Evening Star Newspaper, December 2, 1923, Page 78

Prestating a Mystety Stry That Grows More Mysterious at Bvéry Step That Is Taken éé HEY caught that féew who robbéd the Bridge City BEAK lest night” an- nounced Strang, editor of thé Evening Tribune, as hé tdme into the lounge of the Clintonlan Club. Two men, sunk deep in leathern esasy chalrs before the log fire, looked up from an animated conversation. “1 theught théy would,” remarked Morton Yeager, the new district at- torney of Valléy county. He shot a glance &t hts tompanion; Simon Ban, cashiér of the Clintonid Trust Com- pafiv. “Thére you aré, Bain'™ hé satd. “Bxtusé me {f I exclaim loudly and vulgarky, ‘f told you so.' Stmon Bain bléw smoke rings into the air and stretched his long legs. “Wait a bit, Yeager, before you be- £in fo cackle hé skid. “Lét's héat fofé abéuf this. What's thé man like, Strang?” An old-tfmeé yegg naméd Shanton, alias half a dozén othér things.” an- sweréq Strang. “Long criminal rec- ord. He was «o SBUgIng a5 to léavé hig hat behind whén hé fied. Also, his fingerprints all ovér the safé.” “Not a very Intelligént sort of crook, one might say, eh?” asked Si- mon Bain, looking quizzically at thé district attorney. “Far from it replied Strang. Crude work. He said to Dace, éur po- licé reporter, ‘I'm a has-been. These heré thumb-prints and eléctric alarms and newfangled do-funnies are too much for us old-time birds.’ " “Bxacfly; &xdctly” éxclatméd Sf- fi6n Bafn. “He's just thé sort of man I thought aid that clumsy job af Bridge City. Lef¢ his hat béhind, did be?" Bain chuckléd. “I fail to sée that (hat helps your case, Bain,” rémarked Yeagér, dryly. “In fact, it seems fo meé o support what I have been saying—a crimfnal always leavés clues” “What's all this argument about, dnyhow.” démanded Strang. settling into & chair and lighting up &n an- cient calabash. The district attorney answered him, Bain, herc, has béen contending that it is possible-to commit ‘a per- fect crime—a crime so executed that no evidence s Ieft behind to convict the perpetrator.” “Huh," exclaimed Strang, “there are plenty of perfect crimes right here in Clintonia, then. At any rate, the po- lice don’t make arrests in a good many camés.” “There haven't been very many un- solved mysteriés since I took office, You'll notice,” returned Yeager. “No, Batn, there isn't & case whers the criminal doesn’t leave good, hot clues.” “Granted,” $did Bain. “Bécauss criminals are a stupld, unscientific, tnefficient lot. Look at Shanton. He robs a safé and léaves his hat and thumb-prints. He uses enough nitro to blow up a courthouse, and rouses the wholé town. Most crimes are committed by men like that, and planned with an equal amount of in- telligence. Now, I belléve that if an educated man with scientific training turned criminal he could stage thefts or éven murders that woull baffie Sherlock Holmes himself. Just sup- Posé, for éxample, a live; modern busi- ness man gave the samé amount of intelligencé and study to burglary as he did to his legltimate businéss!” “You think, then, queried Strang, “that it is possible for your artist in erime to =it down with pencil and paper and plan oyt a théft &o scfen- tifically that it is policeproof?” Simon Bain noddéd. “HBy cateful study of thé law of Averages, our sciéntific criminal would reduce the chances against him tc a negligible minimum,” he replisd. “ilé wotld provide againet the most fe- mote contingencles, and would so! plan hi§ edmpaign that he would bé préparéd to meét any emergency.” District Attorney Yeager smiled 2 wide smilé of doubt. “Fommyrot,” hé sald. “It's easy to it héré and theorize about your su- pér:fréck. Bu tit you h#d to plan a specific cfime for him, you'd soon fina yoursél? up against zll sorts of prac- tical détails.” Bdin dld not réply, and the three men sat lsténing to the crackling 10gs and puffing smoke rings into the R Bain was staring at the fire, and thé @istrict attorney stullied hus alert, intenses facé, with the bright eyes of @ @iéamer, and the thin-lipped, com- pétent mouth of the doer. The bank- er was thé first to speak. “TI'll admit.” hé sald presently, “that sometimes I have amuséd myselt by planning crimes that my scféatific criminal might éxecute. Theése meri- tal éxércisés were purély academic, of course.” “Pérhapd You cdn give us the blue| $rint of oné of them,” suggested the district attorney. Simon Bain thought a moment. “T'I @6 1t he sald, “and I'Nl @ive ¥6u réal names and places, £60.” ¥ % x % E fiiled his pipe again and, sink- ing back Into the @eep chair be- san. “As yott know, the Ploneer Mills (@0 their banking Wwith the Ciintonia Trust Company. It's no secret that thelr monthly pay foll is in excess of $300,000. For the past nine years their method