Newspaper Page Text
The
Mardi Gras
Mystery
By
H. BEDFORD-JONES
w
Illustrations by
Irwin Myers
v
Cwrnjfct bj Donblcdar. Pace and Csatpaar
CHAPTER XI
—l6
The Gangsters.
G:amont left the covert and walked
forward.
He was thinking about that odd
mention of Jachin Fell —had Cha
cherre lied in saying he had come here
on his master’s business? Perhaps.
The man had come in Fell’s car, and
would not hesitate to lie about using
the car. For the moment Gramont
put away the circumstance, but did not
forget it.
He walked openly toward the Gum
berts buildings, thinking that he would
have time for a good look around the
place before dusk fell; he would then
get off for Houma and attend to Ham
mond's defense.
As for the place before him, he was
convinced that it was abandoned. Had
any one, other than Chacherre and
his two friends, been about the build
ings, the late excitement would have
brought out the fact. No one had ap
peared and the buildings seemed va
cant.
Gramont’s intent was simple and
straightforward. In case he found, as
he expected to find, any evidence of il
legal occupation about the place —as
the sheriff seemed to have discovered
to his cost —he would lay Chacherre
and the other two men by the heels
that night in Houma. He would then
go on to New Orleans and have Gum
berts arrested, although he had no ex
pectation that the master crook could
be held on the murder-accessory
charge. If this place were used for
the lotteries, even, he was fairly cer
tain that Memphis Izzy would have his
own tracks covered. The men higher
up always did.
He walked straight In upon the
barn. It loomed before him, closed,
lurid in the level rays of the wester
ing sun. The doors In front had been
only loosely swung together and Gra
rnont found them unlocked. He stood
In the opening, and surprise gripped
him. He was held motionless, gazing
with astonished wonder at the sight
confronting him.
Directly before him was a small
roadster, one which he remembered to
have seen Jachin Fell using; In this
car, doubtless, Ben Chacherre had
driven from the city. He recalled the
fact later, with poignant regret for a
lost opportunity. But, at the present
moment, he was lost In amazement at
the great number of other cars pre
senting -themselves to hls view.
They were lined up as deep as the
barn would hold them, crammed Into
every available foot of space; well
over a dozen cars, he reckoned swiftly.
What *as more, all were cars of the
highest class, with the exception of
Fell’s roadster. Directly before him
were two which he was well aware
must have cost close upon ten thou
sand each. What did this mean? Cer
tainly no one man or one group of men,
in this back-country spot, could expect
to use such an accumulation of ex
pensive cars 1
Gramont glanced around, but found
do trace of machinery In the burn.
Remembering the motor that he had
he: rd, he turned from the doorway
in frowning perplexity. He strode on
toward the leng shed which stood
oloser to the house. At the end of
shed was a door, and when he
tried |, Gramont frund It unlocked. It
swung open to his hand, and he
stepped Inside.
At first he paused, confused by the
wsgue objects around, for it was quite
irk in here. A moment, and his eyes
grow accustomed to the gloomier light*
in-. Details came to him: all around
were cars and fragments of cars,
chassis and bodies in all stages of
dismemberment. Still more cars!
lie slowly advanced to a long bench
ran the length of the shop be-
Death the windows. A shop, Indeed—
a '' a °P. he quickly perceived, fitted
v !i ev ery tool and machine necessary
' the most complete automobile re
j r establishment I Even an air
outfit, at one end, together with
6 'rying compartment, spoke of re
paint jobs.
oniprehenslon was slowly dawning
j- ■";> the mind of Qramont; a moment
became certainty, when he
, e to a Btop before an automobile
ne ’i'iDg on the bench. He found
be the engine from a Stutz —the
multi-valve type adopted by that
e of car, and t’.ls particular bit of
inerv looked like new.
Gramont Inspected It, and he saw
.that the'meh had done their work
well. The briginal engine number had
been carefully out, and the place
as carefully filled and leveled with
metal.;- Beside it a new' number had
been startipeifc A glance at the elec
trical equipment around showed that
these workers : had every appliance
with which to ‘urn out the most fin
ished jobs. i .
