The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-03-31
True
Detective Stories
BY PERSONS
UNKNOWN

KIT is absolutely essential" said
the secretary of treasury, glanc-
ing across his 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 it is over
stating the matter to say that this
case is 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 is taking sides in the mat
ter.
Naturally we do not wish to send
troops to Versailles unless it is alb
solutely necessary. 1t would only
lead to additional bloodshed and dis
order. What we need is someone
who has the nerve to 60 out there,
investigate the case from every pos
sible angle and make report as to
the persons responsible for the lynch
ings. That's why l sent for you"
The man on the other side of the
desk smiled and tapped thoughtfully
with the forefnger of a hand which
indicated strength and determination
Of character.
"Of course" continued the secre-
tary, 81 must warn you that the case
Is one that is apt to prove dangerous.
More so, 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 to take steps which might lead
to protracted bloodshed."
SIN which case" replied the other,
''it would be well for me to get out
to Versailles as soon as l can. The
longer we wait the less chance there
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 report, you will know
that they've got me. But, somehow,
I've got a bunch that they won't"
1t was two days later that the train
which stopped at Versailles, Ind,
halted just long enough to permit
single passenger to alight-a man
who was short and rather plump and
with ruddy complexion, man who
registered at the local hotel as James
M. Beck" and who allowed 1t to be-
come known that he was an insur-
ance agent, representing one of the
best-known companies in the country.
But Versailles, as Beck soon discov-
cred, was a 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 five prisoners who had
been taken from Jail and murdered by
an Infatuated 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
official who tried to find out the names
of the men implicated in the lynching
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, and he was determined to
sell it, no matter how many people
he had to interview The fact that
he was 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
New York, dispatch which was in
code and which caused the operator
to spread the report that the "life
insurance agent" was detective In
disguise. Getting wind of this and
realizing that he must take some rad
ical step to offset suspicion, Beck ap-
preached the man who appeared to be
the leader of the trouble-faction. The
agent explained to him that he was
getting tired of the quarters at the
hotel, and wondered If it would be
possible to secure lodgings in some
private house where he would be
little more comfortable.
Certainly" said the native. II
reckon we can put you up all right"
And he smiled at the thought of this
man whom he suspected placing him
self entirely in his power. That, how
ever, was precisely what Beck wished,
and it only took couple of days of
clever acting to convince the local
leader that he was only what he APP
peared to be-a slow, plodding and
conscientious insurance agent. 1t was
in the house of the most dangerous
citizen of Versailles, under the very
eyes of his associates, that the stran-
ger secured the information he wanted