of getting the cash to meet the pay Foll hashi't varled in the slightest degree. That is because Aléc Raé, the cashiér of the Ploneer Mifls, I8 ‘a précise, methodical man, wéry set in hid ways. ““Fhis 18 what happéns. At 3 in the atternoon on the last day of every meiith Aléc Fae comes to the stdé doer of the Clintonla Trust Company, earrying an old black wairus bag. fie aiways comes from the miils by trolley car. He wouldn't think of * dpending the money for a faxi to $ring him to the bank. “He knocks thrés t{mes— néver more, never less—and he is adinftted. He comes infto m¥ office and says, in that hesal voles of his, ‘Good diiy to you, Meester Bain, and 11l bé having ~ othe cash for thé Ploneer Mills; If you den’t mind' “I have a recéipt reéady, which he #igns. ‘The monéy {8 walting in the cashier's cagé In hundreds, ffites, téns, fivés 4nd onés. Alec Rae hisf) tens his thumb, sighs at the sight of #6 Much money and carétdlly cedfits Tus bag, locks ft end goéd ott the side door and around to the front of the building t6 Market street, whére he calls a taxi. He drives to thé Ploneer Mills;, whére; ¥ presums, he pUfs the money in the safe for the night. The/whole process, from the time Alec Rae enters the bank till the time the money is put in the safe at the Ploneer Mills, takes about an Rour." Bain paused. Yeager was leaning 16rward, Ifstening inteéntly. Stranw Wad sprawled back in his chair, but hé was not missing a word. “Now,” comtinued the banker, “the problem befors our super-crook is to £6t that black Wairus bag with the cash. I havé dopéd ouf a pian he might follow; I think it would work. Here it is: “Our super-crook comes to CHn- tonfa and géts a job with the Ploneer .\lma_w study thé habits of Alec Rae. Hé #inds ouf fn a few monthe just hoWw Aléc ‘Rae gets thé cash for the Pay roN. Thén, on the night before the Jast day in the month, he sneaks over fo Bridge City or Avalén, stéals 2 taxicab and drives it to Clintonta. That Would bé eady. Then he hides the taxi untit the afternoon, and Wwhén Aléc Raé comes out of the Clintonia Trist Company, about twen- ty minutés after 3, the man id wait- in® for himr and his black bag. Rae always takes the firét taxi (hat comes along, so he'd get in. “Our super-cfook then heads his mdchine down Market streef at a Bood pacé and turns up Chureh street, headed for the Ploneer Mills. But he ddés not turn slong Lincoln avenue. Instead, he shoots past thé cemetery and on fo the covered bridge across the Rushing river. This was & short cut to the mills, but récently the bridge ha# béén condemned and there is no trafic on it at all. The whole thing wWould t4ke less than fifteen séconds. In the cénter of the bridge, Where {t is dark on the brightest day, thé thiéf would stop his caf short. Alec Raé would stick his héad out of the window to see what haa hap- penéd and the thief would knock him uneonscious with a blackjack.” “But fsn’'t Ree armed?’ asked Yea- ger. “He's subposed to be answered Simon Bain. “But our crook would find out that Rae broke his revolver two months ago and has been too pe- nurlous to buy a new one. He car- riés his old éne, which does not work.” “Are you sure of that?" demanded Yeager. Positive.” replied the banker. “Our crook would have an easy ttme si- lencing Alec Rae’ ut, even though Rac is near- sighted, he could, perhaps, sde the man sufficlently well to f@entify him afterward,” suggested the dlstrict at- torney. Bain smiled grimiy. “Our s$uper-crook Would take no chances,” he said. “The Rushing river tells no tales. Thé unconséléus man would bé thrown from the bridgé into thé raplds. You Know how seldom bodiés are recovered from the Rush- ing river, and then they have been poundéd t6 a palp on the rocks. The thie! and murdérer would abandon the taxi and slip out of town with the black bdg. There's your crime, Mr. District Attorney. How sbout ft The district attorney shrugged his shouiders, “It's hard to tell,” he admittéd. “Of course, there are many snages your man might strike.” “It 160ks police-proof to me,” said Strang, knocking the ashes out of his pipe. “SBome one ought to tell Raé about it. Put him on his guard.” “Are you suré Rae's pistol doesn't work?” asked the district attorney. “As T s218; I'm positive,” answeréd Bain. “By Jove” exélaimed Strang, springing up. “It's 10 o'clock. Im dué home. Good night” The three mén left the club and went their several ways. £ % % x THE next might twé serious men faced each othér across a nar- raw table in & quiet corner of the Clintonian Club. ‘fhéy weré Simon Bain, cashier of the Clintonia Trust Company, and Morton Yeagér, the district attorney of Valley county. “You know what I am going to say, Bain” said the district attorney in & low voice, “and how much I re- gret to say It.” His éyes bored into thoss of the man across the table; the banker met the searching scrutiny with & smile. “Wellt" he said. The district attorney lédned toward him. “What @ld you a6 with the monéy, Bain?” he safa. The bankers answer was i the tone of oné speaking With elaborste patiénce to a pétulant child. “I tell you, Yéager, I did not fake he sald. I wish 1 Might bélieve that,” said Yeager, “but the évidencé will not let me. And it 16 oh the evidence that 1, as & public oficial, must pro- ceed.