Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Jan. 31, 1913, edition 1 / Page 7
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cormmtr isu JofanstOll. jxeßotßyaaatiaoaumlllustra SYNOPSIS. Hardin* lfsnt calls on Louise Farrish to propose munitte and finds the house In excitement over the attempted aul elde of har (titer Katharine. Kent starts en Investigation and flnda that Hugh Crandall, suitor for Katharine, who had been forbidden the houae by Oeneral Far rish, had talked with Katharine over the telephone Just before aha ahot heraelf. A torn place of yellow paper la found, at sight of which General Farrlah la •trlckan with paralyala. Kent dlacovera that Crandall has left town hurriedly. Andrew Elaer, an aged banker, commits suicide about the same time as Katharine attempted her life. A yellow envelope Is found In Riser's room. Poet Office In spector Davis. Kent's friend, takes up we case. Kent Is convinced that Cran dall Is at the bottom of the mystery. Katharine's strange outcry puzzles the detectives. Kent and Davis search Cran dall's room and And an address. Dock Bo* IT. Ardway, N. J. Kent goes to Ard way to Investigate and beoQmea suspi cious of a "Henry Cook." A woman commits suicide at the Ardway Hotel. A yellow letter also figures In this case. j , CHAPTER VII. Two Dlsapptsrancss. I looked at my watch and aaw that It was nearly noon. I remembered that I had not yet called up Louise as I had Intended to do the very first thine that morning. What a laggard lover ahe must think met How heartless It must seem to her for me to leave her alone ao long In the mansion where here father and slater lay dying, per haps dead, with the black ahadowy mystery still hanging over her sad them! What mast she think of me? Filled with self-reproach I sprang op without a word of apology or explana tion to the others and hastened to the telephone booth I had observed In the hall. "Give me 0141 Madison," I demand ed of central. "What's the matter?" she repeated, with surprise In her tone, which struck me peculiarly until I considered that long-dlatanoe calls from Ardway must be such a rarity aa to surprlae even the operator. "I want long-dlatanoe—New York," I explained, enunciating distinctly, "OKI Madison." "Again," central replied, flippantly. It appeared to me. I repeated the number, more than annoyed by her response. "Oh, I've got your number all right by this time." It was a good thing for her that she tried no more Jocularity with me, or the rulea of the company against pro fanity would have been shattered. There was a wait of several minutes, filled with the usual false alarms of long-dlstanoe telephoning, during which I stood and fumed. At last I heard my dear Louise's voice and has tened eagerly to ask after her wel fare. Her voice and cheerful, though she admitted that she bad slept little the night before. I apologized for not having called up be fore. She told me that while her fa ther's condition was unchanged, the doctor thought he was in no Immedi ate danger, and that Katharine was much improved. The doctor believed now that she could live. She was con scious, but very weak, and Louise had been forbidden to speak to her and was allowed in the room only for a minute at a time. I hastily sketched for her the events of the morning. "Oh, Mr. Kent," said Louise's voloe —how I wished she would call me by my first name—"who do you suppose called up?" "Who?" "Hugh Crandall." "What's that?" I exclaimed, hardly believing my ears. "Hugh Crandall," she repeated a lit tle louder and more distinctly. "He asked for Katharine, and the maid called me to the telephone. I told him my sister was 111 and could not come to the telephone. He seemed greatly agitated and Insisted on knowing what the matter was. He was so agitated and persistent I finally told him she bad met with an accident He was silent for so long I thought be had left the telephone, but all of a sudden lie asked. Did she shoot herself?' and before. I thought I answered 'Yes.' Then he cried out, *oh, my God!' or eomething like that and asked If she ■was fatally Injured. I told him that sbe was alive bat anoonsdoas, and then, Harding, be asked If 1 had seen anything of a yellow letter. I thought I had better tell him nothing; about that, so I answered 'No,' and then he' rang off." "That was right," I said. "Where -did be call up from?" "I have no idea." "When was It? How lone ago?" "Not very lons —within the hour." Hastily I explained to Louise that a «aan that I believed was Crandall was here In the hotel with me and that 1 would find him at onoe and make him explain the mystery. Before I left the booth I got the Ardway central again and from her learned what I had be son to suspect—that "0141 Madison" had been called from the very booth In which I stood, not over aa hoar be fore. There was no longer any doubt about It In my mind —Cook was Cran dall. He evidently had gone straight to the telephone booth after slipping out of the room as I had asked the question about the yellow letter. From the Questions he put to Louise, he must have