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Show The Skeleton In the Closet A TRUE STOSIY OF THE SECRET SERVICE tfwMEHHHnmaiii 9 1 cmssvaiBiinamiQ ff By COL. II. C. WHITLEY I v Former Chief U.S. Secret Service ) had known her when she was a rosy-choeked rosy-choeked young woman some twenty-five twenty-five years before. She was then living with her husband in a little town in northeastern Ohio. This was before she became the wife of the judge. Her first marriage was said to be u runaway runa-way match. She was a remarkably beautiful woman, then, but there was a cloud hanging over her life. I cannot can-not say what it might have been that caused gossiping Women to shake their heads and whisper as she passed by. Shortly after she gave birth to a son she left the village. I do not know just where she went, but it was shortly short-ly afterwards rumored that she had been granted a divorce. She was now cutting a large figure in society and often spoken of as the handsomest woman in the capitol city. Her husband, the judge, was up to this time quite successful in political life. Possessed of considerable brain force and much amiability of character, charac-ter, he might have risen still higher had not the intrigues set on foot by his ambitious wife contributed to pun him down. She planned schemes to exalt him and to acquire wealth. In making these efforts she aroused the jealousies of others and made the judge quite unpopular with the leading politicians. Her misdirected zeal not only crushed the political prospects of her husband, but finally resulted in expelling ex-pelling her from Washington society. I was furnished a photograph of her profligate stepson. He was a fine-looking fine-looking young man, with wavy hair, keen blue eyes and rosy cheeks; in fact, much like his mother in her make big hauls." The judge's stepson took to a suggestion of this kind like a duck to water and was highly elated on account of the proposed trip. He no doubt Imagined a broader field for the exercise of his own peculiar talent. On their arrival at New York they registered under assumed names at the Merchants' hotel on Courtland street. For several days following they strolled about the city, taking in the sights and waiting for something to turn up. While walking along Broadway, Broad-way, near the old Astor hotel, they chanced to pass a middle-aged man who was gazing about in an uncertain sort of way. His dress and manner gave him the appearance of a green one from the rural districts, presumably pre-sumably from some place out west. "Here," said Reed in an undertone, "is the very fellow we are looking for. Let us try a hand on him. I will make him think I have met him before." Reed now stepped up and accosted the green one with an air of assumed familiarity. fa-miliarity. Seizing him by the hand he said: "How do you do, Mr. Glick? I am so glad to see you." The verdant man responded: "You are mistaken, sir; my name is Jones, and I live at Fort Wayne, Indiana." "Never mind the name," said Reed, "I got the names mixed, but I remember now where I met you. You used to run a livery stable at Kokomo." "Yes, I did." "Then of course you remember me. I am the man that sold pumps and kept my team at your stable. You less enough, but somehow lacked the nerve to perform. Step by step Jones became drowsy. The stepson strove to rally him to hia senses. Jones closed his eyes. What might have been a pnantom o" overheated over-heated Imagination now becams a fearful reality.- The stepson was now almost paralyzed with fear as Jones slipped from his chair to the floor. Was he dead or alive? He uttered a low and suppressed moan as his lank and livid body was laid upon the bed and stripped of all its valuables. The stepson, thoroughly in earnest, wanted to take Jones' overcoat, but Reed said it would be dangerous, as it might lead to detection. I now leave the horrors of this occasion occa-sion to the imagination of the reader. The two survivors suddenly left the hotel and crossed over to Jersey City and took lodging at Taylor's hotel, where they registered under assumed names, as they had done previously at the Merchants'. It was late in the evening when they went to bed. They had left the Merchants' hotel late in the afternoon. Jones, the supposed sup-posed drugged countryman, was not quite as dead as the judge's stepson thought him to be. He, too, was a skilled pretender. Soon after his entertainers had taken ta-ken their departure he, possum-like, came to life, got up and took a drink from the brandy bottle that was left upon the table, and made his way at once to the government secret service office, where he told the story of his adventure and received further instructions. in-structions. This so-called Jones was a detective of marked ability. He could assume almost any character and deceive de-ceive the best educated criminal, yet withal an honest, faithful servant to the government. At an early hour on the following morning at Taylor's hotel Reed pretended pre-tended to be taken suddenly sick with a cramp in his tomach. He left his roommate and went below. A short time afterwards he rushed back into the' bedroom and informed the judge's stepson with a trembling voice that they must get out of the place in a hurry or they would be arrested. Reed said that while downstairs he had torn a slip from a newspaper. He handed it to the judge's Btepson, who, on glancing at it hastily, at once sprang out of bed. It was a sensational article and bore the appearance of having been clipped from a newspaper. As a matter of fact, however, it had been printed at the New York Tribune job office. It was a nice piece of deception and read as follows: A Brutal Murder and Robbery. Another