| You Know that, Bain.” “Y¢s, 1 know it esid the banker, withbut émotion, “and that 14 why 1 hav6 fiot Fedénted your absurd charge. I ath walting to héar that evidenics; I assune that it must appear eonclu- sive, otherwise you would nof dare make such & charge against me. “You shall héar the evidence, Bain. Wheén yoti see how uch I know, you'll also see that there is only one coufsé opén to you—ceonfession.” “Fm listenthg,” wis all Bain said. “1n the first placs” said the als- tfict attornéy, “in the présence of Strang and myself you ouflined a plan 6f the crime that ocetirfed to- day eisctly as it Was comimitted. Aléc Hae calied at your bahk this aftérnoon and l1eft with & bag con- taining $319,000 ifi éash at eightedn minutes past three. He tiad 16t been séenn dince. Just bef6r€ four an abandoned taxf Wwai found &h the lonély covéred bidge 6ver thé Rish: ing fiver. Thére wis blosd én the seat insidé and signs of a struggle. A button with & fragment of ovércoat sticking €6 it &nd & shatfeéred pair of spectacies were on thé fisor of the th#l. The button dnd spectacies have béent {dentifled abselutély a¥ belon 1ng 16 Ales Rée. 16 16 8zactly &8 y64 plannied it Baln, I8 this very Slub 1 ¢Fléd Stmon Bath, impatiently. ‘Do Fou think I'm an utter fool—to tell the afstrict &ttéFney of my plaw to commit an unusual crime, and the next day commit it under his very nose?" The district attorney shook his head. “Come, come, Bain,” he sald, “vou Xnow ad wér as ¥ 46 that tNat Would not be the act of & fool, but of a particularly clevér man. It is & dar- Ing fdea; it Will bé hard to make the ordinary lunk-héaded fury compre- hénd just how clever yow've been.” said Bain, Keeping his com- posure, “you've got the same amount of evidence against Strang. He heard my plan, too." trang can be eliminated,” re- jotned the aistrict aftornéy. “Strang has & perfect alibf. Haif a dozen reltable witnesses can swear that he was fn the office of the Evening Trib- uné all afternoon. His second edition £o€s to preas at 3:30. Bestdes, Strang Was made a barrel of money out of the Tribune; he has no financial mo- tive for robbing any one.” Bain made no reply * X k% OREOVER, Bain,” went on Yeager, “a hasty investigation aftér the crime was discovered brought to light the fact that you have been playing the warket, and your finances are in bad shape. There wé have the motive.” Bain's eyes dropped. 11 admit,” he sald, slowly, “that T havé exténded myself a bit more that my financlal conditfon is sérious. Havée you any more evidence, Yeager?” “Yes” said the district attorney. “I know that this afternoon hetween thrée and four you were not in your officé in the bank. You left at hailt past two and did not return. Where were you about half past three, when Aléc Raé was robbed and killed?" “I Was near the covered bridge ovér the Rushing river” Bain said. “Now you are being sensible,” cried Yeager, heartily. “Belleve me, perfect frankness will pay.” “The strafght story.” said Bain, In that same even tone, “is that when T reached the covered bridge the crime had already been discovered by a passing workman.” The district attorney’s face stern again “Do you think a jury will believe that? he asked. “It's the truth, torted Bain, calmly. The afftrict attorney bent forward. “And how do you account for the fact that you left your apartment last night at eleven and did not re: turn till after two this morning Yeager demanded. He saw that the question caught the banker by surprise. “It happens,” continued Yeager, “that the janitor can swear to the exact time you went out and the ex- act time vou réturhed. A taxi was stolen last night in Bridge City. That same taxi carried Alec Rae to his death on the covered bridge to- day. Where were you at midnight, Batn “I was in Brides City," said Bain The district attorney waved his hand with a gesture of finality, sig- nifying “Why go farther?" Nefthér man spoke for a timé Then Bain said in an easy voice: “Since thid is such a delightfully tnformal trial, I suppose the prisoner may be permitted to put a few ques- tions to the district attorney?” “I don't ses what good it will do,” answered Yeager abruptly. “I have gone further than I should, as it is. 1 have put my case before you. By