been suspecting that Kath arine would try suicide. Why else had he asked If she had shot herself? He must have known her motive. He surely could explain the dark mystery that burdened her father and herself. I resolved to seek him at once and, even If I had to have him arrested on some pretext, or If I had to use physi cal force, to make him disgorge all he knew. I felt In my pocket to make sure that the revolver Davis had giv en me was there, and hurried back to the office. "Have you seen anything of Cook?" I asked, trying to mask tbe eagerness with which I sought him. "Not slnoe this morning," the land lord volunteered. "I guess you saw him after I did. The coroner told me you aaw him leaving the room during the Inquest" "I seen him," volunteered the clerk. "Where? When?" I asked excitedly. "About an hour ago, driving past here lickety-spllt with the black mare ' from Jones' livery stable." "Which direction did he go?" I | cried, all excitement at the thought that Crandall was escaping Just at the 1 very moment when I, for the first ' time, had made aure of hlk identity. "He must be followed and found at [ once," I said, turning to the landlord. "Dont his actions look to yon like 1 those of a guilty man? Tbe minute he hears me ask about a yellow letter he 1 disappears from the hotel. There is 1 no train by which he can escape. So desperate Is he that he hires a horse and tries to get away cross country." I had hoped by my eagerness to , stir In the landlord something of my : own feeling in regard to Crandall's . guilt, but these country yokels are : hard to move. i "Wh%t do you suspect him of?" he inquired calmly. "Why should he want to escape from you? Have you l «ot a warrant for him?" I was not yet ready to divulge my , reason for wanting Crandall captured. Even if we had him, what definite i crime was there of which I could ac > cuse him? I was morally certain that i the yellow letter or letters emanated from him, yet how could I prove it? A i new thought came to me. "Where Is his baggage?" I asked. "He only had a hand-satchel with him," said Mr. Williams, "and I guess , that is up in his room." • "Suppose we go look for it," I sug ; gested. ! "You don't do no such thing as that - in my hotel," said the landlord de ■ cislvely, "not unless you've got a war- I rant. He's paid for his room for a i week in advance, and there ain't no ! law to prevent his going and coming as he pleases, so long as there ain't ■ no warrant out for him. If he wants > to get out of town behind the fastest horses in Jones' stable I ain't a-going i to try to stop him, and what's more, if ! he has left his grip In his room it is going to stay there. Maybe or maybe I not there are things in it, but there I ain't no prying stranger going to know i what's there unless he can show me I due warrant of law." "You may be defeating the ends of > Justioe," I warned him sternly, indig ■ nantly resenting his remark, yet see i lng no way in which I could success fully, dodge his appellation of "prying stranger" without revealing my whole hand, and this I was determined not to do until Davis arrived and I had had an opportunity to consult with him. "I may be blocking your plans," said the landlord gruffly, "but you'll get no mors help out of me unless I know what it Is you are after. The right kind of a mystery doesn't hurt the ho tel business, but there's things that do, and If you want any help from me, young man, I'v« got ro know what's going on." "I wish 1 knew myself," I said men tally, adding aloud: "When I am ready to speak you will hear many things that will astound you. Mean while, I tell you that I have every rea son to believe that that man who fled from hare Is a great criminal and that If you do not aid In his apprehension you will be doing; a serious wrong to the community. I'll tell you this much, I am convlnoed that he was re sponsible for this woman's death and > for other deaths." "Maybe he is and maybe he ain't," said the landlord. "I saw tbe lady myself, and nobody can persuade me It was anything but a suicide. Why, I cut her down!" "I am not denying that she commit ted suicide," I replied with some as perity, "but I am morally certain that If she killed herself she was driven to it by the man who has just fled. I insist on being allowed to examine his baggage." "Look here, young man." said Mr. WlHiams, *3 have told you onoe and for all that the baggage of no guest In this house Is going to be examined without due process of law. And I want to say right here that it's evident that yoa yourself know a lot more abeat this case than yoa are tellln*. I * If rw are aa officer and can afeow me a warrant lam readj to give you all the aid and aulitanoe I can, but until you do, I'd adrlae you to your noee out of things that ain't your bual neaa and to stay out of places you ain't got a right to be In." The suspicion crossed my mind that It might be he who had discovered me in the post office the night before. I decided quickly that it could not hare been, for be was in the hotel when I arrived. I felt sure It must