of those outrageous and dastardly murders which have so recently startled the community occurred in this city yesterday afternoon, af-ternoon, the particulars of which are as follows: It appears that shortly after dark last evening a well dressed man, apparently thirty-five years of age, was found by the police lying near the foot of Courtland street in an insensi-. insensi-. ble condition. He was taken to the police station, where restoratives were administered, and when he had revived sufficiently he stated that his name was P. R. Jones and that he was from Fort Wayne, Ind. Mr. Jones was removed to the city hospital last evening, where he became be-came delirious and died about nine o'clock. The police are on the track of the murderers, who are supposed to be from Baltimore or Washington, as the clerk at the hotel states that they came in just after the arrival of the Washington Washing-ton train. The clerk is positive he can identify them. A frightful ghost had risen and was standing in its most horrible form before be-fore the now half-crazed stepson. The rope of the hangman was looming up before his eyes. He did not even take time to w-ash his face, so great was his anxiety to leave New York behind be-hind him. Even the very air he breathed seemed tainted with the foul odor of his crime. It was thought to be dangerous to travel by rail at first, and they started away on foot, and finally concluded to make -their way to New Orleans. Reec was, of couise, the ruling spirit and was carrying out the plan they had agreed upon. They doubled back and forth with the object of putting put-ting imaginary pursuers off the track. Reed was seeking delay for the purpose pur-pose of gaining time. When the pair arrived at New Orleans about the first thing that met their eyes was a handbill hand-bill posted in the depot describing the fugitives and offering a reward lor their arrest and conviction. Staring at the bill w;iih beads of perspiration starting upon his brow the Judge's stepson nearly collapsed. He was careworn, downhearted and mady to speed away as swift as steam could carry him. In the course of time the fugitives arrived at Brownsville, Tex From this point I received a note from Reed saying that they intended to cross the Rio Grande and worir their way to the City of Mexico. To the minds vf the detectives who played their pari in this case the whole affair appeared a farce. Arrer a time Reed returned from Mexico. He had given his companion the slip and was quite positive In his opinion that the judge's stepson would never dare show his face in th.6 United Uni-ted States. He declared the man was about the greatest coward he had over met with. Reed was correct in his opinion, as the fugitive, so far as I know, has never been heard of. He certainly did not appear in Washington to further annoy the judge and his wife. He may still be running from a Nemesis that will never overtake him. (Copyrlsht. 1910, by W. Q. Chapman.) i " I li lis Mwyzw WW SKHxM w i.-.,7fV7J?jjHAD MET the judge fre-''l&tyj fre-''l&tyj luent'y and feIt qn'te x'ws w we" acquainted with ! TO him. He was a politi- f B'J eian of DOte lu"1 a mem-tm mem-tm w ber of the Presldent's IVK MA cabinet Because of his I prominence and his one- ty fffj time important connec-Vm&SMm connec-Vm&SMm tion with the government, govern-ment, I shall forbear the mention of his name. It would be familiar fa-miliar to every reader. One day I received a message from him requesting me to call at his office at my earliest convenience. Presenting Present-ing myself I was given a private interview. in-terview. After a little preliminary conversation the judge said that he wanted to talk to me in regard to a personal matter. He needed my assistance assist-ance in an affair of much concern to himself and wife. He then related at Bome length the history of his family troubles. There was a skeleton in his closet. He had sent for me believing that I might be able to devise some measure of relief. "My wife," he eaid, "is very mucn worried and quite prostrated with grief. She is in such a nervous state of mind I fear she will break down altogether." His eyes filled with tears as he explained the cause of their great trouble. "She was a widow with an only son when I married her. This son, notwithstanding his moral training train-ing and tender care, has turned out to be an unmitigated villain and a constant con-stant menace to our peace of mind. He seems to be heartless and devoid of decency and respect for our position. posi-tion. Besides, he is a thief. Only a Bhort time ago he was arrested in Chicago, Chi-cago, taken to Baltimore and charged with committing a robbery in a house of ill repute. I was compelled to settle set-tle the case or suffer the disgrace of an exposure. Wine and women are his hobbies. He is reckless in the use of money and will resort to any means to obtain it. Even now I am furnishing furnish-ing the money wherewith to gratify his vicious appetite. God knows what he will do next! We are living in constant con-stant fear that he will do something to publicly disgrace us. Now, if there is any way that he can be got out of the country without publicity, if you can devise any plan to get rid of him without killing him or sending him to the penitentiary, it will meet with my approval. I think it is a case where severe measures would be entirely justifiable. Just "think of it! The scapegrace has gone so far in his depravity de-pravity as to escort a woman of known bad character to his mother's receptions." recep-tions." My sympathies once aroused and a promise made, I felt bound to take some action. It appeared a difficult undertaking. The fellow was to be got rid of, but just how was the question that