Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1907 — Martin Hewitt, Investigator. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Martin Hewitt, Investigator.

The Case of the Dixon Torpedo.

By ARTHUR MORRISON.

Published by Arrangement With Harper & Brother*.

® EWITT was very apt, In conversation, to dwell upon, the many curious chances and coincidences that he had observed, not only in connection with his own cases, but also In matters dealt with by the official police, with whom he was on terms of pretty regular, and Indeed friendly, acquaintanceship. A case in point was that of the ruble note forger Mirsky, who might never have tx*en handed over to the Russian authorities had he confined his genius to forgery alone. It was generally supposed at the time of his extradition that he had communicated with the Russian embassy, with a view to giving himself up—a foolish proceeding on his part, It would seem, since his whereabout#, Indeed, even hit identity as the forger, had not been Suspected. He had communicated with the Russian embassy, It is true, but for quite a different purpose, as Martin Hewitt well understood at the time. ■What that purpose was Is now for the first time published* The time was half-past 1 In the afternoon, and Hewitt sat In his inner office examining and comparing the handwriting of two letters by the aid of a large lens, lie put down the lens and glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece with a premonition of lunch, and as he did so his clerk quietly entered the room with one of those printed slips which were kept for the announcement of unknown visitors. It was filled up in a hasty and almost Illegible hand, thus: Name of visitor: F. Graham Dixon. Address: Chancery lane. Business: Private and urgent. Mr. Dixon was a gaunt, worn looking man of fifty or so, well, although rather carelessly, dressed, and carrying in his strong, though drawn, face and dullish eyes the look that characterizes the lifelong strenuous brain worker. He leaned forward anxiously In the chair which Hewitt offered him and told his story with a great deal of Very natural agitation. “You may possibly have heard, Mr. Hewitt—l know there are rumors—of the new locomotive torpedo which the government Is about adopting. It is, in fact, the Dixon torpedo, my own invention, and in every respect—not merely in my own opinion, but in that of the government experts—by far the most efficient and certain yet produced. The machine Is the result of many years of work and disappointment, and Its design has only been arrived at by a careful balancing of principles and means, which are expressed on the only four existing sets of drawings. The whole thing, I need hardly tell you, is a profound secret, and you may judge of my present state of mind when I tell you that one set of drawings has been stolen.” • •’From your house?” “From my office, In Chancery lane, this morning. The four sets of drawings were distributed thus: Two were at the adiriiralty office, one being a finished set on thick paper and the other a set of tracings therefrom, and the other two were at my own office, one being a .penciled set, uncolored—a sort of finished draft, you understand —and the other a set of tracings similar to those at the admiralty. It is this last set that has gone. The two sets were kept together in one drawer in my room. Both Were there at 10 this morning. Of that I am sure, for I had to go to that very drawer for something else when I first arrived. But at 12 the tracings had vanished.” “You suspect somebody probably?” “I cannot. It is a most extraordinary thing. Nobody has left the office except myself, and then only to come to you, since 10 this morning, and there has been no visitor. And yet the drawings are gone!” “But have you searched the place?” “Of course I have. It was 12 o'clock when I first discovered my loss, and I have been turning the place upside down ever since—l and my assistants. My men even Insisted on turning all their pockets inside out, although I never for a moment suspected either of them, and it would take a pretty big pocket to hold the drawings, doubled up as small as they might be.” “You say yotfr men—there are two, I understand—had neither left the office?" " “Neither, and they are both staying in now. Worsfold suggested that it would be more satisfactory if they did not leave till something was done toward clearing the mystery up.” “Just so. Now, lam assuming that you wish me to undertake the recov- , ery of these drawings?” The engineer nodded hastily. “Very good. I will g.> round to your office. But first perhaps you can tell fcne something about you assistants. Mr. Worsfold, for Instance T* : “He is my draftsman—a very excellent and intelligent man, a very smart ■nan, Indeed, and, I feel sure, quite beyond suspicion. He has prepared many important drawings for me (he pas been with me nearly ten years now), and I have always found him trustworthy. But of course the temptation in this case would be enormous, still, I cannot suspect Worsford. Indeed, how can I suspect anybody in |the circumstances?*' i “The other, now?” ! “His name's Bitter. He is merely a

tracer, not a fully skilled draftsman. He is quite a decent young fellow, and Il have had him two years. I don't consider him particularly smart, or he would have learned a little more of 'his business by this time. But I don't see the least reason to suspect him.” “Very well. We will get to Chancery lane now, if you please, and you can tell me more as we go.” “I have a cab waiting. What else can I tell you?” \ “I understand the position to be succinctly this: The drawings were in the office when you arrived. Nobody came out and nobody went in, and yet they vanished. Is that so?” , “That is so. When I say that absolutely nobody came in, of course I except the postman. He brought a couple of letters during the morning. I mean that absolutely nobody came past the barrier in the outer office—the usual thing, you know, like a counter, with *a frame of ground glass over’it.” “I quite understand that. But I think you said that the drawings w’ere in a drawer in your own room, not the outer office, where the draftsmen are, I presume.” i “That is the case. It is an inner 'room, or, rather, a room parhllel with the other and communicating with it, Just as your room is which we have just left.” “But, then, you say you never left your office, and yet the drawings vanished, apparently by some unseen agency, while you were there in the room.” “Let me explain more clearly.” The cab was bowling smoothly along the Strand, and 4he engineer took out a pocketbook and pencil. “As you will see presently, my offices consist of three rooms—two at one side of a corridor and the other opposite, thus.” He made a rapid pencil sketch.