have been either Crandall or the postmaster. Plainly, though, there was nothing further to be gained by argument with the obtuae Mr. Williams. After all, there ought not to be much difficulty in tracing Crandall by the vehicle In which he had driven away. That could wait until Davis arrived. Meanwhile I pondered on what I could do to throw light on the caae. I had it. I would visit the post office again and aee what I could learn about the holder of the lock box from which Davie believed the yellow letters came. Abruptly leaving the landlord, I strolled out Into the street, determined to go boldly to the post office and make inquiries. As I approached the building I saw a little group" of vil lagers gathered in front of it, the facee of some of whom I had noted at th® Inquest. They seemed to be ex citedly discussing some happening. It was not without some trepidation that I came cloaer. If my visit to the post office had been discovered and there was anyone In the crowd who could Identify me, an awkward situation might develop. 1 put on a bold front, howevec, and approached closer. "What's the matter?" I asked, try ing to make my inquiry seem casual. "The postmaster's disappeared," some one explained. "Where?" "Don't know," said my informant. "He didn't come to the office at all to day. When the people come for their mail after the New York train got in he wasn't here. Hank Rollins alwaya brings it up on the stage, and as he's passing, throws it off on the board walk and the postmaster comes out and gets it. Nobody ever goes for their mall for a few minutes after that, to give him a chance to get It sorted. The first persons who got here today found the mail-sack lying just where the driver had flung It." "Yes, sir," broke In an old man whom I heard them call "Dad" Hutch inson. "Yes, sir, I was the first to no tloe it. I was going to the office to see if maybe there was a letter for me from my daughter Mary, who lives up Boston way, and I noticed the sack lying right over there. I went Into the office to tell the postmaster about it and kind of have a little fun with j "The Poatmaater'a Dlaappeared," Some One Explained. him, and bless my soul If there was hide or hair of him to be seen any where. Looking through the boxes, I could see tint the back door was standing open, and I went around there and looked, and I couldn't see anything of him, either. It didn't aeem right for the mail to be lying out there on the sidewalk, 'twas like taking un due liberty with government property, so I dragged the sack around and flung it In the door and went looking for the constable. Then I heard about the sui cide and ths tnqpest down' to the hotel, •o I went down there to fetch him, and all the crowd that had been down to the Inquest come trailing along." "I noticed when I come along here last night that the post office dark," volunteered another of the crowd. "I don't know just what time It was, but it was just before It began to rain. I remember, now, thinking It kind of funny the office was shut up so early, but I dldnt stop to investi gate. I'll bet he wasn't here last night, either." "It's burglars, that's what it Is," said an excited youngster. "I saw them at work. I come along here last night and there was a flash, like from a dark lantern. Right in there behind the boxes, it was. They must a been at work then. I'll bet they killed him and hid his body and made away with all the money and stamps." "How many of them were there?" "Did you see them?" "What time was it?" .. Questions poured thick and fast 01 the youngster, who evidently had told all he Iknew and a little more. I took advantage of the furor his story had created to slip around to the rear of the building, where I found a self-ap pointed committee of cltisens and the constable guarding the door. "Haa anything been stolen?" I asked. "Not as far as we can discover," said the constable. "There ain't no disorder about the place and the safe hasn't been busted, as far as I can see. I ain't made any regular inves tigation, being as this is government property." "Haa no one any Idea where tne postmaster is?" I asked. "That's just what we've been trying to find out. Jim, here, as soon as we found Rouser wasn't here, went up to the Widow Smith's, where he boards. Thought maybe he'd just overslept or something like that, or maybe was sick. Hut Mrs. Smith went up and looked In his room and come down and said he hadn't been home all night." " Yes," interrupted Jim, "and what's more, she said It was nothing unusual for him not to come home. There was lots and lots of nights recently when he didn't show up. She had no Idea where he spent his nights. She's a woman that minds her owp business and don't interfere none with her boarders' goings and comings as long as they pay their money regular." "What are you going to do about keeping the office open?" I asked, much pusiled over this new mystery. How I wished for Davis! Mystery seemed to be piling on mystery with every step I took. Beyond the one conviction I had that Hugh Crandall was In some way to blame for It all, I saw nothing that would help me In my undertaking. "We've arranged about that. We've sent for Jennie Cox to come over and take charge. She always takes hold when Charlie Rouser wants to taka a day or a haJf-day off. She knows the combination of the safe and the money drawer, and has been sworn In as spe cial assistant.' Shell know what to do and who to notify." "It may interest you to know that Post Office inspector Davis will be out here tonight," I told them. "I left him in New York last night, and he promised to Join me here." Suspicion flashed into the faces of all my auditors. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Both Cold and Distant. "Have you any distant relatives?" "I should say so! My Uncle Tobias wouldn't live in the same town with ma." SIX DIM OF GENERALASSEMBLY STEWART DIVORCE BILL AND ANTI-TRUST BILL PA3BEB THE HOUSE. BILLS PASS FINAL READING -ive-Years Separation Ground For Action and Right to Remarry.—Jus tice's Messure Goes Through With out Discussion. —Other Work Done. I Senate—Wednesdsy. Petitions were presented for a six months school term from cltisens of Forsyth county, other counties and several Farmers' Unions; for a better :hlld law and a compulsory school law from various Junior Order coun ills; for a censorship of moving pic ture films from the Ministerial Union of Statesvtlle; to Increase the num ber of Superior Court Judges to 24 from the bar of Goldsboro. The following bills were passed on final reading: _____ House bill to build a bridge over South River, between Cumberland and Sampson counties. Senate bill to repeal the act for a bridge across Pec Dee River. Senate bill to repeal the Anson county road bond act of 1911. Senate resolution for relief of Jo seph S. Royster, sheriff of Vance A number of new bills were Intro duced in the Senate. House—Wednesday. Mr. Murphy for the Committee on Rules recommended the apointment of a Committee on Forestry, Drainage and Conservation. Among blllß receiving favorable committee report were: Providing bail for fugitives; foreclosure of cer tain conditional sales; bill relating to venue of action; bill amending the law as to making false statements to secure goods on credit; bill prohibit ing tipping. The Committee on Health reported unfavorably the bill by Williams of Cabarrus to restrict the right of medical colleges to use bodies of paupers for dissecting. There was favorable report for the bill allowing the Virginia, Carolina Railroad company to build a road in Ashe county. Benate—Thursday. The following final readings: Senate bill to provide additional support for the graded schools of Newbern. House bill to enable Kinston to vote on bonds for the Feeble-Mlnded. Senate bill to repeal the act re quiring thhe sheriff of Anson county to purchase and keep bloodhounds. Senate bill to repeal the act of 1911 relative to stock law in portion of Pitt county. Senate hill ta amend the charter of the Watauga Rullway Company, so as to allow it to take right-of-way before condemnation proceedings. House bill to amend the charter of Elon College, as amended by the Committee on Judiciary No. 1, to strike out the % provision making It a misdemeanor to sell on credit to a minor student, without consent of I tho college authorities. House —Thursday. I Among bills receiving favorable re i ports from committees were: Justice's j legalized primary law, with minority I report from Elections Committee by Mr. Bowie and five others, urging that it do not pass. To authorize Dunn to issue sewerage bonds; Stewart's bill as to divorce for amended so divorce is available nfter five Instead of two years; exemption of National Guardsmen from Jury and road duty. The House made a special order for the Justice primary election bill for the evening of January Senate —Friday. Petitions were received from citi zens of Richmond, Craven, Halifax, Madison, and Rockingham counties for a six-months school term, and from Junior Order Councils in Guilford, Da- I vidson and Mecklenburg for a better child labor law and for compulsory school law. The building and loan bill was laid | before the, Senate as unfinished busl j ness. The bills as amended by the Commit tee, were then passed on final reading without division and ordered engross ed and sent to the house. The joint resolution providing for a Standing Committee on Private and Public Local Bills was called up by Senator Hobgood, and adopted, after a little discussion, by a decisive vote. House —Friday. Numerous petitions for sive-months school terms and for compulsory at tendance were sent forward. Taxation Plan to Remedy Problem. The General Assembly is Consider ing the taxation problem with the view of equalizing the burdens Inci dent to -government. The fact is well known, and has been the subject of much complaint that those who are able to pay and who derive the great est benefits by reason of established government do not bear taxation bur dens in proportion to the benefits de rived but that on the contrary, the poorer people, those not so well able to bear the burdens, are forced