puzzled my brain. I had read of many strange disappearances of persons who were never afterwards heard of, but the manner of their disappearance dis-appearance was not always clear. It may have been a voluntary act, mental aberration or the result of a crime. I prided myself upon my skill in devising de-vising ways and means to accomplish an end, but the case in hand, after some deliberation, appeared somewhat like perpetrating a wrong deed for the purpose of accomplishing a good result. If the story told by the judge was true, there would be but little difficulty difficul-ty in landing the rascal in the penitentiary peni-tentiary for the crimes he was committing com-mitting almost daily; but a measure of this kind would mean exposure and disgrace. To put him away by foul means was out of the question. He may have deserved a sharp medicine, and the world may have been better i off without him, but there was no ' thought of doing him bodily harm. I The idea was to dispose of him and I elide him out of the country tenderly, j The judge wanted to get rid of him, I but could suggest no way. It wus a I delicate case to handle. I knew that 1 the judge was a conscientious and bu- j mane man and that he meant no 1 wrong, and it was difficult for me to i understand the course I could safely pursue. As I turned to leave the judge's office his wife entered the room. I was introduced, and cast my ejes upon her face. It did not appear qjte new to me. Could I be mistaken? Had I met her before? As the possible recognition rec-ognition did not appear mutual 1 was unable to place' her. The judge turned away to converse with his disbursing clerk. The j'ife, who had evidently been informed in regard to the purpose of my interview with the judge, requested me to be seated. Placing her hand upon m.-arm m.-arm she smiled pleasantly, while assuring as-suring me of her faith in my ability to do something to help them out of the deep trouble they were in. She spoke bitterly of her son and of the many indignities in-dignities he had heaped upon her. She wanted to be freed from him. The manner in which he wrnn to be disposed of did not seem to pfve her much concern. She wished Mm banished ban-ished in some far-away country; if he Here dead, she would feel relieved. White relating her troubles she chanced to mention the name of her first husband. On the instant I recognized recog-nized her as an old acquaintance. 1 youth. His face was indicative of criminal tendencies. I was told that he was a difficult man to approach, that he did not care for the companionship compan-ionship of men. This being the case I was at a loss to determine how to reach him. It was necessary to introduce intro-duce a stranger in order to carry out the plot I had In view. Alter pondering over the matter for some daya I hit upon an expedient that I believed would dispose of the young man without public exposure or resorting to crime. There was in my employ at this time a man whom I shall call Reed. If ever there was a born confidence man he was the one; an actor that could assume a part, live it and play it through with a face as solemn as the graveyard; never vicious, vi-cious, but ever apparently in earnest while practicing a deception for misleading mis-leading only those who ought to be misled. I had found him on all occasions occa-sions to be a valuable assistant in furthering the ends of justice. Reed hailed from the south, had just arrived in the city and was in quest of a private lodging place. The judge's stepson was now occupying an elegant suite of rooms in a fashionable location. lie was so ompletely captivated capti-vated by Reed's assumed manners and apparent wealth that he was delighted at the opportunity afforded to secure a roommate. The detective accepted the offer made by his new friend and soon found himself in quite a novel and dangerous situation. He was the companion of a thief whose exploits were liable to involve both in trouble. He had led his roommate to believe that he was himself engaged in questionable ques-tionable transactions and that New York was the place to operate In. "There," said he, "are chances to and I have taken many drinks together." to-gether." "Oh, yes," drawled Mr. Jones; "what on earth are you doing in New York?" "Just looking around and having a good time. Let's go and take something." some-thing." "Come along, Jones. Let us go around to our hotel," said Reed. The trio went to the Merchants. Jones accepted ac-cepted an invitation to go to the room, of his friends. "What is your favorite drink?" asked Reed. "Plain brandy," said Jones. "I will go cown and bring up a bottle." bot-tle." As Reed moved away he winked slyly to the judge's stepson. After an absence of some thirty minutes or more Reed returned with the brandy. He pulled the cork. While Jones was looking out of the window he slipped a small vial out of his pocket and, giving giv-ing his partner an opportunity to see ' it, he turned the contents into the ! bottle of brandy. He gave the bottle a shake and set it down on the table. Tne judge's stepson's face flushed and there was a tremor in his voice. He seemed to comprehend the noxious ! power of the venomous ingredient that had been poured into the bottle. Reed appeared self-possessed and proficient in the art of deceiving and bold and bad enough to commit any crime, while the young man was evidently greatly frightened not because of any compunctions of conscience, but for the reason that he was, as was afterwards after-wards shown, a natural born coward. He possessed none of the elements and rugged force of an assassin. He seemed to have a nervous apprehension apprehen-sion that he was wading in water too deep and dangerous. He was heart- |