The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-08-08
What He Found
Written Under
Prison Bench
By AUGUSTUS sHERwIN

when Dan Haley was released from
the penitentiary. / had been advised
of the day when he was to be re-
leased.
The warden fixed a serious look
upon me. ''See here, Blake" he said,
you have been a good man in your
line, and wish l could give you some
suggestions regarding Haley. OF
course you, who made his famous cap
ture ten years since, have never for
given him for hiding the booty and
keeping it hid"
AT least l know ii is hidden" I
declared with positiveness. 81 am
satisfied that when closely cornered.
he disposed of his plumber in some
safe secret place"
'That all sounds reasonable" nod
ded the warden. The only thing is,
that while Haley has been not only
our best behaved convict and close
mouthed as a clam during the past
year, he has changed"
How ehanged?" l asked.
"He has become queer. He shows
lapse of memory. 1t would be
strange retribution, would it not"
added the official insinuatingly. ''it
after all his cunning planning Haley
had forgotten where he concealed that
plunder-hey?"
POUNDS 2" 1 could not refrain from
remarking- would upset all my
fond calculations indeed"
They were fond, those same, for
very superior reason. l was in love.
More than that, was in love with the
Marsh was the then wealthy merchant
from whom Haley had stolen cool
hundred thousand dollars.
At the time of the deed the lawyer
of Mr.. Marsh paid me five hundred
dollar reward for capturing the cul-
prit. At the same time he advised
me that in case / recovered the booty
or any part Of it, twenty-five per cent
of the same should be mine. At the
end of a few months 1 gave up hunt
ing for the hidden fortune-for ten
years.
At the end Of the ninth year /
sought out Mr. Marsh. He was no
longer a capitalist. 1 found him liv-
ing in a very humble way, supported
by the earnings of his daughter, Con-
stance, music teacher.
When I recalled his former loss, he
was aroused to desperate excitement.
He offered me half of what might Sc
cure.
1t was not this prospect of munifi-
cent reward, however, that impelled
me to perfect my plans with renewed
diligence and fervor. 1t was because
I had seen and now worshiped Con-
stance Marsh. 1 think I first won her
kindly attention by my steadfastness
of purpose in pursuing an apparently
hopeless case to the end.
/ had not seen Dan Haley since he
entered the penitentiary. / was
shocked at his aged appearance. He
seemed lost in his new environment.
The free air, the bright sunshine and
varied crowds did not inspire him,
they rather confused.
His first move with the money the
prison authorities had given him was
to board a train for the town where
he had formerly lived. He was
widower. Haley proceeded to the
site of the house where he once lived.
1t was easy to shadow him.
The house he expected to find had
been burned down for two years. A
new one was now in course Of con-
struction. Finally, after an hour. he
turned from the place.
My heart sank within me-Dan
Haley had forgotten!
I knew it surer than ever the next
day, when he left the little lodging
house he had put up at, with myself
for vigilant neighbor in the next
room. He started out to seek work.
/ was near TO him when he approached
carpenter building fence. The lat
ter held a board across saw horse
and was just turning it TO mark where
it should be sawed with the pencil in
his hand, when / noticed sudden
glow In Haley's eyes. He uttered
what was almost a scream. He start
ed from the spot on a dead run.
Straight to the railroad depot Haley
proceeded, thence by train to the
prison town and then to the very
doors of the penitentiary he had left
less then twentyfour hours preyi-
ously.
I am detective and therefore have
to think. l mentally connected the
! carpenter and the prison, and when
heard Haley humbly solicit the war
den to allow him TO revisit his former
cell 1 nodded to the latter and fol-
lowed
Once inside the cell Haley got
down and looked at the under surface
of the bench riveted TO the wall. He
transcribed some words written there
1 traced those teli-tale words later.
They were: "Under the woodshed
floor" Then 1 was on his trail again
/ took him in charge as he returned
to his native town Then visited the
shed 1t was to recover the long Sc
GREETED plumber.
1 refused any reward from the de-
lighted Mr.. Marsh, the love Of Con-
stance outweighed all sordid consider
atoms Haley did not realize any par
ticular disappointment, for he forgot
his recent discovery In day or two
Mr.. Marsh found him work and the e,
; convict developed into quite respecs
able artisan