“In the outer office my men usually work. In the inner office I work myself. These rooms communicate, as you see, by a door. Our ordinary way In and out of the place is by the door of the outer office leading into the corridor, and we first pass through the usual lifting flap in the barrier. The door leading from the inner office to the corridor is always kept locked on the inside, and I don’t suppose I unlock it once in three months. It has not been unlocked all the morning. The drawer in which the missing drawings were kept, and in which I saw them at 10 o’clock this morning, is at the place marked D. It is a large chest of shallow drawers in which the plans lie flat.” “I quite understand. Then there is the private room opposite. What of that?” “That is a sort of private sitting room that I rarely use, except for business interviews of a very private nature. When I said I never left my office I did not mean that I never stirred Jout of the inner office. I was about in one room and another, lioth the outer and the inner offices, and once I went into the private room for five minutes, but nobody came either to or out of any of the rooms at that time, for the door of tiie private room was wide open, and I was standing at the bookcase (I had gone to consult a book), just Inside the door, with a full view of the doors opposite. Indeed, Worsfold was at the door of the outer office most of the short time. He came to ask me a question.” “Well,” Hewitt replied, “it all comes to the simple first statement. You know that nobody left the place Or arrived, except the postman, who couldn't get near the drawings, and yet the drawings went. Is this your office?” The cat) had stopped before a large stone building. Mr. Dixon alighted and led the way to the first floor. Hewitt took a casual glance around each of the three rooms. There was a sort of door in the frame of ground glass over the barrier to admit of speech with visitors. This door Hewitt pushed wide open and left so. He and the engineer went into the inner office; “Would you like to ask Worsfold and Ritter any questions?” Mr. Dixon inquired. “Presently. Those are their coats, I take it, hanging just to the right of the outer office door, over the umbrella stand?”

“Yes; those are all their things—coats, hats, stick and umbrella.” “And those coats were searched, you «ayT*" ———- “Yes.” “And this Is the drawer—thoroughly searched of course?” “Oh, certainly. Every drawer was taken out and turned over.” “Well, of course. I must assume you made no mistake in your hunt. Now. tell me, did anybody know where these plans were beyond yourself and your two men?" “As far as I can tell, not a soul." “You don’t keep an office boy?” “No. There would be nothing for him to do except to post a letter now and again. I have patent locks to each door, and I keep all tiie keys myself. If Worsford or Ritter arrive before me In the morning, they have to wait to be let In, and I am always present myself when the rooms are cleaned. I have not neglected precautions, you sqp.” “No. I suppose the object of the theft—assuming It is a theft—ls pretty plain: the thief would offer the draw-

tngs for sale to some foreign government?” “Of course. They would probably command a great sum. I have been looking, as I need hardly tell you, to that invention to secure me a very large fortune, and I shall be ruined indeed if the design is taken abroad. If you cannot help me, the consequences will be terrible. Bad for the service of the country, too, of course.” “Of course. Now, tell me this: It ,would, I take it, be necessary for the thief to exhibit these drawings to anyJxxly anxious to buy the secret—l mean he couldn’t describe the invention by word of mouth?” “Oh, no; that would be impossible. The drawings are of the most complicated description and full of figures, upon which the whole thing depends.” At this moment the door of the outer office was heard to open, and somebody entered. The door between the two offices was ajar, and Hewitt could see right through to the glass door left open over the barrier and into the space beyond. A well dressed, dark, bushy bearded man stood there carrying a hand bag, which he placed on the ledge before him. Hewitt raised his hand to enjoin silence. The man spoke in a rathe* high pitched voice and with a slight accent. “Is Mr. Dixon now within?” he asked. “He is engaged,” answered one of the draftsmen; “very particularly engaged. I’m afraid you won’t lie able to see him this afternoon. Can I give him any message?” “This is two—the second time I have come today. Not two hours ago Mr. Dixon himself tells me to call again. I have a very important—very excellent steam packing to show him that Is very cheap and the best of the market.” The man tapped his bag. “I have just taken orders from the largest railway companies. Cannot I see him, for one?second only? I wilt not detain him/’ “Really, I'm sure you can’t this afternoon. He isn’t seeing anybody. But if you’ll leave your name”— “My name is Hunter. But what the good of that? He ask me to call a little later, and I come, and now he is engaged. It is a very great pity.” And the man snatched up his bag and walking stick and stalked off indignantly. Hewitt stood still, gazing through the small aperture in the doorway. “You'd scarcely a man with such a to talk with that -accent, wou|d-ydu ?” he observed musingly. “It isn't a French accent, nor a German, but it seems foreign You don’t happen to know him, I suppose?” “No, I don’t. He called here about half-past 12, just while we were in the middle of our search, and I was frantic over the loss of the drawings. I was in the outer office myself and told him to call later. But what will you do now? Shall you see my men?” “I think,” said Hewitt, rising, “I think I’ll get you to question them yourself.” “Myself?” “Y’es. I have a reason. Will you trust me with the key of the private room opposite? I will go over there for a little, while you talk to your men in this room. Bring them in here and shut the door. I can look after the office from across the corridor, you know. Ask them each to detail his ex act movements about the office this morning, and get them to recall each visitor who has been here from the beginning of the week. I’ll let you know the reason of this later. Come across to me in a few minutes.” Ten minutes later Mr. Dixon, having questioned his draftsmen, found Hewitt standing before the table in the private room, on which lay several drawings on tracing paper. “See here, Mr. Dixon,” said Hewitt, “I think these are the drawings you are anxious about.” The engineer sprang toward them with a cry of delight. “Why, yes, yes,” be exclaimed, turning them over “every one of them! But where—how —they must have been in the place, after all, then? What a fool I have been!" Hewitt shook his head. “I’m afraid you’re not quite so lucky as you think. Mr. -Dixon/’ he said. “These drawings have most certainly been out of the house for a little while. Never mind how. We’ll talk of that after. There is no time to lose. Tell me, how long would it take a good draftsman to copy them ?” “They couldn’t possibly be traced over properly in less than two or two and a half long days of very hard work,” Dixon replied, with eagerness. “Ah, then, it is as I feared. These tracings have been photographed, Mr. Dixon, and our task is one of every possible difficulty. If they had been copied in the ordinary way, one might hope to get hold of the copy, but photography upsets everything. Copies can be multiplied with such amazing facility that, once the thief gets a decent start, It Is almost hopeless to checkmate him. The only chance is to get at the negatives before copies are taken. I must act at once, and I fear, between ourselves, it may be necessary for me to step very distinctly over the line of the law in the matter. You see, to get at those negatives may involve something very like house breaking.”

