The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 3, 1901, Page 6

MRS. LESLIE HIL: E I am pot the man 2] wink at law-breaking, I have always h that even crime had its code of ethics, and have ever cherished a certain{ regard for the criminal who conscien- | For the n fair fight g up for murder; for the miserable cashier whose love for his sick wife and h tle ones tempts him to eke out a $15-2-week sa b ary by borrowing from a grinding mi lionaire taskmaster a paltry hundred thousand for speculation, but loses the with it twenty years of the best of his life—for such as these I con- on, ngovernable sympathy. And tunate prof as these to the bar of ssion deeds they made less awkward plans of escape hand, the my abhorrence of nal and, above his pals by is such that I n their punishment lence, s should de- sentences for him cless, whose thefts o-the unfortu- and s crime for crime’s sake. fering t neediessly viciously s reason, perhaps, that Covington of vakened in me an interest n to the impor- May g, 1899, not ng at headquarters [e] ter report R« for ger ‘,',\,,;, The chief had left me in te the ofiice. porary charge oi The day was one of those prematurely hot periods that sometimes fall toward the end of May, as if to fore- warn us of coming: tortures-and awakea | the borough of | ax, city of New York, first heard | as at dinner | TEN QARTER. tis to regret that we h ly | caight 'my attention at once, tor not| valued the gentler ‘days of spring.’ I| only did I conclude that a-specch of such was sitting at the s desk, absorbed | unusnal length .must -have beed called ; is latest purchase on toxicology. - As | forth by the conversation he -had just | | held on the "phonie, but what to me was | of vastly more significance, it seemed to fit in curiously with my own reflections on crime and its ethics.’ Therefore T was | all attention, but held silence; waiting for him to resume- in his own way. “You have heard of my old: friend, the Rev. Dr. Jasper, principal of the mili- tary school at Covington, on the Dela- ware—a fellow of infinite refinement and I was wondering whether this book, dis- | closing, as it did, a startling and newly combined poison, untraceable as deadly, | were not more of a menace in the hands of a criminal than a benefit in those of | the scientist, I was startled by a violent | at the "phone. i astened to the instrument.. “Is this | ce of Chief Barker?” The voice ¢ other end was clearly that of a of quite lacking in the gruff,! culture,” with a ready sympathy that brutal, - quality " that \,;uan, scems to win the hearts of his boys. My the man in search of “justice. own Tom, who was under him for three years; always speaks of him with positive affection.” I replied that T had often heard him | ,‘relcr to Dr. Jasper, and ventured the |'anery whether it was he whase voice had ¢o strangely attracted me. “Not Jasper,” but his assistant, in whose hands my friend has confided the duty of clearing up a rather unpleasant affair that threatens disaster not only to | the academy but likewise to poor Jasper himself. To come at once to the point, the students at the Covington military academy have for a long time been the victims of petty theft. In fact, the trouble has extended over a period of four years, and though every effort has been made to unearth the offender the affair is now a darker mystery than be- fore. When I looked into the matter, some three years since, it was at the en- treaty of Jasper’s assistant, the Rev. Dr Skerrett, who seemed to feel keenly the | shadow that had fallen across the path | of his worthy superior. I undertook thz | case purely out of friendship for Jasper, though, of course, you will understan that in doing this I was acting In a tant and apparently simplest crimes are | strictly unofficial capacity, since the ni- really. the most difficult of solution.” | fenses were committed in a foreign This remark from « man of the taciturn | State. and laconic miethods of Chief Barker| "I replied. Jarker is at dinner. but Iam| d to receive any message.” ou,” returned the other| “but as the business is | at private and personal perhaps | 1 better wait until his return.” will you leave your courteous] somew} well, sir; T asked. ; Tl ring again. number?” But you may | “What is it, Sleck?” came a voice over | my shoulder. It was that of the chief I pasced. him the earpiece, | rom the telephone closet and | closed the door. I confess that the voice | on’ the wire had aroused my curicsity, | and I was a trifie vexed that its dlsclos- ures had been taken literally from my | hands It was at least ten minutes before the | chief appeared. His face wore a puzzled | exptession and he seémed utterly oblivi- | A full half- hour re he spoke. ‘It's a curious fact, Sleck,” he said, at length, “that many of the least impor- ous to my went by befo presence. “However, I procured a necessary | | best men, and assigned him to the case, ruin, | ceased it proved impos | never mind what I thought. | if not one of the boys (which I doubt- | that it was only a question of time when leave of absence for Heenan. one of my first explaining that it would demand the | utmost secrecy and discretion, as