The Washington times., 1932-05-14
n m ~ n n 2 ty
How Thatcher Colt Solved
a Spectacular Crime
Chapter Twenty-eight

ner, as recalled while Neil
Mcmahon was driving us up
town ward Morningside
Heights, was a plain room in
the rear of a private apart
ment. Some years before, the
old scientist had retired, but
at Colts persuasion had equip
ped himself with a private
workshop which he devoted
solely to research work re-
quested by the police depart
ment. On many occasions he
had been of substantial as
Sistance to Thatcher Colt. In
vain the chief tried to get an
appropriation to make Luck
ner's work part of the official
equipment of the department
But this was never done; Colt
footed all the bills out of his
own pocket.
At the door of the apart
ment we were met by the pro-
fessor, a mild little man with
a red beard turning gray, re-
minding one of Bernard Shaw.
This morning the scientists
eyes were twinkling behind
double-lenSed nose SpectacleS
and his wild, scraggy gray hair
was waving excitedly on the
top of his long, thin head.
Come right in," the Savant
invited, shaking hands effuSively
and laughing nervously. "Once
more you skeptics shall see
what poor, humble science can
dol"
The Laboratory
He led us to a plain room.
In the center was a kitchen
table, over which had been laid
a covering of glistening white
cardboard. Here the dust and
fragments from the bags of the
vacuum cleaners had been emp
tied. The debris had been
spread on the cardboard and the
whole dumped mass leveled to a
fine thin layer. spread like var
nish. Trained on this exhibit
was a beam of light from a por-
table nickel-plated lamp-like
the baby spot" of the theaters
with the additional feature Of
a belt Of mirrors concentrated
around the light. Under this
light, Prof. Luckner had been
examining the mess for hours,
peering at it through an ultra
microscope.
please show us what you
have found, professor" pleaded
Colt, in his tone a rising note Of
eagerneSS.
Without replying. Prof. Luck
ner picked up pair of dainty
tweezerS. Reaching into a wood
en- box, which he produced from
the pocket of his white linen
robe, he nipped something be-
tween the steel fingers of his
cleaning little instrument. With
the air of a conjurer perform
ing trick he held up the
tweezerS exposing his treasure.
81 found this in the DUST"
he proclaimed with an air Of
pride.
We drew nearer and peered
at the two fuzzy, microscopic
pieces held in the nippers.
What could they be? Prof.
Lue,H:.ner deposited his precious
finding on a clear piece of the
cardboard, and placed over 1t a
magnifying glass.
See for YOURSELF" he IN
vited.
Quickly the commissioner
bent over, turned the screw OF
the glass, and squinted. With
intense interest he studied the
almost invisible treasure which
the scientist had rescued from
O sea of dusty Sweepings.
"They look like the thin at
tenuated briStleS of some in
sect" declared Thatcher Colt
finally.
The professor gave a mighty
sigh.
Exactly, Herr Commits
sioner!" he doomed. You
should have been scientist
yourself!"
But bristles of what insect?"
urged Colt.
Scientific Romance
Again without replying
there is no one who loves the
romance and drama of a situa-
ton more than 9 cold-blooded.
precise scientist, especially a
German one-Prof. Luckner
opened a drawer in the kitchen
table upon which he had per-
formed his mysterious labors.
From the drawer, he drew
out a long tube which ply
sicians call specimen jar.
It is the kind of glass house
in which an appendix often
finds permanent home. This
jar was nearly filled with vel
low alcohol. It was labeled,
and as Colt received the bot
tie from the professors long,
pale hand, he pronounced the
legend of the label as if it
were an incarnation:
"Cebtrurus EXcilicanda!"
With a startled air, Colt
glanced from the embalmed
thing in the specimen jar to
the flushed and proud face of
Prof. Luckner.
What is this?" asked the
Commissioner.
"a scorpion!"
"a scorpion!" repeated Colt
in establishment. "A scorpion,
did you say?"
.sTrloa most deadly known To