San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-18


| So We drove off again northward.
My chauffeur was an elderly man, who
has faced all that the world may hold
of evil with me many time, but his
driving for the, first few miles was
cratic. Janet. / could see, although
| outwardly she had recovered herself,
was on the point of Mysteries. 1 set
tied myself down in my corner, ad-
justed my horn-rimmed spectacles and
drew from the pocket of the car a
new half-crown book on the princi-
Piles of golf, written by late begin
ner. So we travelled until we reached
the inn where we stayed for the night.
and late on the afternoon of the fol-
lowing day we arrived at our destina-
ton. There was just bare white
house, lodge, the gate of which was
held open by a great, raw-boned gillie,
miles of what seemed to be inter.
minable moorland, and below, the sea.
l looked around with satisfaction.
you're Sandy MacLane, the care
taker here?" asked, leaning out Of
the car.
He made a noise which sounded
Ike, 800 ay.
(which way might the golf links
be-" l inquired
He pointed with long and hairy
foreiinger.
The clubhouse is yonder,' he
vouchsafed a bit somberly. "A step
across the road is the fifteenth tee.
l sighed with content.
Come up to the house, ] ordered.
After tea shall play a few holes. {"
My friend Huntington called to
see me on the night of my return
from Norway. He looked around with
an air of dismay at my various trav-
cling paraphernalia.
80 you're really off, them" he re-
marked. -.
son the contrary, I've just re-
turned" / told him. at was too late
in the season to do any good, and
made a mistake in changing my river.
The whole thing was a frost"
Huntington sighed.
| well I'm glad to see you back. :"
he declared sinking into my easy
chair. "All the same, London in
August isn't exactly a paradise
"Tell.me about Leeds" / suggested.
ITO judge from the newspapers. you
seem to be having a lot of trouble
about a very simple case"
Huntington frowned. He was
silent for several moments. aud
glancing across at him, i noticed
that he was pale and apparently out
of sorts.
IL think I'm stale, Greyes,- he
confessed. "The Chief pretty well
limited the same thing. and worse.
when got back last night. really
dropped around to see whether you
could help me-"
IF 1 can. will with pleasure
promised him. "You know that"
~You read the bare account of the
affair. of course" Huntington went
on. 1.-Two fairly credible witnesses
deposed to seeing man in gray
flannel suit, with Panama hat push
ed over his eyes, drive up in a Ford
car. leave it outside Bailey's grocery
stores. walk down the street and turn
into the Boulevard where the bank is
l situated, exactly at flfestime that the
robbery took place. Three women and
two children saw him pass up the
street two minutes later, and thirty
seconds after that, he crossed the
street and entered Bailey's grocery
stores. The clerk who served him
with some marmalade, tea and bacon.
saw him climb IN into the Ford and
drive away. The man was known at
the shop as Ralph Robertson. There
is no doubt that it was his car.
Half an hour after the robbery,
Robertson was arrested at his house
he was cleaning the car at the time
and although he had changed his
clothes. the light gray suit which
he had recently worn was discovered
in his bedroom. and the Panama hat.
warm with perspiration, in n cup.
board. His excuse for changing his
clothes was that he nut on older things
/ in which TO clean the car. and his ac-
count of his morning was that he had
driven straight up to Bailey's stores
for some groceries and straight back
again. Two witnesses are ready To
swear that they saw him get out Of
the Ford and go toward the bank /;
the grocer's clerk. who served him.
is absolutely certain that he was in
the shop within thirty seconds Of the
Ford's pulling outside. and that when
he left he drove straight awav."
what sort of man is this Rober-
SOM" I asked.
"A man of bad character" was the
prompt reply. "He was once a book.
! maker, but failed. He has been in
prison for obtaining goods BY false
pretenses, and there are half a do-".
spmmonses for debt out against him
mt the present moment. The only
little money he earns. nowadays. seems
to be by acting as n boQkmaker's tout.
He knew the neighborhood well. and
has once been heard TO remark upon
the isolated position Of the bank. In
every respect he is just the man TO
have it, and yet there are all my
witnesses swearing to different things.
| Furthermore, he had scarcely shil-
ling in his pocket. and he confessed
that he was going to try and sell the
car that afternoon to raise a little
money"
at seems TO me-" I admitted. "that
you have been little premature in
framing your case against Mr.. Ralph
Robertson
$50 the magistrates thought.- Rim
mington rejoined dryly. I'VE managed
to get two remands. This morning
he was discharged"
IF the grocer's assistant is telling
the truth" I remarked thoughtfully.
Robertson. could not possibly have
committed the robbery. What sort
of younr man is the ASSISTANT"
Highly respectable and very in
tellircnt." Huntington replied. at
would be quite impossible at any time
| TO shake his evidence"