Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 524 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

By this timo the engineer of the switch-engine Was just coming to, and Frank assisied him to get up and bathed bis head and face with water. ‘* Where ara 1?” were the man’s first words, Frank explained what had taken place, and the realization of the danger he had been in re- stored the man’s mind to its normal vigor. ‘* Heavens!” he gasped, ‘‘ suppose we had met some train! [ remember now the fellow’s jump- iag up on the engine, but I thought it was the fireman. 1l was seatedin the cab, and merely turned my head to see who it was, when I saw an arm uplifted to strike me, I tried t» dodge, and that is the last I know about it,” ‘‘Can yourun your engine back to Oakvale? or shall foo ast to 1t and pull it there?” I*’rank asked, ‘* Yes, Ican run her back,” was the reply. ‘“‘T am all right, except a fearfully sore head.” While talking, Frank had tested the water in the boiler, turned on the injectors and fixed up the fire, and seeing that the engineer, was, as he declared, all right, be now left him and returned to his own engine. Ilis prisoner being safely bound, and not like- ly to return to consciousness for some time any- how, Frank left him in charge of the other engineer. <F ‘ne run back to Oakvale was made with due caution, and without incident worthy of men- tion, and when the two engines arrived there and explanations were made, Footboard Frank was the hero of the hour. rhe news of the mysterious starting-off of the two engines had spread rapidly. Redlight Ralph had heard of it when he was returning from the police station, after the trunks had been put in a safe place, and at once the — of the matter suggested itself to his mind. {t was not only possible, but it seemed highly probable that he guessed aright. Ile rushed at once to the telegraph office, and did all that could be done to avert a collision, and when the two engines returned safely, he wus one of the first to congratulate the Engineer- Detegtive on his success. It had been a desperate chase, but Frank was the winner. Burke was carried to jail without delay, when a doctor was called to attend to him, and when he came to he found himself securely caged. lirs., Palmere was taken from the police station, then, on the warrant Frank held, and she, too, was lodged in jail. The town was a lexcitement, and ‘* Footboard Frank, the Nnginee-rDetectivé,” was upon every- body’s lips, Frank was by this time completely tired out, having had no rest for more than thirty-six hours, and he lost no time in going home to get some much-needed sleep. CHAPTER XV. THE CRIME AVENGED, Next day Daddy Gray’s body was taken home, and on the following day the funeral took place, Daddy had been a very popular man in Oak- vale, and the funeral was largely attended. After the burial the house was closed up, and Ethel went away with Mrs, Raymond to spend a few weeks with her at her charming home at Mansfield. The r girl was almost heartbroken. She had loved her father dearly, and they had been all in all to each other ever since the death of the wife and mother some years previously, Mr, and Mrs. ‘‘ Palmere” \.ere given a hear- ing, which resulted in their being remanded to jail witkout bail to await their trial, There was no doubt of their guilt, Brace Tyler and his consort would have been released on bail, but n8 one could be found who weuld stand as security for them. When the day of the trial came, there were more people in the little city of Oakvale than — ever been seen there at any one time be- ore. It seemed as though the whole population of the county had rushed into town en masse, The court-house was filled as soon as its doors were opened, by persons who bhad_ evidently come with the intention to sit there all day, and outside in the yard there was one dense mass of people, e very best-of legal talent had been secured, and it was expected that the defense would make a desperate fight. The first day was taken up in selecting a jury, and then the trial occupied two days more, The Engineer Detective. ee oe es —_—_—_—_—"—"“—"—*——— ss = i ————— ee ee The prosecution had kept the proofs of guilt as secret as possible, and when they were all offered in evidence the defense was left with barely a leg to stand on. The discovery of the crime was gone over first, and all the details were set forth, showing the evidence upon which the coroner and his jury had based their belief that it was a case of suicide. After that Frank Forrester, the ‘‘ Engineer- Detective,” took the stand, and presented his array of proofs, First he mentioned his belief that it was not suicide, but murder; and them he went on to explain in detail how he had found the clew and run the prisoners to earth. He told of his search for the supposed missing bullet, and what it led to, He exhibited the bit of cloth found under the nail on one of the boxes that had been in the car that night, and named Thomas Quinn as a witness to the finding of it as stated. uinn was called and corroborated the story. hen, still narrating his search for the bullet, Frank described his going to the hotel to look for some sign of it on the two trunks, and told of all that followed, He explained how and where he bad found the bullet, and called for Maggie Dolan, the ser- vant, to prove his statement. The woman appeared and testified to the truth of it, and was held to give further testimony later on. The bullet was shown, and also the revolver that had ‘been taken from Burka at the time of his capture, Daddy Gray’s revolver and the other bullet, too, were shown, and both weapons proved to be of the same kind, size and pattern. Going on, Frank told the whole story, except the part concerning his second visit to the hotel, He told of bis being sworn inas a deputy sheriff ; of bis getting the warrant of arrest; of his going to Brace Tyler’s house, where the man and woman then were, to serve it; of