Evening star., 1923-12-02
Presenting i Mystery Story
That Grows More Mysterious
at Every Step That Is Taken
fancy caught that fellow
I who robbed the Bridge
city Bank last night" an


nounced Strang, editor of
ths Evening Tribune, as he came into
the lounge of the Clintonian Club.
Two men, sunk deep in leathern
easy chairs before the log fire, looked
UP from an animated conversation.
II Thought they would" remarked
Morton Yeager, the new district at
torney of Valley county. He shot
glance at hts companion: Simon Balm,
cashier Of the Clintonia Trust Com
pany. There you are. Balm" he said.
Excuse me II exciain loudly and
vulgaffy, 4 told you So"
Simon Balm blew smoke rings into
the air and stretched his long legs.
wait a bit, Yeager, before you be-
gin to cackle.v he said. Lets hear
more about this. what's the man
like, Strange"
IAN old-tfme yegg named Stanton.
alias half a dozen other things" an
swersd Strane. Long criminal rec
ord. He was so obfigins as to leave
his hat behind when he fed. Also, his
fingerprints all over the safe"
Not a very intelligent sort Of
crook. one might say. eh?" asked ST.
mon Balm. looking quizzically at the
district attorney.
Ear from it," replied Strans.
Crude work. He said to Dace, our po-
lice reporter, I'm a has-been. These
here thumb prints and electric alarms
and newfangled do-funnies are too
much for US old-time BIRDS"
mon Balm. Hes just the sort Of
man I thought aid that clumsy job at
Bridge city. Left his hat behind, did
be?" Balm chuckied.
Il fail to see that that helps your
case. Bain," remarked Yeager. dryly.
"In fact. it seems to me 10 support
what 1 have been saying-a criminal
always leaves clues"
What's all this argument about.
4nyhow." demanded Strang. settling
into a chair and lighting up an an
cient calabash. The district attorney
answered him.
"Bain. here. has been contending
that 1t is possible to commit a per-
feet crime--a crime so executed that
no evidence is left behind to convict
the perpetrator."
Huh" exclaimed Strang, there are
plenty of perfect crimes right here in
Clintonia. then: At any rate. the po-
lice don't make arrests in a good
many cases.'
There haven't been very many un-
solved mysteries since 1 took office,
you'll notice." returned Yeager. NO.
Bafn, there isn't case where the
criminal doesn't leave good. hot
clues"
Granted" said Balm. Because
criminals are a stupid. unscientifc.
inefficient lot Look at Stanton. He
robs a safe and leaves hts hat and
thumb prints. He uses enough nitro
to blow up a courthouse. and rouses
the whole town. Most crimes are
committed by men like that, and
planned with an equal amount Of in
telIigence. Now, 1 believe that if an
educated man with scientific training
turned criminal he could stage tfefts
or even murders that woul1 battle
Sherlock Holmes himself. Just sup
pose, for example. a live. modern busi-
ness man gave the same amount Of
intelligence and study to burglary as
he did to his legitimate business"
You think. them queried Strang.
shat 1T Is possible for your artist in
crime to sit down with pencil and
paper and plan out a theft 80 scien-
tif1calIy that it is policeproof?
Simon Balm nodded.
by careful study of the law OF
averages, our scientific criminal would
reduce the chances against him tc
negligible minimum" he replied "IIe
would provide against the most re-
mote contingencies. and would SO
plan his campaign that he would be
prepared to meet any emergency"
District Attorney Yeager smiled q
wide smile OF doubt.
"Tomrnyrot," he said. IT'S easy TO
sit here and theorize about your su-
per:er6ok. Bu tif you had TO plan a
specific crime for him. you'd soon find
yourself up against all sorts of prac-
ticai details"
Balm did not reply. and the three
mon sat listening TO the cracking
logs and putting smoke rings into the
the district attorney studied his alert,
intense face, with the bright eyes of
q dreamer, and the thin n-lipped, COM
petent mouth OF the doer. The bank
or was the first to speak.
"I'll admit" he said presently, chat
sometimes I have amused myself by
planning crimes that my scientific
criminal might execute. These men-
tai exercises were purely academic, Of
course"
perhaps you can give rs the blue
print Of one OF hem." suggested the
district attorney.
Simon Balm thought a moment
'1'Il do It," he said. "and I'll give
you real names and places, too.'
LIE flied his pipe again and, sink
- ing back into the deep chair be-
gan.
"As yeu know. the Pioneer Mills
1, do their banking with the Ciintonia
Trust Company. It's no secret that
their monthly pay roll Is in excess
Of 100000. For the past nine years
their method Of getting the cash to
meet the pay roll hasn't varied in the
slightest degree. That is because
Alec Rae, the cashier OF the Pioneer
Mills, is q precise, methodical man,
very set in his ways.
.sThis is what happens. At in the
afternoon on the last day Of every
month Alec Rae comes to the side
door OF the C1intoniA Trust Company.
earrxfnx an old black walrus baf.