Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-02-04
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 muttered:
"Fine work. THAI much is out OF
the wayv
But, had Rabshaw only KNOWN
II, his troubles were only beginnings
for one of the bandits man by the
name of Meaney, determined to fight
for his life with every weapon thhr
the law afforded him.
Securing an attorney familiar with
the kinks and twists Of criminal law,
be quickly succeeded In mMlufactur-
Ing an alibi which appeared to be ipcn.
clad. Half dozen witnesses s0ora
that, at the time Bouker was snot,
Meaney had been In their company,
and that 1t was physically impossible
for him to reach the scene of the crime
in time to take part In the murder.
Meaneys lawyer followed his clients
instructions to make the alibi good
enough for mo to have "a hours clear
ance-once Pm out OF Cleveland they'll
never find me" and the district at-
torney, rather than imperil the entire
case, decided to drop the proceedings
against Meaney and concentrate his
attack upon the other three men who
had the foresight to 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
Gllbl--eyidence which proved that
Meaney had been directly implicated
In the murder But 1t was too late,
The gunman had vanished, apparently
Into thin arl
Spurred on by realization tnnt he
had had the man he wanted, actually
lodged In jail, only to have him slip
through a loophole In the legal wall
which surrounded him, Rabshaw de-
termlned to nall the escaped murder
err If. as he stated, ut look ten years
and every man on the force to do IL
The city OF Cleveland was comhed
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 Gays 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 fugltlve's
wife would provide the clue which
would lead them to the man they
wanted.
ayes, know it's hard work and
tedious work." Rnbshaw would shy,
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
tie Bouker murder-after MeAney had
be IN traced to Toledo and Pittsburgh
and st. Louis and Toronto and vari.
GUS points in betwe, n, the police all
ways one jump behlns him-that Rab'
shaw dropped into the Cleveland post
Office to purchase stamp. There was
nothing unusual In the action itself,
Lie had bought stamps at that window
hundreds Of times before. But there
was something In the attitude OF the
woman ahead Of him In line, some
thing furtive about The manner In
which she attempted TO conceal tho
address OF the letter which she car.
ried, which made the chief OF the de-
tectiyes wonder what was wrong,
When he caught fash Of her face.
half-bldden under long black veil.
lie Hdu uIl iutuiilpn hhal ~ hhN" 49,
reason for trying to prevent anyone
from seeing the letter. The woman
vas Meaney's sister-In.law.
As she purchased tbf stamp and
lent forward to affix I, Rabshaw
stepped swiftly out Of Il re, and sue
eeeded In catching gil npse Of the
envelope. One glance was all he
needed The missiye was addressed
10 John NJ. Oliver, az a number which
Rabshaw knew was In a secluded and
quiet part Of indianapolis.
Early the following morning Rnb-
shaw took up his vigil outside the
house where Oliver was supposed ia
BE- living. But no one answering TO
tho description Of the missing man
made his appearance, 50 the Cleveland
chief determined to force the Issue by
sending two Of the local police In to
aud out If anyone by that name re-
SIDED there. scarcely had they re-
sorted that "Oliver lived there, bu'
was out at the time" than Meancy
strolied doen the street and star.et
TO mount thu steps Of the house, total
~ unsuspiclnis Of his danger An in
slant later, itabshaw was upon him
bis automatic ready for action, bu
the fugitive, realizing the folly Of op
nosition to superior force. threw ~
his hands and surrendered
you've got me- he admitted. "Jusi