THE SEMI-WEEKLY ROBESONIAN.
7
r
THe THIRD
DEGREE
oA Narrative
Metropolitan
Life
By CHARLES KLEIN and
ARTHUR HORNBLOW
L
ILLjr.TRAT.ONS BY RAT WALTERS
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I. Hownrd Jeffries, bank
r" son, under the evil influence of Rob
ert Underwood, fellow-student at Yale,
leads a life of dissipation, marries the
daughter of a gambler who died in pri
son, and Is disowned by his father.
Forced to leave college, he tiles to get
werk and falls. His wife, Annie, is
straight as a ie, and has a heart of
gold. A former college chum makes a
business proposition to Howard which
requires $2,006 cash, and Howard la broke.
CHAPTER n. Robert Underwood, who
had made love te Annie in his college
days and was repulsed, and was once en
raged to Howard's stepmother, Alicia, is
a welcome visitor at the Jeffries home.
Underwood has apartments in the As
truria, an exclusive apartment house.
Howard recalls a $260 loan to Underwood
that remains unpaid and decides to ask
Wm for the $2,000 he needs.
CHAPTER III. Mrs. Jeffries, Sr., fool
lshly encourages a dangerous Intimacy
with Underwood which the latter takes
advantage of until he becomes a sort of
social highwayman. Discovering his true
character, Mrs. Jeffries denies him the
house.
CHAPTER IV. Alicia receives a note
from Underwood threatening suicide un
less she revokes her sentence of banish
ment. She decides to go and see him.
CHAPTER V. Underwood is In desper
ate financial straits. Merchants for whom
he has acted as commissioner In the sale
of art treasures demand an accounting.
Underwood cannot 'make good. Howard
Jeffries calls at Underwood's apartments
In an Intoxicated condition.
CHAPTER VI.-H asks Underwood for
$2,000 and is told the latter Is in debt up
to his eyes. Howard drinks himself into
a maudlin condition and Anally goes to
Bleep on a divan. A caller is announced
and Underwood draws a screen around
the drunken sleeper. Alicia enters.
CHAPTER VII. She demands from
Underwood a promise that he will not
take his life, pointing to the disgrace
that would attach to herself from having
been associated with a suicide. Under
wood refuses to promise unless she will
renew her patronage. This she refuses
to do, and takes her leave. Underwood
turns out the lights, places a pistol at
his temple, and fires.
CHAPTER IX.
Fifteen minutes passed without a
word being spoken. There was deep
silence In the room. It waB so quiet
that once could have heard a pin drop.
Had a disinterested spectator been
there to witness it, he would hare
been at once impressed by the dra
matic tableau presented the dead
man on the floor, his white shirt front
spattered with blood, the cringing,
frightened boy crouching In the chair,
the towering figure of the police cap
tain sitting sternly eyeing his hapless
prisoner, and at the far end of the
room Detective Sergeant Maloney
busy sending hurried messages
through the telephone.
"What did you do it for?" thundered
the captain suddenly.
Howard's tongue clove to his palate.
He could scarcely articulate. He was
innocent, of course, but there was
something In this man's manner which
made him fear that he might, after all,
have had something to do with the
tragedy. Yet he was positive that he
was asleep on the bed all the time.
The question is, would anybody believe
him? He shook his head pathetically.
"I didn't do it Really, I didn't."
"Shut your mouth! You're lying,
and you know you're lying. Wait till
the coroner comes. We'll fix you."
Again there was silence, and now be
gan a long, tedious wait, both men re
taining the same positions, the cap
tain watching his prisoner as a cat
watches a mouse.
Howard's mental anguish was al
most unendurable. He thought of his
poor wife who must be waiting up for
him all this time, wondering what had
become of him. She would imagine
the worst, and there was no telling
what she might do. If only he could
get word to her. Perhaps she would
be able to explain things. Then be
thought of his father. They had quar
reled, it was true, but after all it was
his own flesh and blood. At such a
critical situation as this, one forgets.
His father could hardly refuse to come
to his assistance. He must get a
lawyer, too, to protect his interests.
This police captain had no right to de
tain him like this. He must get word
to Annie without delay. Summoning
up all his courage, he said boldly:
"You are detaining me here without
warrant in law. I know my rights. I
am the son of one of the most In
fluential men In the city."
"What's your name?" growled the
captain.
"Howard Jeffries."
"Son of Howard Jeffries, the bank
er?" Howard nodded.
"Yes."
The captain turned to his sergeant.
"Maloney, this feller says he's the
aon of Howard Jeffries, the banker."
Maloney leaned over and whispered
something in the captain's ear. The
captain smiled grimly.
"So you're a bad character, eh? Fa
ther turned you out of doors, eh?