to austaln the extra servitude. There fM also a petition for Qd repeal of the Hceme tax cm photon rapbers. Among the bills favorably reported from committees were: To allow jurors to be drawn from counties other than that of trial in certain cases; the Williams of Bum combe vital statistics bill; to allow counties to establish hospitals; em ployer's liability bni making the Fed eral law apply in state cases; to pre vent tipping; and to prevent children 1 from using firearms. Senate—Saturday. The Senate suspended rules for Senator Stubbs and passed an en»- pioyers' liability bill he only intro duced today, which embraced all cor porations. It extends to them tb« provisions of the act of Congress rela-i tive to common carriers' liability tot employees, the bill applying this act to North Carolina. Tho Senate passed the Council act; to prevent a multiplicity of indict ments below the grade of felony. The Senate referred the jotait reso-j lution from the House asking for thei passage of the Webb-Kenyan Hqoor bill by Congress to the Committee osi Federal Relations. Among bills which passed final reading were; To consolidate Winston and Salem; to authorize the construc tion of Watauga Railroad through Watauga and Ashe counties as part of the Carolina-Virginia road. House—Saturday. —*=— Just before adjournment Saturday the Mouse found Itself confronted with the condition that, there being no private or local public bills on the calendar, there was nothing that conld be done further Saturday or Monday, owing to a motion by Justice of Guil ford adopted that no public bills be considered during his absence. Mem bers of the House insisted that they had not intended to vote any such motion, their understanding being that merely none of the bills Intro duced by Justice, or in which he was specially interested, should be con sidered. Mr. Stewart's bill against tipping passed second reading in the House. A number of bills were introduced in the House. Senate—Monday. Senator Watts, chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, moved for the appointment of a clerk to his committee. The followingß bills passed final readings: House bill to amend the charter ol Town of Salem. Senate bill to authorize Waynes ville to tssue bonds and complete the graded school building. * Senate bill to amend the charter of EasF spencer, Rowan county. Senate bill to authorize an election for graded school bonds in Scotland Neck. Senate bill authorizing Forsyth county to issue refunding bonds or notes to pay for part of the construc tion of Roanoke & Southern Railway Senate bill to validate electric lißht bond election in Ashcboro. Senate bill to incorporate Town of Grandin, Caldwell county. Houee—Monday. There was th® usual flood of petitions from all sections of the state for six months Bchool terms and a number for compulsory attendance and for child labor legislation. There was favorable report for the Kellum bill to restore local self-gov ernment to New Hanover county, a bill that only provides for change in the number of justices of the peace for Wilmington township. Senate—Tuesday. Petitions were received from Gas ton, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Rocking ham, Rowan and Watauga counties •or six-months school terms. The following hills passed final reading: 7 Senate bill to amend section 3505 of the Revisal, so as to make the mini mum punishment for horse-stealing four months instead of five years. This was opposed by Wakefield and Watts. House bill to amend the Revisal, section 93, so as to require notice of refusal to pay an account by an ad ministrator to be in writing, the Sen ate amendment not to apply to tran sactions prior to enactment. Senator Studdert was ndded to the Committee on Penal Institutions. House—Tuesday. Raleigh.—The Stewart bill amend ing the divorce laws passed the House Tuesday afternoon. It origi nally provided that for two years be ground The com-, mittee had amended this, making the time Ave years, the party abandoned without cause having the right to re marry. The House passed the Justice anti trust hill, which applies the Federal anti-trust law to the state, enacts the provisions of the old Reid anti-trust bill of the 1907 session and provides machinery for the Attorney General to enforce the law. A number of bills passed final read ing in the house. For Six Months Public Schools. Public demand and the attitude of those in charge of legislation . for - longer terms in the public schools in dicate that a bill providing for six month's school terms in all public schools of the state will be enacted by the Legislature. The favorite pro visions are contained In the bills in troduced in the Senate by Senator T. T. Thome and in the House by Rep resentative Mark Majette, the two bills being identical and having the endorsement of the educational com mittees of department of education. •
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
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Jan. 31, 1913, edition 1
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