your own admissions that case is & strong one against you. This busi- ness has been painful enough, why prolong it?" “Come, come, Yeager, Batn, with a half smile. question, then? understand. “Well, what is §t7 “Yeager, what were you doing on the covered bridge over the Rushing river at 2 o'clock this morning?” The distfict attorney, who had partly risen, dropped back into his seat. Bain shot at him a second question: “And what were you doing in Bridge City last night at midnight?” Yeager faced him deflantly. “Me? On the covered bridge? In Bridge City? Last night? You're crazy,” he bristled. “Don’t try to bluff, Yeager,” re- tdirned Bath. “I saw you there.” * ® o* % Tx-m quiet corvictlon in the bank- ers tone told Yéager that it was tseless to bluster. So the district attorney simply #ald, “Did you?" and waited. “Yes” sald Bain. ‘I saw you in both plsces. And now, since I've listened patiéntly to your case agalfist nie, you're going to listen to my case gainét you.” “You'fe case against me? What 40 you mean?” demanded Yeager. “Listen,” sald Bain. “You, Yeager, were present last night when I out- iined the plan of the ¢rime that was dommitted today. You've éliminsted Btrang. That leaves you and me. I eliminaté myself becadee I know that 1 dta not do It. That léaves you, Yeager.” “Indeed?” sald the district attorney. “Yed” said the banker, ‘that leaves you. Motive, financial pres- sure. My bank marked two of your checkd ‘No funds today. You've been Mving béyond your income. Your sailary as aistrigt sttorney is $5,000 & yeaf. On that you Kéep a car, a largs hotise with four sérvants and & wite who 14 the best-dtessed woman th Clfitonia. It can't be done. “T'm wasting. tifhe hére” grewled Yeager. Biut Bsin continuéd. ‘ant night after I left you at the club 7 went home, but I 6ould. not go to sleep. Thers were things I had to thifik 6ut. It i my custom when I avé problems to #olve to &6 fof a long walk, o, a¥ it wa# a fine moon- 1light night, 1 dectded to walk 6ver to Bridge City and to return by trolley car. 1 réached Bridge City about midnight. Th Phie street 1 stopped t6 HEht & olfasetie in & dafk dosrway & fow Gobrs bélow Jhnsen's sit-night lunchfoom, where Ehadt- fours hiadg 6ut. ‘Thete wete four tedis tn front of Jussew's; thetr drivers weve fsetbe fBy Junchreem was nevertheless,” re- had protested “Just ome Purely informal, you A WAL i | than was prudent, latély, but I deny! “THERE WAS NO BODY out of sight. ed man co around, pause near the last taxi and then get into the driver's seat. He | 1 saw a roughly dress- | ver-plated pocket flashlight. e down Pine street, look | the initials “M. Y. | | g kil // " j i 74 //{‘/u It bore . T think,’ “Your Y. said the district attorney said the banker.|behind his thick glasses. i. ; THE HEAD WAS SUSPENDED IN SPAC it would look after I hit him—pale, weak, with its staring green eyes And then, Bain, I looked up and I saw the face sat there fully two minutes, his hand | his voice broken and bewildered, “it's |of Alec Rae floating in mid-air in the on the starter, but apparently could not start the motor, for he sud denly ried away. I saw his face p! the moonlight Morton Yeager. f That man was you, Instantly there outlining the plan of the terrible crime that happened today. I re- membered that you asked me twice if I was sure Alec Rae’s revolver did not shoot. Why had you been so in- terested? Why were you in Bridge City at that hour, in rough clothes, with a cap pulled over your eves? Why had vou tried to steal a taxi? 1 supposed you had fled In the middle of the attempt because you saw my in the doorway. I followed Yeager sat llke one spellbound. “I followed you" went on Simon Bain. cemetery, past the Pioneer mills and onto the covered bridge Rushing river. stopped. With a pocket | “along Shady road, around the | over the Was desperate, and it was night. On the bridge you hellish electric | brain he | mine." “Then,” cried the banker, “T charge ped out of the car and hur-|you with the theft of the Pioneer Mill ; | inly In|pay roll. and the murder of Alec|Bain. Rae.” | The district attorney did not meet |plainly ed across my mind the vh?