As he straightened up from the en
gine Gramont’s eyes fell upon a typed
sheet of paper affixed to the wall
above the bench. His gaze widened
as he inspected it by the failing light.
Upon that paper was a list of cars.
After each car was a series of num
bers plainly comprising the original
numbers of the engine, body, radiator
and other component parts, followed
by another series of new numbers to
be inserted. That sheet of paper
showed brains, organizing ability, care
and attention to the last detail!
Here was the most carefully
planned and thorough system of auto
mobile thievery that Gramont bad ever
heard of. He stood motionless, know
ing that this typed sheet of paper in
itself was damning evidence against
the whole gang of workers. What was
more to the point, that paper could be
traced; the typewriting could be
traced to the man higher up—doubt
less Memphis Izzy himself! These
men ran in cars by the wholesale,
probably from states adjacent to
Louisiana. Here, at this secluded
point on the bayou, they changed the
cars completely about, in number,
paint, style of body, and then prob
ably got rid of the new product in
New Orleans.
Gramont stood motionless. Surprise
had taken hold of him, and even a
feeling of slight dismay. This was
not at all what he had hoped to find
there. He bad thought to come upon
some traces of the lottery game—
“ Seen all you want, bo?” said a
voice behind him.
Gramont turned. He found himself
gazing directly into . n automatic pis
tol over which glittered a pair of blaz
ing eyes. The man was a stranger to
him. The place had not been desert
ed, after all. He was caught.
“Who are you?” demanded Gramont,
quietly.
“Me?” The stranger was unsmiling,
deadly. Tn those glittering eyes Gra
mont read the ferocity of an animal
at bay. “I s’pose you would like to
“Hurry Up! Turn Over the Name and
Address."
know that, huh? I guess you know
enough right now to get all that’s
cornin’ to you, bo! Got any particu
lar business here? Bpeaa up quick I”
Oramont was silent. The other
sneered at him, viciously.
“Hurry up! Turn over the name
and address, and I’ll notify the sur
vivin’ relatives. Name, please?"
“Henry Gramont,” was the calm re
sponse. “Don’t get hasty, my friend.
Didn’t you see me here a little while
ago with Chacherre and the other
boys?”
“What’s that?” The glittering eyes
flamed up with . usplcion and distrust.
“Here —with them? No, I didn’t. I
been away fishing all afternoon. What
the h—l you doing around this Joint?”
“Your best scheme," said Gramont,
coldly, “Is to change your style of
tone, and to do it in a hurry! If you
don’t kuow what’s happened here this
afternoon, don’t ask me; you’ll And
out soon enough when the other boys
get back. You’d better tell them I’m
going to get In touch with Memphis
Izzy the minute I get back to the city,
and that the less talking they and
“What the h—l’s all this?” demand
ed the other again, but with a soften
ing of accent. The moniker of Guin
berts had Its effect, and seemed to
shake the man instantly. Gramont
smiled os he perceived that the game
was won.
“I never heard of no Gramont," went
on the other, quickly. “What you doin’
here?”
“You’re due to learn a good many
things, I Imagine," said Gramont, care
lessly. “As for me, I happened on the
place largely by accident. I happen
to be In partwsrehlp wltfc a man
THE DANiELSVILLE MONITOR, DANIELSVILLE, GEORGIA.
named Fell,- and I came out
here. ,t>n, business—”
To astonishment the pis
l°r was lowered instantly. It was well
that he ceased speaking, for what ho
had just gaid proved to be open to
•misconstruction, and If lie had said
hny more lie w’ould have spoiled It.
“You’re in partnership with the
boss!” came the astounding words.
“Well, why in h—l didn’t you say all
that In the first place, Instead o’
beefin’ around? That's no way to butt
in, and me thinking you was some
dick on the job! Got anything to
Prove that you ain’t pullin’ something
cute on me?”
“Do you know Fell’s writing?” asked
Gramont, with difficulty forcing him
self to meet the situation coherently.