“Mr. Hewitt, I Implore you, do what you can. I need not say that all I have Is at your disposal.. I will guarantee to hold you harmless for anything that may happen. But do, I entreat you, do everything possible. Think of what the consequences may be!’' “Well, yes; so I do,” Hewitt remarked, with a smile. “The consequences to me, if I were with housebreaking, might be something that no amount of guarantee could mitigate. However, I will do what I can, if only from patriotic motives. Now, I must

see your tracer, Ritter, He Is the traitor in the camp. With Ritter I must take a deep-course. What I don’t know I must appear to know. First put these tracings safely out of sight.” Dixon slipped them bookcase. “Now,” Hewitt pursued, “call Mr. Worsfold and give him something to do that will keep him In the inner office across the way end tell him to send Ritter here.” Ritter walked Into the private room with an air of respectful attention. He was a puffy faced, unhealthy looking young man, with very small eyes and a loose, mobile mouth. “Sit down, Mr. Ritter,” Hewitt said In a stern voice. “Your recent transactions with your friend Mr. Hunter are known,” Ritter, who had at first leaned easily back in his chair, started forward at this and paled. “You are surprised, I observe; but you should be more careful in your movements out of doors if you do not wish your acquaintances to be known. Mr. Hunter, I believe, has the drawings which Mr. Dixon has lost, and, if so, I am certain that you have given them to him. That, you know, is theft, for which the law provides a severe penalty.” Ritter broke down completely and turned appealingly to Mr. Dixon. “Oh. sir.” lie pleaded, “it isn’t so bad, I assure you. I was tempted, I confess, and hid the drawings; but they are still in the office, and I can give them to you—really I can.” “Indeed?” Hewitt went on. “Then in that case i»erhaps you’d better get them at once. Just go and fetch them in; we won’t trouble to observe your hiding place. I'll only keep this door open to be sure you don’t lose your way, you know, down the stairs, for Instance.” The wretched Ritter, with hanging head, slunk into the office opposite. Presently he reappeared looking, if possible, ghastlier than before. He looked Irresolutely down the corridor, as if meditating a run for it, but Hewitt stepped toward him and motioned him back to the private room. “You mustn’t try any more of that sort of humbug,” Hewitt said, with increased severity. “The drawings are gone, and you have stolen them; you know that well enough. Now attend to me. If you received your deserts. Mr. Dixon would send for a policeman this moment and have you hauled off to the jail that is your proper place. But unfortunately your accomplice, who calls himself Hunter, but who has other names besides that, as I happen to know, has the drawings, and it is absolutely necessary that these should be recovered. I am afraid that it will be necessary therefore to come to some arrangement with this scoundrel —to square him, in fact. Now, just take that pen and paper and write to your confederate as I dictate. You know the alternative if you cause any difficulty.” Ritter reached tremblingly for the pen. “Address him in your usual way,” Hewitt proceeded. “Say this: ‘There has been an alteration in the plans. I shall bq alone here at 6 o’clock. Please come without fail.’ Have you got it? Very well, sign it and address the envelope. He must come here, and then we may arrange matters. In the meantime you will remain in the inner office opposite.”. _ fTO BE CONTINUED]