Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

-HERE are several million people in
New York and each one of these
millions is in theory and practice
equal under the law and commonly
precious to the community So that,
if one is willfully wronged, another must be
punished; and if dies of premeditated vio-
lence, his slayer must hang by the neck until
he be dead.
Some times uneasy inquiries come through to
headquarters. Mainly they are most tinid and
deferential. Mr. x. has not seen his neighbor,
Mr.. Y, for week. No, he doesn't know Mr..
Y. Nobody does. little old man who had no
friends and spent his fine days pottering in
garden overlooked by his more gregarious
neighbor And now Mr.. Y. potters no more.
His milk has not been taken in: his blinds are
drawn. Comes sergeant Of police who breaks
a window and climbs through and Mr.. Y. is
dead somewhere-dead of starvation or a fit
suicide. Should this be the case, all is plain
sailing. But suppose the house empty and Mr..
Y. disappeared Here the situation becomes
difficult and delicate.
Miss Elver went away to Switzerland. She
was a middle-aged spinster who had the ap-
pearance of being comfortably circumstanced.
She went away, locked up her house. and never
came back.
A ND then Mr.. Charles Boyson Middlekirk an
eccentric and overpowering old man who
quarreled with his neighbors about their noisy
where he was going. He lived alone with his
three cats and was not speaking terms with
anybody else He did not return to his grimy
house.
Queer sort of thing" said the district attor-
ney, who had before him the memoranda of
four people (three women and q mani who had
30 vanished in three months
He frowned pressed bell, and Mr.. Reeder
came in.
What do you make of these disappear
ances?" asked his chief.
You cannot make any positive Of mega
tive" said Mr.. Reeder carefully
Have you seen these PARTICULARS"
Mr. Reeder nodded.
IT have copies of them" he said. 'Mr. SAL
ter very kindly"
The district attorney rubbed his head In per-
plexity.
II see nothing in these cases-nothing in
common mean. -Four is fairly low average
for q big city"
''Twenty-seven in IL months" interrupted
his detective apologetcally.
Twenty Seven-are you sure?" The great
official was aStounded.
Mr. Reeder nodded again.
They were all people with little money:
all were drawing fairly large income, which
was paid to them in bills on the first of every
month and they were all most reticent as to
where their revenues came from. None OF
them had any personal friends or relatives who
were on terms of friendship, except Mrs
MarCng.
There is another point which omitted to
mention" he went on. "After their disappear
ance no further money came for them 1t
came for Mrs. Martng when she was away on
her jaunts but it ceased when she went away
On her final journey"
What do you think has happened to them?"
Mr.. Reeder considered for moment, staring
Rumly at the carpet.
IT should imagine that they were murdered"
he said almost cheerfully, and the district at
torney half rose from his chair.
you are in your gayest mood this morning,
NEr Reeder he said sardonically. why on
EARTH should they be murdered?"
Mr.. Reeder did not explain. The interview
took place in the late afternoon and he was
anxious to be gone to meet young lady OF
exceeding charm who at minutes after
would be waiting at the corner for him.
He so rarely discussed his own business or
introduced the subject that was exercising his
mind that 1t was remarkable he should make
even an oblique reference to his work. Possibly
ne would not have done so Miss Margaret
Belman had not introduced Onwillingly)
leader of conversation which traced indirectly
TO the disappearances.
THEY had been talking Of holidays; Margaret
going to the shore for fortnight.
II shall leave on the I'd. My monthly Ciivi-
dends doesn't that sound grand?) are due ON
the 1st-"
'D.7idends Miss Margaret"