Where's that girl you ran away with?"
Sharply he added: "You see I know
your record."
"I've done nothing I'm ashamed of,"
replied Howard calmly. "I married
the girl. She's waiting my return now.
Won't you please let me send her a
message?"
The captain eyed Howard sus
piciously for a moment, then he turned
to his sergeant:
"Maloney, telephone this man's wife.
What's the number?"
"Eighty-elx Morningside."
Maloney again got busy with the
telephone and the wearying wait be
gan once more. The clock soon struck
two. For a whole hour he had been
subjected to this gruelling process,
and still the lynx-eyed captain sat
there watching his quarry.
If Capt. Clinton had begun to have
any doubts when Howard told him
who his father was, Maloney's infor
mation immediately put him at his
ease. It was all clear to him now.
The youth had never been any good.
His own father had kicked him out
He was In desperate financial straits.
He had come to this man's rooms to
make a demand for money. Under
wood had refused and there was a
quarrel, and he shot him. There was
probably a dispute over the woman.
Ah, yes, he remembered now. This
girl he married was formerly a sweet
heart of Underwood's. Jealousy was
behind it as well. Besides, wasn't he
caught red-handed, with blood on his
hands, trying to escape from the
apartment? Oh, they had him dead
to rights, all right. Any magistrate
would hold him on such evidence.
"It's the Tombs for him, all right,
all right," muttered the captain to
himself; "and maybe promotion for
me."
Suddenly there was a commotion
at the door The coroner entered,
followed by the undertaker. The two
men advanced quickly into the room,
and took a look at the body. After
making a hasty examination, the cor
oner turned to Capt. Clinton.
"Well, captain, I guess he's dead,
all right."
"Yes, and we ve got our man, too."'
The coroner turned to look at the
prisoner.
"Caught him red-handed, eh? Who
is he?"
Howard was about to blurt out a re
ply, when the captain thundered:
"Silence!"
To the coroner, the captain ex
plained: "He's the scapegrace son of How
ard Jeffries, the banker. No good
bad egg. His father turned him out
of doors. There is no question about
his guilt. Look at his hands. We
caught him trying to get away."
The coroner rose. He believed in
doing things promptly.
"I congratulate you, captain. Quick
work like this ought to do your repu
tation good. The community owes a
debt to the officers of the law if they
succeed in apprehending criminals
quickly. You've been getting some
pretty hard knocks lately, but I guess
you know your business."
Tne captain grinned broadly.
"I guess I do. Don't we, Maloney?"
"Yes, cap.," said Maloney, quietly.
The coroner turned to go.
"Well, there's nothing more for me
to do here. The man ia dead. Let
Justice take its course." Addressing
the undertaker, he said:
"You can remove the body.'
The men set about the work im
mediately. Carrying the corpse into
the inner room, they commenced U
work of laying it out.
"I suDDose." said the coroner, "that
you'll take your prisoner immediately
to the station house, and before the
magistrate to-morrow morning?"
"Not just yet," grinned the captain.
"I want to put a few questions to him
first."
The coroner smiled.
"You're going to put him through
the 'third degree,' eh? Every one's
heard of your star-chamber ordeals.
Are they really so dreadful?"
"Nonsense!" laughed the captain.
"We wouldn't harm a baby, would we,
Maloney?"
The sergeant quickly indorsed his
chief's opinion.
"No, cap."
Turning to go, the coroner said:
"Well, good-night, captain."
"Good-night, Mr. Coroner."
Howard listened to all this like one
transfixed. They seemed to be talk
ing about him. They were discussing
some frightful ordeal of which he was
to be a victim. What was this 'third
degree' they were talking about? Now
he remembered. He had hoard of in
nocent men being bullied, maltreated,
deprived of food and sleep for days.
in order to force them to tell what
the uolice were anxious to find out.
He had heard of secret assaults, of
midnight clubbings, of prisoners being
choked and brutally kicked by a gang
of ruffianly policemen, in order to
force them into some damaging ad
mission. A chill ran down his spine
as he realized his utter helplessness.
If he could only get word to a lawyer
Just as the coroner was disappearing
through the door, he darted forward
and laid a hand on his arm.
"Mr. Coroner, won't you listen to
me?" he exclaimed.
The coroner startled, drew back.
"I cannot interfere," he said coldly.
"Mr. Underwood was a friend of
mine." explained Howard. "I came
here to borrow money. I fell asleep
on that sofa. When I woke up he
was dead. I was frightened. I tried
to get away. That's the truth, so
help me God!"
The coroner looked at him sternly
and made no reply. No one could
ever reproach him with sympathizing
with criminals. Waving his hand a
Capt. Clinton, he said:
"Good-night, captain."
