The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-31
Forgot the Hiding
Place
BY AUGUSTUS SHERWIN

the penitentiary. had been ad-
vised Of the day when he was to
be released.
The warden fixed serious look
upon me. See here, Blake" he
said. you have been a good man
in your line, and Wish could give
you some suggestions regarding
Haley. OF course you, who made
his famous capture ten years since,
have never forgiven him for hiding
the booty and keeping it hid"
AT least I know it Is hidden" l
declared with positiveness. Il am
satisfied that when closely cor
nered. he disposed Of his plumber
in some safe secret place"
THAT all. sounds reasonable"
nodded the warden. 1.-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 changed?" l asked.
He has become queer. He shows
lapse Of memory. It would be a
strange retribution, would it not, "
added the official insinuatingly, III
after all his cunning planning Haley
had forgotten where he concealed
that plunder-hey?"
POUNDS" l could not refrain
from remarking-"that would up
set all my fond calculations in
deed" '''~,'.
They were fond, those same, for
very superior reason. I was in
love. More than that, was in love
with the daughter Of John Marsh,
! and John Marsh was the then
wealthy merchant from whom
Haley had stolen q cool hundred
thousand dollars.
At the time OF the deed the law
yer Of Mr.. Marsh paid me five
hundred dollar reward for captur-
ing the culprit. At the same time
he advised me that in case I re.
covered the booty or any part of it.
twenty-five per cent Of the same
should be mine. At the end of q
few months l gave up hunting. for
the hidden fOrtune-for ten years.
At the end of the ninth year
sought out Mr.. Marsh. He was no
longer capitalist. found him
living In a very humble way, sup.
ported by the earnings of his
daughter. Constance, 9 music
teacher.
When l recalled his former loss,
he was aroused to desperate excite
ment. He offered me half Of what
l might secure.
1t was not this prospect of q
munif1cent reward, however, that
impelled me to perfect my plans
with renewed diligence and fervor.
1t was because I had seen and now
worshiped Constance Marsh.
think I first won her kindly atten-
ton by my steadfastness Of pur-
pose in pursuing an apparently
hopeless case to the end.
had not seen Dan Haley since
he entered the penitentiary. was
shocked at bis aged appearance.
He seemed lost in his new environ.
ment. The free air, the bright sun
shine 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 proceed
ed to the site Of the house where he
once lived. It 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 construction. Finally, at
ter an hour. he turned from the
place.
My heart sank within me-Dan
Haley had forgotten!
knew It surer than ever the
next day, when he left the little
lodging house he had put up at,
with myself for a vigilant neighbor
in the next room. He started out
to seek work. I was near to him
when he approached a carpenter
building a fence. The latter held
q board across a saw horse and
was just turning It to mark where
It should be sawed with the pencil
In his hand. when I noticed sud.
den glow in Haley's eyes. He ut.
tered what was almost q scream.
He started from the spot on q 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 than twenty-four
hours previously.
am detective and therefore
have to think. l mentally connect.
ed the carpenter and the prison,
and when I heard Haley humbly
solicit the warden to allow him to
revisit his former cell I nodded to
the latter and followed,
Once inside the cell Haley got
down and looked at the under sur.
face Of the bench riveted to the
wall. He transcribed some words
written there.
l traced those tell.tale words
later. They were: "Under the
woodshed floor" Then I was on his
trail again.
7 took him in charge a. he re.
turned to his native town. Then
visited the shed. it was to recover
the long secreted plumber.
i refused any reward from the
delighted Mr.. Marsh, the love of
Conftance outweighed all sordid
considerations. Haley did not real.
lza any particular disappointment,
for he forgot his recent discovery
ID a day or two. Mr.. Marsh found
him work and the ex-copvict deyel
oped into quite a respectable ar
tisan.
@. 1884. westsrn Nswapapsr unson.)