(\l"““thfl banker’s eye. He sat sflent. Then | there of your face at the club when I was|pha Jooked up and in a low voice said: | suspended “Bain, I'm gulity—but my guilt is | more a jury of twelve {all night, and they snapped then. “We“ll see,” said the banker, grim- | dropped my flash not the sort that men can punish.” I; o, district attorney. “I did not actually I am not really guflty of rob- | my home exhausted. | bing and killing Rae,” insisted the no shape for work; I wanted to get strike him down and take the black | bag. my mind I did do it.” “In your mind?" “Yes. When I reached home after our talk at the club, I went over my ccounts and found 1 shape even than 1 had thought. suggestion came into But I planned to do it, and In ' bag. center of the bridge!” “Yeager, are you mad?" “I was T saner in my life, T saw that pale face and those green eyes behind thick glasses as as T see you this minute. But & no body. The head was in space about ten or feet from the ground. My nerves had been under terrific strain 1 light and ran as If fiends were after me. I reached Today T was in ne away from Clintonia forget about 1 wanted to Alec Rae and the black They'd tempted me enough. So this. afterncon I went for a long walk in the country, toward Avalon, and was five miles away from the cov- ered bridge when Rae was kille them in worse | When I got back, it was after four, I|and I was informed of Rae's death, AlMy my | plain. I thought of your police-proof |of the murderer. duty as district attorney was T must secure the conviction Every scrap of avi- flashlight you made a careful exam- crime, and the three hundred thou- |dence T could collect pointed at you, ination of the interior of the bridge. Then old | sand dollars in the black bag vou turned the light more I thought of it. sitting there | The Bain.” “Then it was not vou, Yeager, who upward and 1 heard you give a cry|alone in my room with the wreck | Sent me that fake telephone message as If you'd seen the devil second your light was out and you |l grew I could rob Raé and get away had dashed off the bridge and into|without leaving evidence. The moon had disap-|think of killing him. the darkness. 1 did not I tried to fight peared by this time and I could not|off the idea; but it held me with a follow you. So I went home. 1 had | horrible fascination. I cursed you ro doubt what was in your mind, and (for putting such a thought into my why you were examining the cov-|head. ered bridge. Like a prudent man, you were famillarizing yourself with | City to take the first dishonest step | that|of my life; I was going to steal the the scene of your activities afternoon.” ** 3 THE district aftorney listened with the look of one fascinated. “Anything more?” he hoarsely. “My first thought,” banker, the danger he was in from you. When 1 reached the bank at ten this morn- ing there was a telephone message walting for me. It was from Alec Rae, who ha@ phoned at nine-thirty that he and Reynolds, the treasurer of the Pioneer MHls, wanted to go over with me some matters relating to the finances of the mills. As this happens once or twice a year, I was not surprised. The message stated that I was to coms to the office of the mills at three o'clock that after- noon, and that Rae would wait until 1 arrived. That meant, of course, that Rae wouldn't comé down for the pay-roll cash until later, and that Yd have a chance to put him on his guard about the crime I had plan- ned, and you had stolen.” “You're wrong, dead wrong, Bai broke in Yearger, heatedly. “I did not——=" “Hear me out, as L heard you,” in- terrupted Bain, sternly. “I left the bank at half past two and went to the Pionest JMills. But wién I had teached them, Alec Rae had already left for the bank. He had sent me 1i6 telephone message. It was a fake. That's why I wasn't at the bank When the crifie was commltted. With all possible speed I hurried t6 the covered bridge; it was my one charnce to prevent the crime you were planning. But I was too late. Poor Rae Nad been murdered and the money stolen when I got there. A crowd was al- ready gathering. I called up youf office, Yeager. You had not been there all afternoon.”’ Yeager 'started to speak, but Bain éhecked him. “One more thing,” sald the banker, nd Fll fest my case. This afternoon, on the bridge, I found this” . . e whippe8 frem Mie pocket & all- asked, | l “At last, T walked over to Bridge necessary taxi. I intended to keep it in my own garage until I needed it, for who would suspect the district | attorney? “I saw four taxis outside Jansen's, as you know. I got into one. Then went on the |Something stronger than I was held “was to warn Alec Rae of | my hand. You may call it cold feet, or prudence, or conscience, or whatever you Hke. But in that minute I sat in the sedt of that taxi, I lived a dozen years, T saw what it means to have a clean record; I understood as I never understood before that honesty is more than the best policy; it's the only T've been living straight for two vears; I simply hadn't the power to shatter the principles of a lifetime in one, wild, goaded minute. I ran away. For a time, I had beaten off that devil-sent temptation.” * ok kX% AIN, with Intense interest, was following the earnest words of the dlstrict attorney. “Then why did you go to the cov- dropped my flashlight and ran as The district attorney flushed. “Well, T