THe THIRD
DEGREE
cA Narrative
r
cTWetropolitan
Life j
By CHARLES KLEIN and
ARTHUR HORNBLOW
OX.CSTRATIOMS BY RAT WALTERS
WoMrtght, mo, bf u. w. DiUiOKiuun Uuupanj
U
SYNOPSIS.
Howard Jeffries, banker's son, under
U evil Inlluence of Robert Underwood,
a fsllow-student at Yale, leads a life of
Issipatlon, marries the daughter of a
gambler who died in prison, and Is dis
owned by his father. He tries to get work
and fails. A formt-r college chum makes
a business proposition to Howard which
requires fc'.OfiO cash, and Howard Is broke.
Robert Underwood, who has been re
pulsed by Howard's wife, Annie, in his
college days, and had once been engaged
to Alicia, Howard's stepmother, has
apartments at the Astrurla. Howard de
cides to ask Underwood for the J2.000 he
needs. Underwood, taking advantage of
his Intimacy with Mrs. Jeffries, Sr., be
comes a sort of social highwayman. Dis
covering his true character she denies
him the house. Alicia receives a note from
Underwood, threatening suicide. Art
sealers for whom he has been acting as
commissioner, demand an accounting. He
cannot make good. Howard Jeffries
calls In an Intoxicated condition. He asks
Underwood for $2,000 and is told by the
Utter that he is In debt up to his eyes.
Howard drinks himself into a maudlin
condition, and goes to sleep on a divan.
A caller is announced and Underwood
draws a screen around the drunken
deeper. Alicia enters. She demands a
promise from him that he will not take
bis life, pointing to the disgrace that
would attach to herself. Underwood re
fuses to promise unless she will renew
her patronage. This she refuses to do.
Underwood kills himself. The report of
the pistol awakens Howard. He stumbles
ever the dead body of Underwood. Reali
sing his predicament he attempts to flee
nd Is met by Underwood's valet.'
CHAPTER VIII. Continued.
. Howard was at no time an athlete,
and now, contrasted with the burly
policeman, a colossus in strength, he
eemed like a puny boy. His cringing,
frightened attitude, as he looked up in
the captain's bulldog face, was pathet
ic The crowd of bystanders could hard
ly contain their eagerness to take in
every detail of the dramatic situation.
The prisoner was sober by this time,
and thoroughly alarmed.
"What do you want me for?" he
cried. "I haven't done anything. The
man's dead, but I didn't" kill him."
"Shut your mouth!" growled the
captain. ,
Dragging Howard after him, he
made his way to the elevator. Throw
ing his prisoner into the cage, he
turned to give orders to his subord
inate. "Maloney, you come with me and
bring Officer Delaney." Addressing the
ether men, he said: "You other fellers
look after things down here. Don't
let any of these people come upstairs."
Then, turning to the elevator boy, he
gave the command: "Up with her."
The elevator, with its passengers,
hot upward, stopped with a Jerk t
the fourteenth floor, and the captain,
once more laying a brutal hand on
Howard, pushed him out into the cor
ridor. If it could be said of Capt. Clinton
that he had any system at all, it was
to be as brutal as possible with every
body unlucky enough to fall into his
bands. Instead of regarding his pris
oners as innocent until found guilty,
as they are Justly entitled to be re
garded under the law, he took the di
rectly opposite stand. .He considered
all his prisoners as guilty as bell until
they had succeeded in proving them
selves Innocent. Even then he had
his doubts. When a Jury brought in
a verdict of acquittal, he shook his
head and growled. He had the great
est contempt for a Jury that would ac
quit and the warmest regard for a Jury
which convicted. He bullied and mal
treated his prisoners because he firm
ly believed in undermining their mor
al and physical resistance. When by
depriving them of sleep and food, by
choking them, clubbing them and
frightening them he had reduced
them to a state of nervous terror, to
the border of physical collapse, he
knew by experience that they would
no longer be In condition to withstand
bis merciless cross-examinations. De
moralized, unstrung, they would blurt
out the truth and so convict them
selves. The ends of Justice would thus
be served.
