June 14, 2022 • 24 mins
This episode features chapters 5 and 6 of The Crime of the French Cafe, which was published in 1893 in the weekly Story Paper, The New York Weekly.
This story was taken from the Project Gutenberg e-book, The Crime of the French Cafe and Other Stories. It is in the public domain, and falls outside of any copyright, and can be distributed freely.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey everyone.
Welcome back to another episodeof forward into the past.
I'm your host and narrator JCRede and today we're going to be
picking up where we left off inthe Nick Carter mystery story.
The crime of the French cafewritten way back in 1893.
Exactly.
As it appeared in the street andSmith published weekly story
(00:23):
paper, the New York weekly.
Now, before we head back intime, as it were, I'd like to
circle back to something that Ihad to look up and share with
you.
In the very first chapter, thevery first line, as a matter of
fact, The author gives thedescription of the French cafe.
And that it is located in whathe says is the Tenderloin
(00:44):
district.
To be honest for me.
One of the joys of readingstories like this is finding
moments where as I'm readingaloud, I come across a line that
makes me pause and go.
What the hell is this guytalking about?
And I end up going down thatproverbial rabbit hole and end
up with useless trivia likethis.
That until I created thispodcast, the only time I got to
(01:07):
use it is when I would win agame of trivial pursuit because
I happen to know the definitionof a word, like jodhpers.
Anyway, back to the point athand.
The writer mentioned the settingof the story as the Tenderloin
district.
So what's up with that.
Honestly, I could probably do awhole episode based on the
(01:28):
information I found about thisarea, but I will condense it as
much as I can.
As I mentioned just a minuteago.
The story was written justbefore the turn of the 20th
century.
And it appeared in what wasknown then as a story paper with
the title of the New Yorkweekly.
So it seems quite obvious thatthe Nick Carter stories take
(01:51):
place in New York city aroundthat particular time.
And.
In that particular time, therewas a Tenderloin district in New
York city, which existed fromaround 1870 to approximately
1910.
Now, this area was located inManhattan and at that time was
(02:11):
the home to many glamorous andritzy, hotels, and home to the
theater district before it movedto its current location.
The Tenderloin district wasbordered on the north by 42nd
street.
On the south by 24th street onthe east by fifth avenue and on
the west by seventh avenue.
From the Northwest corner to theSoutheast corner.
(02:33):
I ran Broadway.
So in this section of Manhattananchored by glamorous hotels and
the original theater district.
And just east of hell's kitchenwas a centralized entertainment
district.
Because wherever live theaterexists.
True back then as well as now.
(02:54):
Ancillary businesses pop up,serving that clientele.
The hotels lined fifth avenue.
Big theaters up and downBroadway and just west of that
up and down sixth and seventhavenue.
We're numerous restaurants,cafes, gin, joints, dance halls,
pool halls, gambling halls.
(03:15):
And of course, Brothels.
There were so many legitimateand illegitimate businesses that
police in that area were bribedto look the other way.
During this time.
Any red light district in theUnited States, meaning of
course, areas of the city thathad houses of ill repute became
(03:35):
known as Tenderloin districts.
Okay.
JC.
That's all well and good.
But where did the name comefrom?
Oh, okay.
Legend has it that the name camefrom a New York city police
captain by the name of Alexanderclubber Williams.
When clever Williams wastransferred to a police precinct
(03:57):
in the heart of this district.
He said.
I have been eating Chuck steakever since I've been on the
force.
And now I'm going to have a bitof Tenderloin.
Chuck steak, of course being oneof the cheapest cuts of meat.
Compared to the Tenderloin beingone of the priciest.
And just what made such a changein his eating habits?
(04:18):
Of course all that money flowingeverywhere within that district.
Clubber Williams retired amillionaire.
Now, eventually the theaterdistrict moved further uptown
taking with it.
All of the entertainmenthotspots.
The Tenderloin district, as itwas now known.
Eventually became a faded memoryaided with the advent of the
(04:42):
first world war.
As of course the story papersfaded to.
And with them, our hero, NickCarter.
And so we move forward into thepast.
Again, revisiting the case filesof Nick Carter and the crime of
the French cafe.
In the last episode, our masterdetective Nick Carter was
(05:03):
visited by a man who claimedthat John Jones, the main
suspect in the murder of thewoman found at the French cafe
is not who he claims to be.
But Gaspard the headwaiter atthe cafe has already identified
the man as John Jones.