had a relapse,” Yeager re- plied. “Once I was a safe distance from the taxi, T thought of my finan- efal troubles again, and something kept whispering to me that I was a weakling to funk now. My mind, you see, réfused to glve up the miser able idea. I kept seeing that black bag with the three hundred thousand dollars in cold cash. I thought of what the money would msan to me. I screwgd up my nerve and resolved t6 make another go at it.” “And then?’ came from Bain. “T decided that the taxi could walt. ¥'d look over the covered bridge, and return later for the taxi. I reached the old bridge and with my pocket flash, which is almost worn out, I examined the rotten planking, and saw the holes through which a man's body could be slipped into the roar- ing rapids thirty feet below. The sight of those holes unfierved me. The job meant more than robbery. It meant murder. Murder of inoffensive Alec Rad, 1 thought of Rae's face, &8 The next |of my career about me, the more sure | this morning? | asked Bain, his brow knit in a puzzled frown. hen who sent the message?” an you prove that it was re- celved “Yes,” said Bain “Dillon, the pay- ing teller, took it for me. Can you prove you did not.send it, Yeager?” “I can. I can prove that I was asleep in my home till after 11.” “Then,” cried Bain, “it you are playing as falr with me as I am with you, there {s something weird and terrible In this business, Yeager. Some one has stolen my crime. “Some one? But who?" think I can tell you,” answered a third voice. Looking up they saw the | big frame of Editor Strans. “You, Strang? You?" The editor laughed & short laugh. “Oh, no, I'm not guilty.” he said. “In a way I'm culpable, but I'm net guilty.” “Culpable, but not guilty! What do you mean?” the district attorney asked. “I'm afraid I'm the one who made it possible for Alec Rae to steal your crime,” said Strang. “Afger I left you at the club T called up Alec Ras and told him about your plan for the crime. I thought to put him on his guard. Poor, greedy little devil—mr “But Rae Is dead—" “He is not,” said the editor. under arrest in New York city. “Rae alive?’ “Naturally. He was arrested half an hour ago aboard the steamer Juanita Ceballos, due to sail tomor~ row morning at daybreak for Yuca« tan. The detectives searched out~ bound steamers at my suggestion. *x ox % THE editor pulled out his prehis- toric calabash, stoked it up, Iit it and sent up a cloud of smoke. “But what gave you the idea it was Rae?” asked the district attorney. “Common sense and“elimination. I knew I didn’t do it. I didn't think either of you would be fool emough to turn crook. That left Alec Rae. I never did like his pasty face and his sly ways, anyhow. I decided it was he who had stolen your crim, Bain, after I had handed it to him on a silver platter. But how to prove it? Rae played the game cleverly. The bloodstainy in the taxi were real blood. The button from his coat told “Betrayed him! How?” the district attorney and the banker chorused. he merest chance in the Strang answered. “It only g0es o show that even perfect erimes planned by eficient business men have pinholes in them somewhere.” He bowed {ronfcally toward Bain. “Tell us, man; tell us!” exclaimed Bain. It was & wild hunch,” said the edi- tor. “Rae always wore unusually thick glasses for his near-sighted- ness. They were made for him by| Baldwin, the optictan. Baldwin iden- | tified the shattered spectacles found | in the taxl as belonging to Rae. He | said he could tell by the uncommonly | thick lensés, the extremely narrow | bridge and the cheap, heavy metal frame Rae always insisted on having. | The police let it go at that. Then T remembered that Rae had been got-| ting more and more near-sighted for the past six or eight years. So I had | Baldwin compare the shattered logses | with Rae's present prescription. He | had smashed a four-year-old pair of glasses and left them in the taxi be- | cause he was too miserly to ruin a new palr. Even with a fortune in his grasp, his tight nature got the| better of his cleverness, and he left | behind him a clue which will send | 3 s him away for a good Many vears, I think.” The banker und the district attor- ney had slumped nervelessly in their chaira “As little a thing as that,” muttered Yeager, half to himself. “As little thing as that!" < said the editor. T don't think any of us, smart as we may be, would have thought that so small thing could betray us. Well, I must® g0, we're getting out an extra abous Rae's arrest” He hurried away. “Well, Bain,"” remarked the district attorney, “all we can do iy say we're sorry and call It quits. It's a lesson to me, Crime 18 nothing for an hon- est man to play with.” “Here's my hand on that,” said the banker. For many