Capt Clinton prided himself on the
thorough manner in which he conduct
ed these examinations of persons un
der arrest It was a laborious ordeal,
but always succesful. He owed his
present position on the force to the
kill with which he browbeat his pris
oner! Into "confessions.'' With his
"third degree" seances he arrived at
results better and more quickly than
In any other way. All his convictions
had been secured by them. The press
and meddling busybodles called his
lystem barbarous, a revival of the old
time torture chamber. What did be
ears what the people said as long as
Km convicted his man? .Wasn't that
wnat ne was paid torr Me was mere
to find the murderer, and he was go
ing to do it
He puFhed his way into the apart
ment, followed closely by Maloney and
the other policemen, who dragged
along the unhappy Howard. The dead
man still lay where he had fallen.
Capt. Clinton stooped down, but made
co attempt to touch the corpse, mere
ly satisfying himself that Underwood
was dead. Then, after a casual survey
of the room, he said to his sergeant:
"We won't touch a thing, Maloney,
till the coroner arrives. He'll be here
any minute, and he'll give the order
for the undertaker. You can call up
headquarters so the newspaper boys
get the story."
While the sergeant went to the tele
phone to carry out these orders, Capt
Clinton turned to look at Howard, who
had collapsed, white and trembling, in
to a chair.
"What do you want with me?" cried
Howard appeallngly. "I assure you I
had nothing to do with this. My wife's
expecting me home. Can't I go?"
"Shut up!" thundered the captain.
His arms folded, his eyes sternly
fixed upon him, Capt. Clinton stood
confronting the unfortunate youth,
staring at him without saying a word.
The persistence of his stare made
Howard squirm. It was decidedly un
pleasant. He did not mind the deten
tion so much as this man's overbear
ing, bullying manner. He knew he was
Innocent, therefore he had nothing to
fear. But why was this police captain
staring at him so? Whichever way
he sat, whichever way his eyes turned,
he saw this bulldog-faced policeman
staring silently at him. Unknown to
him, Capt Clinton had already begun
the dreaded police ordeal known as
the "third degree."
CHAPTER IX.
Fifteen minutes passed without a
word being spoken. There was deep
silence in the room. It was so quiet
that once could have heard a pin drop.
Had a disinterested spectator been
there to witness it, he would have
been at once impressed by the dra
matic tableau presented the dead
man on the floor, his white shirt front
spattered with blood, the cringing,
frightened boy crouching in the chair,
the towering figure of the police cap
tain sitting sternly eyeing his hapless
prisoner, and at the far end of the
room Detective Sergeant Maloney
busy sending hurried . messages
through the telephone.
"What did you do it for?" thundered
the captain suddenly.
Howard's tongue clove to his palate.
He could scarcely articulate. , He was
innocent, of course, but there was
something in this man's manner which
made him fear that he might, after all,
have had something to do with the
tragedy. Yet he was positive that he
The Persistence of His Stare Made
Howard Squirm.
was asleep on the bed, all the time.
The question is, would anybody believe
him? He shook his head pathetically.
"I didn't do it Really, I didn't"
"Shut your mouth! You're lying,
and you know you're lying. Walt till
the coroner comes. We'll fix you."
Again there was silence, and now be
gan a' long, tedious wait, both men re
taining the same positions, the cap
tain watching his prisoner as a cat
watches a mouse.
Howard's mental anguish was al
most unendurable. He thought of his
poor wife who must be waiting up for
him all this time, wondering what had
become of him. She would imagine
the worst, and there was no telling
what she might do. If only he could
get word to her. Perhaps she would
be able to explain things. .Then he
thought of his father. They had quar
reled, It was true, but after all it was
his own flesh and blood. At such a
critical situation as this, one forgets.
His father could hardly refuse to come
to bis assistance. He must get a
lawyer, too, to protect his interests.
This police captain had no right to de
tain him like this. He must get word
to Annie without delay. Summoning
up all bis courage, he said boldly:
"You are detaining me here without
warrant In law. I know my rights. I
am the son of one of the most In
fluential men in the city."
"What's your name?" growled the
captain.
"Howard Jeffries
Ifo
-non or Howard Jeffries, the bank
er?" Howard nodded.
"Yes."