"Goodnight. Mr. Coroner."
The door slammed and Capt. Clin
ton, with a twist of his powerful arm,
yanked his prisoner back Into his
seat Howard protested.
"You've got no right to treat me
like this. You exceed your powers.
I demand to be taken before a magis
trate at once."
The captain grinned, and pointed to
the clock.
"Say, young feller, see what time it
is? Two-thirty a. m. Our good mag
istrates are all comfy In their virtu
ous beds. We'll have to wait till
morning."
"But what's the good of sitting here
in this death house?" protested How
ard. "Take me to the station if I
miiRt go. It's intolerable to sit any
longer here."
The captain beckoned to Maloney.
"Not so fast, young man. Before
we go to the station we want to ask
you a few questions. 'Don't we, Ma
loney?"
The sergeant came over, and the
captain whispered something in his
ear. Howard shivered. Suddenly
turning to his prisoner, the captain
shouted in the stern tone of com
mand:
"Get up!"
Howard did as he was ordered. He
felt he must. There was no resisting
that powerful brute's tone of authori
ty. Pointing to the other side of the
table, the captain went on:
"Stand over there where I can look
at you!"
The two men now faced each pther,
the small table alone separating
them. The powerful electrolier over
head cast Its light full on How
ard's haggard face and on the cap
tain's scowling features. Suddenly
Maloney turned off every electric
light except the lights in the elect
rolier, the glare of which was Inten
sified by the surrounding darkness.
The rest of the room was in shadow.
One saw only these two figures
standing vividly out in the strong
light the white-faced prisoner and
his stalwart inquisitor. In the dark
background stojd Policeman Delaney.
Close at hand was Maloney taking
notes.
You did itT"and you kflow you did
it!" thundered the captain, fixing his
eyes on his trembling victim.
"I did not do it," replied Howard
slowly arid firmly, returning the police
man's stare.
"You're lying!" shouted the captain.
"I'm not lying," replied Howard
calmly.
The captain glared at him for a
moment and then suddenly tried new
tactics.
"Why did you come here?" he de
manded.
"I came to borrow money."
"Did you get it?"
"No he said he couldn't give it to
me.
"Then you killed him."
"I did not kill him," replied Howard
positively.
Thus the searching examination
went on, mercilessly, tirelessly. The
same questions, the same answers, the'
same accusations, the same denials,
hour after hour. The captain wa
tired, but being a giant In physique,
he could stand It He knew that his
victim could not It was only a ques
tion of time when the latter's resist
ance would be weakened. Then he
would stop lying and tell the truth.
That's all he wanted the truth.
"Yoi shot him!"
"I did not."
"You're lying!"
"I'm not lying it's the truth."
So it went on, hour after hour, re
lentlessly, pitilessly, while the patient
Maloney, in the obscure background,
took notes.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Almost Lost Bis Life.
S. A. Stid. of Mason, Mich., will
never forget his terrible exposure to a
merciless storm. "It gave me a dread
ful cold," he writes, "that caused se
vere pains in my chest, so it was hard
fnr me tn breathe. A neichbor crave
me several doses of Dr. King's New
Discovery which broueht jrreat relief.
The doctor said I was on the verge of
pneumonia, but to continue with the
Discovery. I did so ana two Douies
completely cured me." Use only this
quick, safe, reliable medicine for
coughs, colds, or any throat or lung
trouble. Price 50c and $1.00. Trial
bottle free. Guranteed by all drug
gists. Lumberton Opera House
Monday Night,
February 19th
The Great New York Lyric
Theatre Success
"The Wolf"
" By Eugene Walter
The Greatest Realistic Drama
o! Me Season
Redolent with the Ozone
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A Play that held New York and
Chicago Spellbound for One
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The Scenes-The Atmos
phere, Depicting the Sim
ple Life of the Canadian
Woods
fl Canadian Indian Legion:
"When the wolves howl in pack in
Indian Summer it is a sign that
before the moon rises and sets
again some man will die."
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For further information, see or write
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9-11
Lumberton, N. C.
We Have on Display
a large stock of
Pall 5 winter
GOODS,
and we have an un
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urniture
and our prices are
right in keeping with the low
price of cotton. We have
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Neckwear
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If you need any furniture,
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purchasing.
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Lumberton, N, C.
W
SPOT SUmV
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The season is now on when the
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You are invited to look over our line.
L. H. CALDWELL
Hardware Department.
WHiittfficld & FFeecln
offer for sale 5,000 cakes
Octagon shaped slightly
fire damaged Laundry
Soap. 35 cents per
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Will sell this to anybody regard
less of size, color, politics or religion
4-12-4t
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