clock-ticks neither spoke. Then the district attorney eaid: “That was Alec Rae's face I saw on the bridge last night. He must have climbed up in the stays when he heard me coming. Like a wise man he was going over the ground before he committed the crime.” : “Like a wise ma snorted Simon Bain. “Wise man, huh! Only a fool thinks he can get away with & crime.” a Monroe Doctrine Century Old Today BY WILL P. KENNEDY. ' XACTLY a century ago James | Monroe sent to Congress his message as President, embody- [ ing the “Monroe doctrine,” that national policy which, during 100 years, has enormously affected the| destiny of the world and been the | theme of almost endless discussion— | as evidenced by innumerable offi utterances, by the publication of some fAfty books treating of it specifically | and by a great mass of essays and | addresses, representing nearly every | civilized country and almost every language. i The Monroe centennial is being cel- ebrated, and ome of the most inter-| esting observances is at William and Mary College, from which the youth- ful Monroe went forth as a soldier and was the first man to cross the Delaware river in the attack on Tren- ton, sufféring a severe wound and carrying the bullet to the day of his death. At that celebration Repre- sentative R. Walton Moore of Vir- ginia is delivering an address on President Monroe and his message of December 2, 1823. Monroe began his first term as President on March 4, 1817. Behind him were long years of almost con- tinuous activity in public affairs, be- ginning with his service in the revo- lution. One of the immediate causes for the ‘“Monroe doctrine” was & contro- versy with Russia relative to her claims in the northwest, regarding which it is enough to say that she had already been notifled that the United States would contest the right of Russia or any other European na- tion to establish any new colony on this continent. The other cause was connected with events that had taken place follow- ing the close of the Napoleonic wars. There had come about a general re- crudescence of absolutism in-conti- nental Europe, while at the same time the Latin American communitles were endeavoring to free themselves from Spanish domination. The four great nations—Austria, Prussia, Russia and England—Dbound themselves by treaty to work together in restoring France and managing European affajrs, Three years later France became a fifth member of this alliance, which was relentlessiy dominating Europe. Finally the constitutional govern- ment of Spain was overthrown and the menace to the Latin American states was obvious. The United States government was deeply con- derned. Monroe was engrossed with the subject and full of anxiety. Back of all that had reference to Russia and the Latin American com- munities most of our statesmen had from the beginning perceived the fmportance of strengthening and in- suring the territorial Integrity of the United States as indispensable to insuring the wall being and perma- Rmence of the government. Monroe was one of those most solicitous to decreass the danger of European aggression in this hemi- sphere by improving our territerial situation—as a member of the Con- tinental Congress—concerning British evacuation, in negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, as Secretary of State opposing Spain's contentlon for part of that purchase, and as Presi- dent when Florida was acquired. Monroe’'s message of December 1823, was written by his own hand. Tt was not delivered in person but read in each House of Congress. It wae a long document, and the para- graphs embracing the statement of = national policy, which from that day to this the United States has cherished and been ready to defend. are widely separated from each other in the context. Here are the essen- tial paragraphs. Referring to the Russian claims. Monroe said: “The occasion has been judged proper for asserting as & prigciple, in which the rights and interests of the United States are involved, that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” Referring to conditions south, be said: “We owe it therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations exist- ing between the United States nndl those powers, to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of thls hemisphere dan- gerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or depend- encies of any European power nl have not interfered and will not in- terfere. But with the governments: who have declared their mdt‘pend-l ence and have maintained it, and Whose independence we have, o..i great consideration and on just prine ciple, acknowledged, we could not] view any Interposition for the pur- in the other light than as the manifesta- tion of an unfriendly