The Argosy, December 1905 — page 95: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

NO WAY OUT. The glass door marked “ Jacob Meyer, Loans and Diamonds,” was ajar, and the reporter heard the hum of voices inside the office. Perriam entered. Nobody was in the outer room, so he pushed open the green baize door which led to the private office beyond. Here he found a uniformed police- man, the gray-haired clerk, several re- porters, and a tall, heavy-set man with a square jaw. On the carpeted floor lay the body of the dead jeweler. Perriam recognized the man with the square jaw as Detective Sergeant Con- naughton, who had tHe reputation of being one of the best men in the detec- tive bureau. “ Hello, Perriam,” said Connaughton, who had met the reporter on several previous cases. “This looks like a pretty good case for you fellows.” S What “is=it??> asked Pérnam quietly. “A murder. Stabbed clean through the heart after a scuffle. Must have died instantly, according to the ambu- lance doctor.” “Have you got the murderer?” in- quired Perriam. “No; but we know who he is, and we will have him in a little while. We’ve got a clear case against him, too. He is a young man— a customer of this dead man. Was buying some diamonds on the instalment plan, and was three weeks behind on his payments, accord- ing to this half-deaf clerk. “Meyer, the dead man, wrote to him yesterday, threatening to make trouble if he didn’t pay up. The young man came to the office about fifteen minutes before the murder and was closeted with the jeweler. “The two fell to quarreling. This old clerk, half deaf as he is, heard them from the outer office, they made such a racket. “| reckon the old man, grew threat- ening, and the young fellow lost his temper. At any rate, a few minutes afterward the visitor burst out of the private office and took to the street on a run, yelling to the clerk, ‘ Look to your master; I’ve done for him.’ Oh, it’s a clear case, all right.” 77 “Looks like it. What did he kill him with? ” “A long-bladed sword-cane. We found it sticking in the body when we arrived.” “And you say he died instantly?” “Yes, according to the ambulance surgeon; the blade penetrated clear through the heart.” “T see. Then there is no mystery about the case? ” “None whatever. It’s all as clear as day. That young man will go to the chair for this. He can’t escape it.” “Good. It certainly looks like a clear case, all right. By the way, what’s the murderer’s name? ” “Arthur Ladd. Why do you start? Know him?” asked the detective with interest. “T know a young chap by that name I don’t know if it’s the same one, though. He rooms on the same floor as I do at my boarding-house. Let me see that sword cane. I know he always carried one, a bamboo affair. Jl tell you in a minute if it’s the same cane or not.” The detective produced the cane,-the blade of which was still smeared with the blood of the dead jeweler. “Yes, that’s Arthur Ladd’s cane,” said Perriam. “Id know it in a min- ute. He showed it to me only the other day and explained to me how it worked. You push a button, and the top half flies right off. So this was the cane that did the trick, eh? ” “Yes. What kind of a looking fellow is your friend, Perriam? ” “ Small, slim, clean-shaven, and about twenty-two years of age. Dresses well. Blue eyes, light hair.” “The same man,” said the detective convincingly. “ That’s the very descrip- tion this clerk here gives of him. We may have to use you as a witness, Per- riam, if you know that he owned that cane. “As a matter of fact, however, the clerk’s testimony will be strong enough. He saw him go in with the cane and come out without it.” “Then things look black for my un- fortunate young friend,” said Perriam soberly. “‘ By the way, what can you Go OOOKS AMUG (C@