Jachin Fell —the boss!
"I know his mitt, all right.”
From liis pocket Gramont produced
a paper—the memorandum or agree
ment which he had drawn up with
Fell tiie previous afternoon, relating
to the oil company. The other man
took it and switched on an electric
light bulb overhead. In tills glare lie
was revealed as a ratty little indi
vidual with open mouth and teeth
hanging out —an adenoidal type, and
certainly a criminal type.
It crossed the mind of Gramont that
one blow would do the work—but he
stood motionless. No sudden game
would help him here. The discovery
that Fell was “the boss" paralyzed
him completely. He had never dreamed
of such a contingency. Fell, of all
men!
Jachin Fell the “boss” of tills estab
lishment! Jachin Fell the man high
er up—the brains behind this criminal
organization! It was a perfect thun
derbolt to Gramont. Now he under
stood why Chacherre was In the em
ploy of Fell —why no arrest of the
man had been possible! Now lie per
ceived that Chacherre must have told
the truth about coming here on busi
ness for Fell. Reaching farther back,
lie saw that Fell must have received
the loot of the Midnight Masquer,
must have turned It over to Lucie
Ledanols—
Did she know?
“All right, Mr. Gramont." The ratty
little man turned to Mm with evident
change of front. “We ain’t fakin’ no
chances here, y’unuerstand. Got quite
a shipment of cars CQtnin’ in from
Texas, and we’re tryin’ to get some o’
(liese boifts cleaned out to make room.
Bring out any orders?”
Gramont’s brain worked fast.
By overcoming this guttersnipe he
might have the whole place at his
mercy—but that was not what he
wanted. He suddenly realized that lie
had other and more important fish to
fry in New Orknns. Gmnberts was
there. Fell was there. What lie must
do demanded time, and his best play
was to gain all the time possible, and
to prevent tills gang from suspecting
him in any way.
"Did you see Ben Chacherre?” he
countered.
“Uli-huli —seen him Just after he
come. Gumberts will be out day after
tomorrow, lie said. The boss is framin’
some sort of deal on a guy that he
wants laid away—some guy name o’
Hammond. Chacherre Is running It.
He figgers on gettin’ Hammond on ac
count of some car that’s bein’ hunted
up— ’’
Gramont laughed suddenly, for there
was a grim humor about the thing. So
Jachin Fell wanied to “get something”
on poor Hammond! And Chacherre
had seized the golden opportunity that
presented Itself this afternoon—in
stead of “getting” Hammond for the
theft of a car, Chacherre had coolly
fastened murder upon him I
“Ben Is one smart man; I expect he
thinks the gods are working for him,"
said Gramont, thinly. “So you don’t
know what happened today, eh? Well,
it’s great news, but I’ve got no time
to talk about it. They’ll tell you when
they get back—’’
“Where’d they go?” demanded the
other.
“Houma. Now listen close! Cha
cherre did not know that I was In
partnership with the boss, get me? I
didn’t want to tell all the crowd in
front of him. Between you and me,
the boss Isn't any too sure about
Ben—”
“Say, I get you there!” broke In the
other, sagely. "I tells him six months
ago to watch out for that Creole guy I”
“Exactly. You can tell the boys
about me when they come back —I
don’t suppose Ben will be with them.
Now, I’ve been looking over that place
next door—”
“Oh ! - ’ exclaimed the other, sudden
ly. “Sure! The boss said that one of
his friends would be down to—”
“I’m the one —or one of them,” and
Gramont chuckled ns he reflected on
the ludicrous aspects of the whole af
fair. “I’m going to Houma now, and
then back to the city. My car’s over
next door. Mr. Fell wanted me to
warn you to lay low on the lottery
business. He’s got a notion that some
one’s been talking.”
“You go tell the boss,” retorted the
other in an aggrieved tone, “to keep
his eye on the guys that cun talk.
Who'd we talk to here? Besides, we’re
workin’ our heads off on these here
boots. Memphis Izzy is attending to
the lotteiy—he’s got the whole layout
up to the house, and we ain't touching
It see? Tell the boss all that**
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
MIEUIRK
111 EFFECT
Health of Animals and Cleanli
ness of Product Provided For.