The captain turned to his sergeant
"Maloney, this feller says he's the
son of Howard Jeffries, the banker."
Maloney leaned over and whispered
something in the captain's ear. The
captain smiled grimly.
"So you're a bad character, eh? Fa.
ther turned you out of doors, eh?
Where's that girl you ran awdy with?"
Sharply he added: "You see I know
your record."
"I've done nothing I'm ashamed of,"
replied Howard calmly, "j. married
the girl. She's waiting my return now.
Won't you please let me send her a
message?"
The' captain eyed Howard sus
piclously for a moment, then he turned
to his sergeant:
"Maloney, telephone this man's wife.
What's the number?"
"Eighty-six Morningslde."
Maloney again got busy with the
telephone and the wearying wait be
gan once more; The clock soon struck
two. For a whole hour he had been
subjected to this gruelling process,
and still the lynx-eyed captain sat
there watching his quarry.
If Capt Clinton had begun to have
any doubts when Howard, told him
who his father was, Maloney's infor
mation immediately put him at his
ease. It was all clear to him now.
The youth had never been any good.
His own father had kicked him out
He was in desperate financial straits!
He had come to this man's rooms to
make a demand for money. Under
wood had refused and there was a
quarrel, and he shot him. There was
probably a dispute over the woman.
Ah, yes, he remembered now. This
girl he married was formerly a sweet
heart of Underwood's. Jealousy was
behind it as well, 'Besides, wasn't he
caught red-handed, with blood on his
hands, trying to escape from the
apartment? Oh, they had him dead
to rights, all right. Any magistrate
would hold him on such evidence.
"It's the Tombs for him, all right,
all right," muttered the captain to
himself; "and maybe promotion for
me."
Suddenly there was a commotion
at the door. The coroner entered,
followed by the undertaker. The two
men advanced quickly into the room,
and took a look at the body. After
making a hasty examination, the cor
oner turned to Capt. Clinton.
"Well, captain, I guess he's dead,
all right."
"Yes, and we've got our man, too."
The coroner turned to look at the
prisoner.
"Caught him red-handed, eh? Who
is ne? '
Howard was about to blurt out a re
ply, when the captain thundered:
"Silence!"
To the coroner, the captain ex
plained: "He's the scapegrace son of How
ard Jeffries, the banker. No good
bad egg. His father turned him out
of doors. There is no question about
his guilt Look at his hands. We
caught hjm trying to get away."
The coroner rose. He believed in
doing things promptly.
"I congratulate you, captain. Quick
work like this ought to do your repu
tation good. The community owes a
debt to the officers of the law if they
succeed In apprehending criminals
quickly. You've been getting some
pretty hard knocks lately, but I guess
you know your business."
The captain grinned broadly.
"I guess I do. Don't we, Maloney?"
"Yes, cap.," said Maloney, quietly.
The coroner turned to go.
"Well, there's nothing more for me
to do here. The man Is dead. Let
Justice take its course." Addressing
the undertaker, he said:
"You can remove the body."
The men set about the work im
mediately. Carrying the corpse into
the inner room, they commenced the
work of laying It out.
"I suppose," said the coroner, "tnat
you'll take your prisoner immediately
to the station house, and before the
magistrate to-morrow morning?"
"Not Just yet," grinned the captain.
"I want to put a few questions to him
first" '
The coroner smiled.
"You're going to put him through
the 'third degree,' eh? Every one's
heard of your star-chamber ordeals.
Are they really so dreadful?"
"Nonsense!" laughed the captain.
"We wouldn't harm a baby, would we,
Maloney?"
The sergeant quickly indorsed his
chiefs opinion.
"No, cap."
Turning to go, the coroner said:
"Well, good-night, captain."
"Good night; Mr. Coroner."
Howard listened to all this like one
transfixed. They seemed to ha talk
ing about him. They were discussing
some irigbtrui ordeal of which he was
to be .a victim. What was thin 'third
degree' they were talking about? Now
ne rememoerea. He bad heard of In
nocent men being bullied, maltreated.
deprived of food and sleep for days,
in order to force them to tell what
the police were anxious to find out
He had heard of secret assaults, of
wMnlcht clubbings, of prisoners beta
choired and brutally kicked by a gang
of ruffianly policemen, in order to
force them into some damaging ad
mission. A chill ran down his spine
as he realized his utter helplessness.
