Show S v r Epsom ls The Case Burglary of the On 0 n t the h e Trail T ral I of 0 f Big Be lg Finger Fe Inger Author A Copyrighted BY The of SCOTT Doctors Below by CAMPBELL Secret the Street DeadLine etc Smith 1 4 Aha I knew knew I could depend upon you ou Felix cried Coleman with out outstretched outstretched stretched hand It have been like you to disappoint your old On my word Im glad youre oure here for I X am quite at sea old chap all at sixes and B covens vens The midday ay train had just hauled Into th ti railway station at Epsom will i isene serve sene for a name since the publication of the real locality and the tile facts about to be set forth might reflect unfavorably bly even at this ate day upon an in hi institution and people worthily worth ly high in public esteem Though somewhat out of or his beaten path below the deadline the part play played played played ed by Mr Felix Boyd Bo d In the case caso here presented too strikingly exemplifies his rare acumen and peculiar methods to tobe tobe be omitted from any record of his re remarkable reI I work In IIi so far fa as Felix Boyd Bo d figured In fn It the case began with a telegram re received received r that fr t from m his friend the central office man which had resulted In Boyd Bo d arrival at Epsom about noon noonon noonon noonon on a certain bright day in the month of May lay He Be smiled at Colemans cor cormal thai mal greeting drawing up his tall lithe figure and shaking the train dust from his garments meantime remarking genially at your command Jim Jimmie mie nih Very glad lad to take the run out here too and get a sniff of the coun country country country try air Your wire gave me meo no Inkling or of this case which I infer quite baffles you vou and how do you happen to tobe be on onit if It ifOn On It because Griggs the thea county sheriff is a cousin of mine and aid aAd asked my fly aid al He wired me down hero heie yes yesterday yesterday CS morning and finding my ray investigations as unprofitable as those of f the sheriff to t appeal to o you ou Ah that explains I 1 wondered ered at atour your our being so far flom home Come out this way 1 J have haYe a trap 1 back of the station and during the drive before us I will III tell ten you what T I know about the tIle case aase se Here w we are ate Tumble in and Ill handle the ribbons t I tA IA A deucedly l riff Ig laughed au hed Boyd Bord as he It belongs to Dr Gillespie Dane ead ad of or the Vandyke academy out here hr replied Coleman as he mounted to the seat and gathered in the reins He loaned me m the hitch to bring iJ you yo ol up Felix Th n Informed ex petted you ou on II n f fIe He had a he 1 of you too and appeared glad to have you investigate the affair affa Ir Says he ite feels sure that youil find some reliable clue to the robbers A case of rob ery eh smiled Boyd Suppose you loosen up Jim Jimmie Jimmie mie and give gh o me some of the points This Coleman proceeded to do mean meantime meantime meantime time driving more slowly through ugh tho the attractive country town that time might be had for Ills his disclosures To begin with Felix FeIh said he the people round about here both In Epsom and end the nearer outlying districts have been victims of ot a long Jong series of mid midnight midnight midnight night robberies covering nearly a year year The Identity of ot the thieves is not known nor has any clue to them been obtained despite the fact that about thirty dwellings have been entered and robbed of ot money and jewelry since Sep September September September last Griggs thinks that tho the work is that of a professional gang gaug having a about here herer yet of which lIe he can get no trace Sus strangers have been beeri watched also every tramp and vaga Yaga vagabond vagabond bond who came this way wa but nothing has come of ot it The people pepIe pe are terror terrorized terrorIzed terrorized Griggs is at his wits end and I about the size of the general sit situation As os a last Ia t resort res rt Griggs wired me inc down here to Investigate a wholesale wholesale whole wholesale sale burglary committed night before last and after giving an entire day to toI it I t I find myself up against the bricks as hard as he ho was so I thought I would send for Cor you ou That Felix is the thebe be beginning beginning ginning and the occasion of my being here I X see murmured Boyd thoughtful thoughtfully ly Iy Do I understand Jimmie that there t e burglaries were confined c to es So I am told And that only money and Jewelry were stolen J Chiefly li those Yet i In l several C cases s s solid silver In the shape shap of f spoons ns forks and the like tare rave been taken Because of being easily carried and d disposed dl po ed of I 1 should say Dor D 1 you know when the first of these robberies was committed Last September r Have they sie sl s Intervals In or Otherwise Im I m informed Three breaks were made on successive nights howe however er erDo Do you ou know what whal proportion of ot them Is confined to Epsom I 1 cannot say definitely replied r phi d Coleman Y 1 know k o Cr l yo yoU been U b en more thant than twi w tyko s Z 7 here In town so you you can form some estimate Near enough nodded Boyd with curious indifference Now Jimmie what was the affair of two nights c cA ago agoA A wholesale robbery at