Meaney, determined to fight
for his life with every weapon that
the law afforded him.
Securing an attorney familiar with
the kinks and twists of criminal law,
he quickly succeeded in manufacture
ing an alibi which appeared TO be iron
clad. Half dozen witnesses swore
that, at the time Bouker was shot,
Meaney had been in their company,
and that it was physically impossible
for him To reach the scene of the crime
in time To take part In the murder
Mcaney's lawyer followed his clients
Instructions To make the alibi good
enough for me to have "a hours clear
ance--Oncc I'm out of Cleveland they'll
never find me" and the district at
torney. rather than imperil the entire
case. decided 10 drop the proceedings
against Meaney and concentrate his
attack upon the other three men who
had the foresight 10 provide themselves
with capable legal assistance. There
fore, in spite Of the pleadingS of Chief
Rabshaw, Meaney was released.
Less than twelve hours later. the
chief of detectives secured evidence
that riddled the carefully prepared
alibi-evidence which proved thar
Meaney had been directly implicated
in the murder. But il was too late.
The gunman had vanished, apparently
into thin ar!
Spurred on by a realization that he
had had the man he wanted. actually
lodged In Jail. only to have him slip
through loophole In the legal wall
which surrounded him. Rabshaw de-
termined to nail the escaped murder
er If. as he stated, ''it took ten years
and every man on the force to do IT,"
The city of Cleveland was combed
from one end TO the other. Every
known meeting place in the under
world was watched and raided and
closed.
But the days heightened into weeks.
and the weeks into months and still
there was no trace of Meaney.
At night. when his days work was
finished. Rabshaw would relieve the
man always on watch at the former
Meaney home. for the chief had a
theory that some day the fugitive's
wife would provide the clue which
would lead them TO the man they
wanted.
"Yes, know it's hard work and
tedious work." nahsha" would soy,
as he took up his nightly vigil. But
there's no woman alive that can out
wit us II we keep steadily at it.
AS events proved, however. Rab-
shaw was wrong. The clue which led
to the final capture came from an
other and unexpected source.
1t was some eleven months after
the Bouker murder-after Meaney had
been traced 10 Toledo and Pittsburgh
and 81. Louis and Toronto and vari-
Gus points in between. the police al
ways one jump behind him-that Rab-
shaw dropped into the Cleveland post
Office To purchase stamp. There was
nothing unusual In the action itself.
He had bought stamps al that window
hundreds of times before. But there
was something m the attitude of the
woman ahead of him in line, some
thing furtive about the manner in
which she attempted to conceal the
address of the letter which she car
ried. which made the chief Of the de-
tectlves wonder what was wrong.
When he caugh. flash OF her face,
he had an intuition that he knew her
reason for trying To prevent anyone
from seeing the letter. The woman
was Meaney's slster.in-law.
As she purchased the stamp and
bent forward TO aflix IL, Rabshaw
stepped swiftly out of line, and sue
ceeded in catching glimpse of the
envelope. One glance was all he
needed The misSive was addressed
TO John NJ. Oliver. at a number which
Rabshaw knew was in a secluded and
quiet part OF indianapolis.
Early the following morning Rab-
shaw took up his vigil outside the
house where Oliver was supposed TO
be living. But no one answering to
the description OF the missing man
made his appearance SO the Cleveland
chief determined to force the issue by
sending two of the local police in to
find out IL anyone by that name re-
sided there Scarcely had they re-
ported that ''Oliver lived there. but
was out at the time" than Meaney
strolled down the street and started
TO mount the steps OF the house, total
~ unsuspiclous of his danger. An in
slant later. Rabshaw was upon him.
his automatic ready for action. but
fallk. &c