San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-19

The house wherein J. n. johnson
resided was watched By two opera
tives of the Tryon Agency. They were
accompanied by the owner of the va
cant house behind the establishment Of
Bennett & Darius. From the recesses
of a taxicab the landlord saw enter
ing the watched house a man whom he
Immediately identified as ne agent of
the novelty company to whom he had
rented his premises. At 8 O'clock that
| night, Bozell, under the third-degree
examination to which Pelham and Jer-
ry Tryon quite unwarrantebly sub
mitted him, broke down. He admit
Ted that he had been engaged in sex-
eral criminal transactions with q
group Of men whose names he gave
to the detectives. He said that he
had initiated the voices of Pelham and
Tryon over the telephone. He said
that he had not yet received his share
OF the proceeds of the fur rob-
berry stating that the furs were n
the building now watched by Tryon's
operatives, that there had not yet been
time to dispose Of the stolen property.
| But he also said-and no amount of
cross-examination could make him
change his statement-that he had
never met the Gray Ghost, and did
not believe him to be the master hand
behind the group with which BozelI
was associated.
"You see," said Tryon. after the
man had been led away, they'll tell
anything except where to. find the
Gray Ghost"
Pelham shook his head. "Bozen il
scared to death; he'd surrender his
own mother to the gallows. He doesn't
know"
MEAN to say that the Gray Ghosts
followers can be in on half a dozen
jobs and not kno,5 they're working
for him." grunted Tyron incredu-
lousy.
Pelham sighed YEARLY. Il don't know
exactly what l do mean, Jerry's; let's
CO."
They motored to the house which
]. III. johnson had entered a couple Of
hours ago. Outside in shadows across
the street, were the operatives who had
seen him enter. They were reinforced
by a dozen other men in plain clothes,
but these were members of the po-
lice department, acting temporarily
under Pelham's orders. The surrounds
ing streets were also guarded.
At muttered order group of de-
| tectives followed Pelham and Tryon
up the stoop. Pelham rang the bell.
He rang it again. He waited three
minutes, and then gave a command
for the door to be battered in. He
led his followers into the house, with
Jerry Tryon struggling at his elbow
for the lead, fearful that his beloved
younger. partner might suffer injury.
Just beyond the threshold, at the
foot of fight of stairs, he paused.
The silence of the place was uncanny.
The noise of the assault upon the door
had aroused the neighborhood: il
should have aroused the inmates OF
this house.
Perhaps they waited at the top Of
the stairs, ready to kill. .. In
that case he must be the first to face
them. And so he bounded up the
stairs. And at the landing he paused.
| The strangest sight that had ever-in
his knocking around with Jerry Tryon.
in his experiences in the war-met his
eyes confronted him now.
For the door to a large room was
open; electric lights burned brilliantly
in a chandelier. And in that ROM,
beneath those lights, lay the bound
and gagged bodies of fifteen men!
He strobe into the room, Jerry and
the plain clothes men behind him.
There, upon a table in the center OF
the room, propped against book 50
that it would attract the attention OF
the first arrival, was an envelope. lt
was addressed to Pelham. He picked
it up, tore it open and read the note
inside.
! "My dear Mr.. Pelham" he read. I
am an artist, not a bungling thief.
cannot see how you could imagine
that / would be guilty OF leaving 50
clear trail. And yet, according to
the newspapers, you believe that l,
who deal only in money and jewelry.
would annoy myself with so clumsy q
booty as furs. You will find the
property of Messrs. Bennett K Darius
in the rooms upstairs.
81 resent your stupid assumption
that /. who never fail in anything l
undertake, should have attempted
your death without success. But en-
more strongly l resent the Inefficient
scoundrels who have imperse ed
me, who have dared to attempt to
use ny methods. And so l am de-
livering them to you. 1t would not
do for you to cal sure them. You viii
understand that il is necessary at
l make the vermin of the underworld
understand that my name is not light
ly to be used.
"And please be assured, my dear
Mr.. Pelham, that when l decide that
you are dangerous 10 me, and should
be. removed. you will be removed
1t was signed peter Ballantyne.
the nom de guerre of the Gray Ghost:
!, But threatening as was the tone OF
the epistle, Pelham laughed triupmh-
. antly as he turned to Tryon. The
GRAY Ghost was still at large, and yet
J he grinned.
II knew all along it wasn't Gray
. Ghost job" he cried.
Tryon was amused at this exhibi-
ton of vanity on the part OF his CO.
: adjutor.
, "Well," he said, pointing at the
! prisoners upon the floor, that's 4
; Gray Ghost job
"And good one, too" said Pelham.
| He frowned as a thought came 10
him. If the Gray Ghost had happened
; TO turn his talents to the detectioa
, instead of the commission OF crime'
, he would have been without rival.
: Still. he was without a riya. now.
, Dispiritedly he joined Tryon IN
; searching for. and finding. the ne'-'d