the Vandyke academy which is as you know one of the best in Iii the country Its tuition fees fe s are high highl and all lI o of its it patrons are young men ranging fr rm m 18 to 20 years of age and alid of wealthy families a fact tact which probably led to this robbery It doubtless was assumed that the stir stu students dents would have a considerable sup supply suPply supply ply of money dud and valuables and It now now that intelligent discrimination was made Of the entire school num numbering numbering numbering bering over a hundred theten students whose private rooms were w reentered entered and robbed of or money mency rings ings and watches were those most liberally provided with Uh such valuables Ten rooms were entered eh oh Twelve cried Coleman bluntly That of or Professor Clyde one of the faculty and the office and chambers of Dr Dane the head of the academy were both entered Clyde lost a n v val valuable l watch and something like two hundred dollars doUar while Dr Danes Danas lasses were even ey n greater gr ater A wholesale Job Indeed remarked d Boyd Strange that none of o the vic vie victims victims tims was disturbed Uy the thieves What do they say about it itT All AU say sa that they th slept soundly and heard nothing One In iii particular a nervous neMOUS chap named Vincent declares d lares clares that he had the best nights Test rest that he has enjoyed for fot weeks Ordinarily he is troubled with insomnia Insomnia nia ula yet night before last he slept he says like a brick brlek Very rood good of him under the circum stan laughed Boyd a blE bItt oddly Have you discovered how the thieves got in inNot InNot Not definitely replied Coleman Colema The dormitory and private rooms rooms of the students occupy a long wing of ot the building in which Dr Dt D Danes nes family amny and his Iris assistant t teachers reside and andin andIn andIn in which the office and reception room are located On the ground floor some me of the windows were left partly open pen the night being warm wann and dv very ry likely the thieves took advantage of ot It Quite likely admitted Boyd dIs Is yonder the academy Yes We shall shaH find Dr Dane and Griggs awaiting us Tl wooden build building ing fronting west is the doctors resH resi residence dence and the long wing makins out to the south Is occupied by the students stude 2 The brick building to the north n rth is tile the I school proper pr per and the low one beyond Is isa a gymnasium Ah there Is Griggs now nov novT The T e drive had brought them to an attractive outskirt of the town where the extensive grounds and buildings of the Vandyke Vandyko academy I were vere located upon a rise of ot lanTI laria that greatly added d to the general beauty and pretentious appearance of the tho noted preparatory school The Imme Immediate immediate Immediato diate diato approach was through a long avenue of or handsome h elms adorning the tIre gentle acclivity and Boyd surveyed with more than cursory interest the tie scene of the recent bold burglary A groom from the th to re relieve relieve relieve lieve Coleman of the team and Sheriff Sheri Griggs Grigge a little man of 50 60 came down from the house veranda to greet the couple Im glad glasl youre here Mr Bt yd mighty glad he growled after Introductions Ill IU be mighty ladt too if you can make maIte anything of this rascally business in which casey case caCe uUdo do moren m ren I can Ive been after arter the scurvy curs urs for nigh a year YC x now nOw and Im worse off of the th scent than when I started mighty worse off to tell the gospel gOp l truth Boyd laughed lightly and replied as soon as the voluble county sheriff gave ga him hun a chance Possibly ly your efforts may may ba be b re rewarded rewarded rewarded warded sooner than you anticipate Mr Griggs said he pleasantly Some Sometimes times you know we men of the de dc detective e e profession prore slon light upon our quarry ry 17 r when least fx expected The central office man smiled covert lj Is but Griggs fell feU to t vigorously u IY rub rubbing rubbing bing ling his horny hands and sod appeared im ha immensely Immensely flattered fiatte d So we do dosa so we do d Mr Boyd he heId dried dwelling heartily heart Uy upon the pro pronoun pronoun noun I Im mighty sure sura that between Id us Mr Boyd we shall shaU yet round Up tip the I mangy dogs Infesting this locality If i we cannot do it between e 1 us Mr Boyd Bo Boydiii d Ill iii be b mightily mistaken and away way off ff my Hey heres Dr Dane D ne sir Right i this way doctor arid and shake hands with Mr rr Felix Boyd of New York City Dr Gillespie G Dane Dano was an attractive gray man mm of or nearly n arly 70 with all the polish of a gentleman and ati scholar which p all aU the moi mo e marked from contrast with the law mighty might fight right arm In that particular county yet ret Griggs too was as all nIl right in his hison own on particular way Im v very ry glad that you could find timeto time to favor vor us with your experience ince I aJ 11 and advice Mr Boyd said Dr Dane with quiet fervor I r am much upset by what has occurred here w ch In i ir a away away away way may reflect upon my ray care and management Detective Dete uve Coleman was very kind to ask you to come down here I X shall do what I can for tor you yon Dr Dane said Boyd