any public knowledge of theft in an institu tion renowned as well for its moral as| its military training might cause its utter Indeed, . it was my regard for Jasper which caused me to investigate th air, and, it proved, I started none too soon. as-I have said mysterious a st “The number of pupils had diminishe pérceptibly during the year. so that Jas-| which had been gener- E ansly good hitherto, left a’bare $3000 of The lads had written home, com- per's. income, profit plaining of repeated outrages. until final on one pretext or another, th fathers of many had withdrawn their sons for the remainder of the term. | “Under Heenan everybody and everv- | bjected to the most rigid | but thc dence at the academy the thefts \\lm ble to locate use a tangible sus- thing was h during his resi- observatic prit or even to No saone r had Heenan given | | and returned | picic opele: up the search as h to New York than the complaints brokz ) re- Boys who had latel out ed money ‘rom home were the usuai | and their losses ranged all tm nts to $ civi In spite s were se 1 60 c fact that curely locked in their trunks it was no uncommon occurrence for a lad to re- turn from recitation or drill or the ball Id to find his desk pried open and his Then there was more ex- ent summons from money gone. citement, another urg Skerrett and another failure on the part of Heenan. | (hree separate times did he nndor-! take th luctance, and return without so much as a clew. It! an be imagined that by this time my idence in Heenan was beginning to each time with greater re- | three separate times did h e task, un- | wa Already that year I had earthed a robbery in which one of my own trusted detectives, a man named | | Dreicer, proved to be a confederate, and | naturally I could not but fear that—well, I have no there was | wish to be unjust; moreover, nathing as yet to give proof to my opin- ions. “However, I could not be blind to the | | t fact that Heenan had been on terms of% | | friendship with Jasper since the year he spent three weeks in Covington on a| case. I also happened | ran down occasion- In addition, | he should have found much assistance in the advice and unselfish activity of Dr.| Skerrett, who was regarded by the boys rather as champion and friend than as successful to’know that he ally for a Sunday's dinner. arson sti |-preceptor, and whose .daily. occupation, as‘ required by’ Jasper, was merely to preside at morning prayers, teach one | hour of Latin and one of Biblical his- tory. The remainder of his time he was to- place at the disposal of my man, Hes- nah. However,- as the thefts always ceased during Heenan’s official residence at the academy, as he invariably returned empty-handed; and as, after periodical invgstigations, the thievery and his so- cial visits were resumed almost simulta- | neously, I may as well confess that, in my opinion, Heenan knew more about the matter than he had cared to disclose, “I was not prepared to make accusa- tion to that effect, for I was loth to be- lieve that, after the summary manner in which I had dealt with Dreicer, another of my force could have the hardihood to tempt a similar fate. Dreicer, you re- member, got fifteen years. ““All these suspicions I put aside for further reference and awaited develop- ments, though hoélding firmly to the same opinion that the active figure in this mystery, whoever he might be, was, ed), at least some one familiar with the workings and habits of the school. “Meanwhile three academic years had passed. The enroliment of students had dwindled to such a degree, and the finan- cial returns showed such increase of loss. Jasper would have to close up his career and become in his declining years a mis- erable bankrupt. My heart bled for my poor friend who did so much to make my own boy the fine. manly fellow he is. Yet I could do nothing but turn the problem over in my mind and wait for something to happen. “Something did happen, and in a quarter that gave me little surprise. About six months ago the sum of $83 was stolen one Sunday while the boys were at tea. The news was brought the following day by Heenan himself, who had spent the entire Sunday and night as Jasper’s guest. When I thereupon suggestad to Heenan that he return for a further investigation of the affair h= not only flatly rcfused but went directly to his desk and wrote his resignation. {iriend Jasper, and nev | and | tor perhaps forty minutes, examining di | of consternation and alarm men: I turned to Jasper. | emotion—‘to report another—' : & DF CIALLY Jor (66§ CQPYRIGHTBD- ‘[3 o He handed me the paper and, taking his hat, walked out the door. “My first impulse was to detain him, but on second reflection I chose anothcr} course. I felt keenly for poor Jasper. | OQught I not, as his friend, take a ner—j sonal hand in this dastardly business. which was bringing swift ruin to a good | I and upright man? The more I thought of it the more I felt convinced that such was the only course. In less than an { hour I boarded a train for Covington. “Events transpired after my arrival in rapid and startling succession. At tea that - cvening I sat at the right of mv | r have I seen a Sk man so changed by