Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-04-22
True
Detective Stories
TOE-PRINTS


<<n Ut I'm not taking any chances,
d Jenl know that house like I
know the inside of this room
What do you suppose got thin job as
furnace man for? You don't think !
like the work. do you? Just ten min
utes-that's all III need. The safes
over In one corner of the bedroom, and
! the combinations one could work In
my sleep-One Of those old-fashloned
affairs where you can hear the tum-
blers drop clear across the room
Besides" continued the man known
to his accornplices as Lefty joe" and
! to the police a. one of the cleverest
I second-story men In the business.
"this'll be the last job I'll tackle. /
promise you that. Wen sink the stuff
down at Uncle Abie's and make get
away before the bulls know the place
has been cleaned out"
ut sounds all right" admitted the
| girl to whom the burglar was speak
ing, but I've got bunch that there's
a sllp-up somewhere. You'll be care
full to wear those rubber gloves?"
Sure WILL" answered the other.
"FOro. or whatever he calls himself.
amt gOin' TO find any of my finger
marks all over the place. No. nor any
footprints either. tell you. Jen, this
| Is cinch This time next week Wen
be out In the stlcks-somewhere where
they don't know us-landin' decent
job with no fear of bulls Hurry up
with those socks. will you? Don't
| bother 10 finish them. II amt the first
time that I've worn EN- full o holes"
Shortly after ten O'Clock anyone who
might have been watching the fence
which marked the end of the Phipps'
property. would have seen shadow
balance itself for moment, slhouet-
ted against the dark gray sky, and
then drop. noiseleSsly, inside the
grounds.
Moving cautiously. so as to avoid
the burglar-alarm wires which he had
previously charted. Lefty Joe crept
softly toward the house.
II was the work Of a moment to
Jimmy open one of the windows on the
first floor. and in almost less time than
1t takes to tell II, Joe was in the bed
room, spinning the combination of the
wall safe, his sensitive ears listening
for the click of the tumblers rs they
dropped into position. Less than half
an hour later he was back in his room.
/ pouring his loot into Jennie'S lap.
"We'l have 10 lay low for couple
of days or So" he informed the girl.
III the police find out that I've
skipped. they'll suspect me right away.
and try to frame up something. They'll
have Il hard time proving 1t though.
had my gloves on and my shoes or,
and not soul saw me. So we're safe.
girl. and I'm through-at least until
find another crib Us easy as this one"
But even as Joe was speaking. In
spector Joseph A. Faurot Of the New
York detective force, was on his way
~ the i'npp> iIomir. Cine vi Inc svTT-
ants. returning early, had noted the
opened window and had notified Mr..
Phipps The latter. after a hasty eX-
animation of the rifled safe. had
phoned for the police. and the mere
statement that some $4,000 worth Of
jewels were missing. had been enough
to bring Faurot. the tlnger-print ex-
pert, to the scene Of the crime.
"Whoever broke in here knew what
he was doing" stated the inspector.
after he had examined the house and
the grounds ut wasn't much OF
trick To open the safe. and our friend
took good care To use rubber gloves.
No finger prints anywhere about the
house Anything outside?
Nothing at all chief" replied one
of the policemen who had accompa-
MED the Inspector Wires all right
and no footprints in sight
'Hmmm." unused Faurot. his eyes
fixed meditatively on the hardwood
floor of the bedroom. Then he moved
his head suddenly TO one side. as IL
trying TO catch "A clearer glimpse Of
/ the light reflected from above. An In
slant later he was on his knees dust
ing the floor with u powder which he
produced from his pocket-a combina-
/ ton of mercury and chalk. few
strokes of camel's hair brush. TO
eliminate the surplus powder. and he
photographed the smudge with
4 pocket camera which he invariably car
ried with him.
''T'hls Is an experts job" he an
nounced as he arose. Round up every
second-story man In town. and give or.
ders that no ones to leave the city
without my permisslon-anyone with
q record. mean"
One by one. as they were brought
into headquarters. the suspected men
were put through strange ordeal.
After removing their shoes and socks.
prints Of their toes were taken. pre-
cisely as their finger prints had pre-
viously been recorded. II took the in
spector less than five seconds TO order
the release OF each man. until he ex-
amined the prints of the sixteenth pris-
oner.