If he could only get word to a lawyer.
Just as the coroner was disappearing
through the door, he darted forward
and laid a hand on his arm.
"Mr. Coroner, won't you listen to
me?" he exclaimed.
The coroner startled, drew back.
"I cannot interfere," he said coldly.
"Mr. Underwood was a friend of
mine," explained Howard. "I came
here to borrow monev. I fell asleen
on that sofa. When I woke up he
was dead. I was frightened. I tried
to get away. That's the truth, so
help me God!"
The coroner looked at him sternly
and made no reply. No one could
ever reproach him with sympathizing
with .criminals. Waving his hand at
Capt. Clinton, he said:
"Good-night, captain."
"Good-night, Mr. Coroner."
The door slammed and Capt. Clin
ton, with a twist of bis powerful arm,
yanked his prisoner back into his
seat' Howard protested.
"You've got no right to treat me
like this. You exceed your powers.
I demand to be taken before a magis
trate at once."
The captain grinned, and pointed to
the clock.
"Say, young feller, see what time it
is? Two-thirty a. m. Our good mag
istrates are all comfy In their virtu
ous beds. We'll have to wait till
morning."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
The Orang-Outang's Nest.
For the first time 'Londoners have
now an opportunity of seeing an
orang-outang In its "nest," or sleep
ing platform, Dr. Charles Hose having
recently presented to the national mu
seum a fine adult male of this Bornean
ape, together with a specimen of the
nest.
Dr. A. Russel Wallace in his "Malay
Archipelago" states that orang-outangs
build their sleening platforms
comparatively low down on relatively
small trees at a height of from twenty
feet to 50 feet above the ground, prob
ably for the reason that such a situa
tion is warmer and less exposed to
wind than one higher up. According
to Dyak report, each orang builds a
fresh platform every night; but this,
as Dr. Wallace remarks, is Improb
able on account of the relatively small
number of these structures to be met
with. It may be adtied that the large
amount of materials In the nest in the
British Museum affords further evi
dence of the same kind. Photographs
are extant showing three or four
orangs' nests in a single tree. The
Field.
'Calm Face In Danger.
Mr. 'Jepson is a calm man, not
easily upset On one occasion as his
motor car had come to a sudden stop
he crawled beneath to see what was
the matter. Somehow or other some
gasolin ignited. A fierce burst of
flame and smoke came forth, envelop
ing Mr. Jepson.
In the midst of the excitement he
walked to one side, with his usual
slow, and regular Btep. His face was
black, bis eyebrows and eyelashes
were singed, and what was left of his
hair and beard was a sight to behold.
Some one brought a mirror, and he
bad a look at himself. As usual, how
ever, he took matter philosophically.
"Well," he said, slowly and delib
erately, "I was needing a shave and
my hair cut anyway."
"Diplomacy" In China.
An expert In fine china frequently
gets a commission that requires the
utmost tact to fill.
"I am called Into private houses,"
she said, "to set a value on fine china
and bric-a-brac that have been broken
by a maid. It often happens that the
mistress sets an exorbitant price on
those things and threatens to take it
out of the girl's wages. If the girl
has spirit and thinks she has been im
posed upon she suggests that an ex
pert be called In to arbitrate. If the
mistress really wants to be fair she
consents. Most of those Jobs in di
plomacy come to mo. I dread them
because it Is so difficult to decide Just
ly and keep on good terms with both
parties."
A Chance In Any Case.
Muriel (letting him down easy) 1
should advise you not to take it to
heart I might prove a most undesir
able wife. Marriage is a lottery, ou
know.
Malcolm (bitterly) It strikes me as
more like a raffle. One man gets the
prize and the others get the shake.
Smart Set
Manners.
What a rare rift is that of mannersi
How difficult to define, how much
more difficult to Impart! - Better for a
man' to possess thei than wealth,
beauty or talentl They will more
than supply all. Bulwer Lytton.
Men and Kings.
The people may be able to lollow,
they cannot be made to understand.