disposition to* ward the United State No name was glven to thls state- ment by Monroe himself. In the long debate of 1826 in the House of Representatives, on the Panama mis- sion, it was praised by Webster. Buchanan, McDuffie and others as “Monroe's declaration. It was re- ferred to by President Polk as “the principles avowed by Mr. Monroe.” When or by whom It was first called the “Monroe doctrins” is not disclosed. Any impression that:the impor- tance of the message was not quick- 1y appreciated is dispelled by exam- ining the newspapers of that time All the American papers stressed it significance and gave it their ap- proval. It was enthusiastically wel- | comed in South America. Some have credited the message to Canning, notably Charles Sumner. but it is plainly shown by a letter from Canning to Bagot. the British minister to Russla, not long agot brought to light, that the message gave Canning no satisfaction. Some have given the entire credit to Adams. It is true that the Secre- tary of State urged that the United States should, independently of Eng- land (which country had withdrawn from the al nd protested its rutblessly dominating procedure). announce its opposition to an: ference with the Latin American, states. On that question at the start there was a division of opi in the cabinet. Wirt doubted and hesitated, and Adams asked the President to consider carefully the Attorney General's apprehension that throwing down the gauntlet to the alliance might precipitate a war which this country might have to fight single-handed The conclusion of President Monroe was arrived at after protracted coi sultations with his cabinet and was his own conclusion, re: full knowledge of the entire tion and upon a consideration every fact and argument. The answer made by Representa- tive Moore, after conferences with historians, to those who decline to attribute anything of initiative and leadership to Monroe, is that he alone was in authority and capable of finu! decision and action on a subject of supreme importance which hung in a trembling and perilous balance and that his, alon bllity for boldly proclaiming, as ths Chief Magistrate of the natlon and leader of the people, a polfey whicl was certaln to encounter formidal antagonism and might involve the country In a war, or a series of wars. The meaning of the Monros doc- trine was recently set forth with characteristic precision and clear- nees by Secretary Hughes. “Properly understood,” he sald. “it is opposed (1) to any un-American action en- oroaching upon the political inde- pendence of American states under any guise, and (2) to the acquisi- tion in any manner of the control of additional territory in this hemis- phere by any un-American power.” By the Monros doctrine the United States voluntarily fixes a rule of conduct for itself, which affects all other nations without regard to whether they approve or disapprove. It Is an afirmative declaration of a continuing purpose, by the use of such force as may be essential, prevent old world powers from a lessen and might finally even dé- stroy the territorial and political safety of the United States. Its validity and strength spring from the fact that it represents an exercise of the natural right of self-protection and for that reason has the un- divided support of all the people. It links with the older Declaration | in proclaiming a method by which independence Is to be guaranteed and maintained. This Monroe doctrine has never been thrown into the form of a statute, though something of that sort was attempted, unsuccessfully. as early as January, 1824, but no statute is so authoritative and en- during. It is not Intercontinental law, as Clay called it, but a unilat- eral policy applicable to two con- tinents. It is not international law. since It does not depend upon the consent of any nation of the old' ‘world, to all of whom it says, “Thou shalt not,” or any of the other na- tions of this hemisphere, and it is not glven the charucter of inter- national law because of having been expressly accepted by all of the powers that are members of the league of natlons. It carries no thought of overlordshlp and fis de- void of any ambition inconsistent with the rights and interests of other American nations. Answered. From the New York Sun. Aunt—“So you won first prize in geometry, my child. Good for you. Now tell me the shortest way to get nothing.” That left the gissses. And|Pose of oppressing them or control- | from one point to another?” it was that shattered palr of tacles in the taxi that betreyed sy ling in any other manner their des- tay, by any European power, in any Niece—*Jump in & rosdster sna® dodge the cops.” . was the responsi- + * tion in this hemisphere which migh/ t 7