the fight that followed, and of his desperate chase and the final capture of Burke, When he concluded the room rung with ap- plause. | Maggie Dolan, the servant, was then recalled, and related what she had learned of the prison- ers while they were at the hotel. Ralph Raymond next took the stand. He testified to his going to watch the old house, and recited all that took place there, as is known to the reader. The two trunks were then carried into court, and the smaller one was opened first, In it was found the pair of trowsers from which had been torn the piece of cloth that had been shown by Footboard Frank. Then the other trunk was opened, and its mys- ty explained. Detective Spottem was present, and he fairly turned green with envy as he saw how badly the Engineer-Detective had outdone him. The chain of evidence was too strong to be broken. It was clear that the mnrderer had concealed himself in the trunk with the intention of rob- bing the Express-car. Daddy Gray had no doubt discovered him before he, the latter, could make an attack, and had at once drawn his weapon, Seeing his danger, Burke must have whipped out his own revolver and got in the first fire, killing the old man almost instantly; re nove from the htter’s revolver striking the runk, On the other side considerable of manufac- tured evidence was introduced to prove an alibi for Burke, but the witnesses contradicted one another seriously, and at last the defense broke down. The jury returned a verdict without leaving their seats, as Guilty." That, of course, meant guilty of murder in the first degree, and referred ont to Burke. The trial of Mrs, “ Palmere,” for her share in the robbery, etc., was to follow, The judg passed senteuce upon Burke with- out delay, and the condemned man was led away at once to be locked in the murderer’s cell. The woman’s case Was then called, and she pleaded guilty, made a confession in full, and ‘mplored the mercy of the court. fer name, she said, was not ‘ Palmere,” but ‘* Holden.” She was the wife of Burke Holden. She had been a public singer before marrying him. When she first met him she supposed he was an honest man, and loving bim, married him, She soon Iearned that he wasa profession- al burglar. She declared she had used her best influence to win him from a life of crime, but 15 without avail. He it was who invented the trunk scheme, and she had been obliged to assist him in carrying out his plans, They nad robbed hotels, boarding-houses, Express-cars, etc, to the extent of mauy thousand dollars. She had for- warded her trunks to Oakvale by Express on that fatal night in order to give Burke a chance to rob the car. He had no intention of killing the messenger, as his plan was to steal upon him un- seen and knock him senseless. The old man had discovered him, though, about as soon as he was out of the trunk, and he, Burke, killed him in self-defense—so he said. He went right on, though, and robbed the safe, replacing the key in the dead man’s pocket, It will be remembered that Mrs. ‘* Palmere” asked thé@way to a hotel, and when she arrived at the Grand Hotel, inquired at once for ‘ Mr. Palmere.” That was to pave the way for Burke’s appearance. As soon as the trunks were taken to the room in the hotel, Burke came forth, left the house via a window and the piaz- za, and afterward made his debut upon the scene, The woman was tried, found sory, and sentenced to prison years, But the sentence was never carried out, nor did she ever enter the prison. On the second morning after her trial she was found dead in her cell. In one hand was a letter addressed to Burke, and in the other a tiny vial showin that she had taken her own hfe by means o poison which she must have had secreted on her person. In her letter to Burke she said: “* * * Tloved you—with heart and soul Iloved you, and see to what depths I have followed you! Oh! if you had but listened to me, and had given up your life of crime, how different it would be with us to-day! But, it is now too late. Good-by, Burke, though perhaps not forever,” ilty, as acces- ora number of When the murderer read that, he broke down and wept, and regretted that he had not paid heed to the counsel of the woman who had so truly loved him. In due time he ended his miserable life on the gallows, as he deserved, Brace Tyler and his wife, too, were given their reward, Frank Forrester received the highest praise from every quarter, The case was printed ‘in full in the newspapers, and was commented on as being one of the quickest and most clever pieces of detective work on record. Starting with no clew whatever, he had in one day ferreted out the guilty ones and arrested them! Needless to add, Detective Joe] Spottem hung up his harp, so to say, and, figuratively speaking, went into mourning, Redlight Ralph would accept none of the honor people*wanted to thrust upon him for his share in the work, but gave it all to Frank. He, Ralph, had firmly resolved that the mystery should be cleared, and meant what he said; but the young engineer had done the work, and to him all praise was due. The Express Company gave Frank a hand- some reward, and later he received a bona fide offer from the great Allan Pinkerton to engage him in his service as a regular detective; but, Frank declined. He declared that he was not cut out for that business, and knew it. If, how- ever, any case should ever come up on the rail- road, he might try his hand at itagain. In the mean time, he would stick to his good engine, Conductor Warren, Agent Gilsom, and the other railroad men we have mentioned, are still with the M. C, & O. The man who was shot by Burke Holden, on the night of his arrest, soon recovered from his wound, tied In due time Frank and Ethel were married, and now reside at Oakvale, in Ethel’s old home, Frank has several times dipped into detective work, since the case we have chronicled here, and he is widely known as ‘* Footbeard Frank, the Engineer-Detective,.” THE END,