TL ) king's mind is the wind, and grass
sre the middle of the people; whither
the wlnC blows, thither the grass
bends. Confucius
MACHINERY TO SAVE LABOR
Manufacturers Turn Out Pretty Near
Everything Needed on Modern
Farm at Reasonable Prices,
(By B. B. LARA. Illinois.)
During, the progress of our state
fair this fall I spent a good deal of
time looking over the wonderful ex
hibits of farm machinery.
Nor was 1 the only Interested per
son; machinery power attracted much,
attention, as is' but natural consider
ing the vast Importance of such ex
hibits. The manufacturers are now
turning out pretty nearly everything
in the way of labor-saving machinery
and at prices so low that they can be
adapted to the small farmer as well
as the man with hundreds of acres.
Gasoline and kerosene engines are
made in almost numberless styles and
sizes.
There is the little two-horse power
motor which takes up no more room
than a sewing machine and which
will do twice as much work around
the farm house and barn as the
strongest hired man. These little
engines will run the churn, the sepa
arator, the washing machine, mowing
machine, saw the wood, make the
feed cutter hum and pump water from
the well. The engines run up in size
to 40-horsepower. They are simple
in construction, easily managed by
any man who has an aptitude for op
erating machinery or who will take
the pains to learn. The prices run
from 90 for the little fellows up to
$2,000 for the biggest engines.
Manufacturers of traction engines
have made many improvements In
these machines during the past few
years. As now constructed they are
more economical in the use of ruel,
more simple In construction and bet
ter adapted for a variety of ubos. One
exhibitor performed some remarkable
feats with a 15-horsepower traction
engine. He ran the machine up em
bankments which would test the
agility of a two-horse team hitched
to an empty wagon, drove It over six
Inch fence-rails, back turned and
twisted with greater facility and
speed than Is possible with the best
trained team of horses.
Hitched to a gang of plows or '
discs, trailing harrows to any desired
number these engines will do the
work of half a dozen' teams and as
many men with perfect ease and less
expense.
LOW VITALITY OF CHICKENS
Becoming Common Complaint and
Must Be Dealt With Many Ideas
Advanced as to Cause.
(By PREN MOORE, Idaho Experiment
Station.)
All over the country Infertile eggs
and chicks low in vitality is a com
mon complaint, and It is fast becom
ing an alarming condition, one that
must be dealt with. All kinds of
ideas are offered as to cause, many
suggest Inbreeding, while others sug
gest the lack of free range, neither of
which bear very close relation to the
real cause.
Line breeding (commonly called in
breeding) is absolutely necessary
that the height of breeding perfec
tion may be attained. The fact that
wild birds are Inbred, and have been
from time immemorial, bears conclu
sive evidence that line or Inbreeding
has no effect on fertility. Quails will
lay a large number of eggs, and will
usually hatch every one of them;
strong, vigorous fellows, every one
looking alike, both In type and color.
Birds kept in close Quarters. If
properly cared for. will produce as
great a percentage of fertility as
those on free range.
The seoret all lies In feeding and
care of the birds. The breeding hen
should be kept in breeding condition
throughout the entire year. Hens
forced for heavy egg production will
not produce a satisfactory percent.
age of fertility. In fact, the balanced
rations, so generally used for egg
forcing, are not practical feeds for
the hens. Hens that have been forced
to lay like smoke throughout the win
ter, cannot be expected to produce
fertile eggs when wanted for hatch
ing.
New Potato Product.
A new potato product Is belne turn
ed out In large quantities bv Dutch
manufacturers. The new process may
perhaps prove an Important aid to
the starch factories In disposing of
i surplus when the crop Is luree. Tha
round potatoes, instead of being made
Into starch, are treated with acid,
making a glucose syrup which is claim
ed to have a high food value and sal
ible quality at low cost,
Cull Potatoes for Hogs.
Potatoes that are too small to mar
ket may be used to advantage as a
food for young pigs. Many farmers
consider It no loss to have from 2 to
8 per cent of tbelr potato crop too
small for commercial use as it gives
them such a good winter pig food. It
requires but a short time to cook
them, in which way they are very
beneficial. A little salt added while
they are boiling will give them a
relish. .