misfortune rett, in turn, was at my right. and then, aiter he had said grace, you can imagine my surprise to see Heenan enter the hall at Jasper's leit He bowed to. me pleasantly, and the meal ended without further incident. “As we left the dining hall Jasper:in- dicated that he desired to see me in his We were closeted alonz | take a seat private office. agrams, reading records and discussing in all its bearings this dark and most ex- traordinary affair, when a sharp knock | arrested our attention. The door opened and there the pictu At that mo- His cheeks without fu stood Dr. rther Skerrett, ceremony, his f were the color of this ash from my cigar. His lips were trembling under the press- ure of sudden shock. said my nent sitate, Skerrett.” , as if to ease the embarras assistant, ‘Chief Barker is one oi my oldest acquaintances, come to. our aid. You may speak freely.” “Dr. Skerrett looked first at me, then at Jasper; a shads of pain passed over his kindly countenance. ‘It is my duty, doctor’ —and his voice trembled with “‘Who? How much? Jasper’s inter- ruption showed only too clearly the aw- | ful presentiment that tortured him. | “*Young Bevis of the junior grade. | He reports having received $100 from | home last Tuesday, of which he spent| $7. To-night his room was entered, | { probably while he was at tea. and the | remaining $90 taken from the trunk.’ asper turned toward me with a facs | in_which fear and despair produced a | picture that will haunt me to my grave. | As.a rule I steal my sympathies against CIEREE | ki H'mlim.i.” | said. the emotions of my clients. But it V:'asY enough, his words were too true. ‘Yes, different with Jasper. He was my friend, | xt is Heenan,” I replied; ‘he has chosen ilnd I liked him. 1 ““You see,’ he said, ‘the ghost walks you mean? said Jasper again, and, as usual, before our very|and Ske = boanils eyes. His boldness seems his best sale-| “‘That the poor fellow preferred sui- guard.” | cide to disgra “For the moment I was dumfounded | sponsible that the villain should flaunt such defi- “For a full ance in my face, for I flatter myself few chiefs have better deserved the distinc- tion than I. Yet here was the problem freshly presented. My dity was to solve Then Jasper, v been a blind fool, given him. Hee nd? And he knelt over prostrate body it and wept “I glanced at Skerrett. ‘Request| pearted ct Heenan to come here,” I said quietly. “Skerrett Within five minutes Skerrett re- |, orieve turned; he was nervous and pale. ‘Mr.| woo one of Heenan is not to be found, Chief. Bar seeing _wu the watchman, says he took the| ¢ o p to the village less than half an “oyac? s to ig- hour ago. s - ‘ 2 . | nore the comp! might Fhere’s a train back to town at this | e doiaed hour? boas SFe s | he death was so clearly suicidal that “‘I believe so, Chief.’ the Skerrett.” 1 ‘You are in Jasper’s confidence, and I too must rely on your help. Say fiom that day to Heenan when you reach him that I % academic uest by the coroner after a prompt ing “‘Hurry to statior, the matter was hushed up without shadow fall fourth ed sensation—the best evid had bestowed ar, desire his counsel at once. without th: trouble began, clo Skerrett went out of the door as if shot from a gun. He should have re- turned for it was a short quarter of a mile to the station. n twenty minutes, in her own good w A half-hour passed, and no tidings. The chief ceased to speak, and I wait Forty minutes, fifty minutes, an hou; | ed for the se: Prese still no sign of either. The clock was | way of sugge “And yo striking 10 before Skerrett burst open | just now? That was from the sch the door and stood there, as white as a “To be sure! Y'r“»x y ab In my advancing ex I 2 asper and I jumped to our feet in | more and more the g an instant. ‘Heenan!’ I exclaimed.‘ Did | tation and success. In yo you miss him?' could nae have seliled 5007 B! | “Skerrett could scarcely speak. ‘Come,’ | easily. But at is nei r he said hoarsely. Knowing that only | there. T s been anot the most extraordinary occurrence could | ington, quite different the others, amount—$3, have so unnerved him, Jasper and 1 without followed him I out of the doar and up the road, away | properly believes that or further parley, be from the station. | “We bad hardly turned a corner in the | path when Jasper stumbled over a pros-{ is quite upset over the affair, is det trate form lying face downward. A dark | mined to nip it in the bud. Sk stain, just discernible in the moonlight, | said the money was abstracted from one marked the presence of pools of blood.| of the boys’ during a The right hand, outstretched, had tight- | match—undoubtedly the act of on ened its death grip on a revolver. | his schoolmate “‘There,” said Skerrett, the tears roll- | ing in floods down his whitened cheeks, ‘there is Heenan!” “I turned over the body, and, sure AT students may be try Heenan, and on his advice Jasper, wh errett coats “And, if so, a most contemptible o I remarked, “that deserves to be pu ighed.” “I am glad you think so returned i TR ,h[ ‘.nl“ ST R il il i “i”l I turned over the body, and, sure emcugh, his words were to o tite ““Yes, it is Heenan,” I replied; “he has chosen wisely.”