IT ALSO MAKES FOR ECONOMY
Study and Experience Have Brought
the Modern Dairy Barn to the
Point of Perfection—Lat
est Type Shown.
By WILLIAM A. RADFORD
Mr. William A. Radford will answer
questions and give advice FREE OF
COST on all subjects pertaining to the
subject of building work on the farm, for
the readers of this paper. On account of
bis wide experience as Editor, Autlimgind
Manufacturer, he Is, without doubt, the
highest authority on all these subjects. Ad
dress all Inquiries to William A. Radford,
No. 1827 Prairie avenue, Chicago, 111., and
only Inclose two-cent stamp for reply.
So Important is it that milk he pro
duced in clean barns and by clean
animals that several of the states
t
JJlwß® iiwiisji
have rather stringent laws on the sub
ject. For Instance, in Michigan no
dairyman is allowed to house his
cows and horses in tiie same build
ing nr.V'ss there is a tight wall be
tween tiie two stables. The health
departments of practically all munici
palities Inspect and exercise super
vision over the sources of the milk
that is supplied to the consumers.
It Is to secure cleanliness and
neulth for the cows that the modern
( !4fl <3ILO j
Jp—_> F R g LETS ~ ~~ j]
/ UnmCAKElfifeiEfiCK tITIE-RAttE-Y —iiii
/ I— ■ Qutter ;' ' •Bl IhTTpain ■;'" ' I J
j ! ;iyi A l L|l l°J 111 |U 1 1 1 l 11
W i* pi teed T nAY CHOTE
1 Irsa aiAika rmrfffm f
i . Gvttes? ; i ; ; a Ib ; ' ' I
jfH ili! Z_' TANARUS"
L I, n..■■■■■ Q_
dairy barn has been designed. This
type of barn was not made standard
overnight—it is the result of study
and experience. But now !t is con
sidered as near Ideal as can be. A
dairy barn of this design Is shown In
the accompanying Illustration.
If the reader will closely study the
Illustration he will see that there are
almost continuous rows of windows
in the walls of the stable floor. These
windows are of the proper height to
admit sunshine during-a greater part
of tho day to the litter alleys in the
rear of the stalls. Sunshine is a germ
killer; also it is a dlspeller of mois
ture. The greater amount of sun
shine that can be admitted the more
sanitary will the stable.
On tiie ridge of the roof of the
barn are suction ventilators. These
connect with foul-air shafts that lead
from tiie stable. The action of the
air in passing the ventilators creates
a vacuum which draws the foul air
out of the stable, at the same time
drawing in fresh air.
The floor plans which nerompany
tiie exterior view of tiie building show
how the interior rf the burn is ar
ranged. There are stalls for 48 cows,
each cow having at the manger a
bowl which Is constantly filled with
fresh water. Cows consume enormous
quantities, of water by taking small
drinks frequently. A cow which is
watered three or four times a day
is not following Dot- natural Inclina
tion; site wants a little at n time and
that often.
The stable is so equipped that, the
work of caring for the cows may ho
done with the smallest possible
amount of labor. Overhead both tiie
feeding alleys and the litter alleys
there is a carrier track, on which
either the feed truck or litter truck
is run. This method of making it
easy to remove tiie’Utter also pro
motes cleanliness its the work is less
hard, which means it will he done
more often.
The building itself is of frame con
struction, set on a concrete founda
tion, which forms the walls of tint
.slaldo. The building lias excellent
lint's, which make it an attractive ad
dition to (lie fnrnr building group.
Adjoining Is a silo, wherein is stored
Floor Plan.
the winter supply of chopped fresh
com and corn stalks, while above the
stable Is mow space for the roughage
the animals will consume during (lie
months they are confined Indoors.
Tills Is a barn that Is weathertlght,
designed to house comfortably and
keep healthy a good-sized herd of
dairy cows. At the same time It will
he noted that Its dimensions ire such
that there is no waste spare.