quietly Yet I can c n give you no assurance e that I shall ac tie accomplish accomplish I should like as soon oon as convenient to visit Isit the several rooms entered by the burglars and to meet the various persons who were robbed But you first will take lunch sure surely sureh surely ly h cried Dr tr Dane leading the way Into the house bouse Cone Come Griggs Grigge you are are included This is our lunch hour Mr lIr Boyd Bo d and the students now are at atthe atthe atthe the table I r I rather like to see them observed d Boyd Bod oyd Indeed Inde d That can easily be ar as arranged arranged ranged then for though my family dining room is separated I often sit at atthe the table with my assistant teachers in halL haIL You there will meet Mr Clyde our professor of ot chemistry ch and physics ph sicsi whose room was entered and his watch and money stolen Feel eel per perfectly perfectly perfectly at home Mr Boyd The lava lavatory lavatory lavatory tory is yonder onder and always desirable after a train ride I shall keep you ou waiting only briefly Such S ch was wa the case upon which Mr Ur Felix Boyd had bad entered The gist of It could have pave been Men imparted to him with witha I a breath breatha a stupendous series of ot rob robI erIs to the perpetrators of which no noman noman noman I man had been able to find the slightest I clue i Some ten minutes later the three vis visitors visitors I Griggs with his hands lands thrust ft deep p in his hl hi trousers pockets entered the he great dining room in which the students and teachers were ere gathered at the numerous tables and there were wera given gly n seats at that occupied by the several school professors to whom hoin Boyd was was introduced ed edThe The scene was an nn animated ohe yet yel the invariable Inv good order the attractions attractions ons of ot the great room the neatness aW d dispatch of the numerous servants ill illi I indicated the excellent taste and executive x ability of ot Dr Dane At the jable able assigned the faculty f culty Boyd was wa waYen given riven Yen a seat next to Dr Dane and di dl opposite Professor Clyde and the th recent crime soon S Oh became becam he chief topic of conversation I I hope to t accomplish ac something som t for fot fotou ou at it least enough to put our good Griggs Grigge on the th track of f these ras A I V cais Boyd listlessly observed in re response to 9 an appeal from Professor Clyde I r am told that your loss was considerable 4 The prOfessor processor pr a prepossessing ath athletic athletic athletic letic man of ot 40 smiled dubiously and shrugged his broad shoulders Considerable cash Mr Boyd and a watch I particularly p value said he with an agreeable sonorous voice It was a cherished heirloom and I X would gladly pay thrice its intrinsic value to have hav it returned I Possibly we shall be able to recover It drawled Boyd Bo d with a lassitude for which Coleman could not account Yet such crafty can burglars are hard to catch The work appears to me to be that of a gang of pro professional professional professional crooks with headquarters in inthis Inthis Inthis this locality just my idea cried Griggs Grigge as roundly as a mouth mout well filled with mashed potatoes would permit Ive said so time and time again I shall remain here long enough to attempt to run them down I I X hope stop at my house dur during durIng i ing lag your stay Mr Boyd Coleman is with me and you y u too to will bd b welcome mighty welcome sir Thank you sheriff smiled Boyd with drooping lids 41 I must have a room at the hotel or Inn ilin however hoV ver I Imay Imay may engage in night sallies s after these robbers robb which I shall prefer to t do se secretly secretly secretly and alone Besides what better place than an inn for rox picking up chance chanc clues S true sir Yet Id I have hae been mighty glad to have hae you at my m house Mr Boyd By ny the tire way wa Dr Dane can you tell teU me when the last burglary occurred before the one committed here h re Just ten days ago Mr Boyd was as the ready r ady reply The victim was Mr Jeptha Curry on o our selectmen I recall the day for he arid and ar his wife dined with me that evening and his house was entered ent red the same flam night Much Mu u h taken queried tu rt Boyd in if lf f fI I cannot say just what amount As I said a while hUe ago I wish to visit Isit the several rooms entered d and talk t Ut with the th occupants Mine Is open ollen to you at any time Mr Boyd B yd Interposed Clyde readily You Thu Y l may m y begin your investigation immediately I t ly after lunch said s ld Dr Dane The students will have finished in tn about a quarter hour As Ag Ai I J already am done I think Ill go down dawn to the How are re you ou Griggs c I II i I nearly through inquired Boyd curious indecision If the doctor would loan us his trap once more Id like to hive have you take t ke me down to the hotel hotOt hot before I start in on this work I to select a room Just suited to my needs one of so easy access that I X shall not attract attention going or coming We might drive down during the ent delay Griggs despite that t at he still was as hun hungry gry already had dropped his nife and antI fork and was out of ot his chair Sure we can Mr Boyd and Ill be I glad to take you he cried No o on need n d of the doctors |