So who is who.
And who is the woman who wasmurdered at the cafe.
(05:26):
Well, let's find out as we delveforward into the past.
Chapter five Patsy's tip.
Gaspard's declaration produced astunning effect upon Hammond.
At first, he seemedthunderstruck.
There was a look in his face,which made Nick say to himself,
(05:47):
it isn't true.
But whether the accusation wastrue or false, Nick knew at once
that Hammond recognized Gaspard.
Yet, he couldn't be a regularvisitor to the place because
Gaspard had said that he hadnever seen either of the two men
before the fatal evening.
Therefore as Hammond hadrecognized Gaspard, he must be
(06:09):
the man who was in room abecause the man in room B had
not seen the headwaiteraccording to Gaspard's story.
Hammond after the first shock ofsurprise recovered his nerve
wonderfully.
He calmly took a chair and satthere in deep thought for nearly
five minutes.
He paid no attention toquestions.
(06:31):
Finally, he looked up and said,I don't know why I should try to
deny it to you.
There is no charge against theman in room a.
None, whatever said Nick.
He is wanted merely as awitness.
It occurred to me that you mighthave some theory of a conspiracy
in which both men wereconcerned.
I never thought of it.
Then I am not to be put underarrest.
(06:53):
Certainly not.
Unless some new evidence appearsand I do not expect it.
Very well.
I was the man in room a.
And who was the lady?
I decline to mention her name.
She has nothing to do with thiscase.
You will easily understand thatI do not wish to bring a lady's
name into a tragedy of thiskind.
(07:14):
I can understand that.
Now tell me why you feel so sureof this man, Jones's innocence.
Will you promise to keep me outof this affair as much as you
can.
Why do you wish it?
What are you afraid of?
Well, said Hammond looking verymuch embarrassed.
I'm a married man.
A very respectable sort of afellow and the lady with whom I
(07:36):
dined was not my wife.
It's all right.
You know, my wife is not ajealous woman.
But the thing would not lookwell in print.
I won't make this public.
If I can help it, Mr.
Hammond.
Not that I have much sympathyfor you.
You shouldn't have been there.
But the publicity would annoyyour wife and do nobody any
(07:56):
good.
Thank you.
said Hammond with a grim smile.
Now I will tell my story.
There is very little to tell.
We arrived before the otherparty, we heard them go into
room B.
Bye and bye, I went out into thehall to find the waiter, who
didn't answer my ring.
I saw this man pointing toGaspard, at the desk and should
(08:20):
have spoken to him.
But just then the waiter hoveinto sight at the end of the
hall.
So I went back.
Uh, just as I was closing thedoor of our room, I heard the
man come out of room B.
I didn't see him, but I knowthat he went down the front
stairs for I heard his footstepsand also heard the door shut.
(08:41):
The waiter came in and finallywent out again.
We were just ready to leave theplace when we heard the pistol
shot in the other room.
Then we got out of the housejust as fast as we could.
It was cowardly perhaps, but Iknew that something terrible had
happened and I didn't want to bemixed up in it.
(09:01):
Of course, I wanted to keep thelady out of it too.
And.
And.
Well, you can see that therewere many reasons why I should
have decided to make tracks.
You know that the man was not inroom B when the shot was fired.
said Nick.
I'm sure of it.
He might've come back.
No, the front door makes a loudnoise when it is shut.
(09:24):
I should've heard him if he hadcome in that way.
And if he had come the otherway, this man would've seen him.
You didn't see him at all.
Did you.
No.
So you can't say whether Joneswas the man.
Uh, no.
But I'm sure he wasn't themurderer.
(09:45):
You think it was suicide?
I'm sure of it.
How could it have been anythingelse?
The woman was alone.
There might've been somebodyelse in the room.
No our waiter told us that theparty consisted of only two.
You mean Corbut?
I believe that's his name, thefellow who disappeared.
How do you account for hisdisappearance?
(10:07):
I don't, but perhaps he wasafraid of being mixed up in the
affair.
He may have had a record, whichwon't permit him to go before
the police, even as a witness.
How could he have got that cab?
I've thought a good deal aboutthat.
It was mentioned in the papers.
I believe he may have slippedout the front way, called the
cab, and then gone back to getsomething.
(10:30):
Perhaps he went back for hisclothes, but didn't dare take
them.
And how about the cab man'sstory of the man who engaged the
cab?
The cab man's a liar.
That's plain enough.
I'm afraid he is.
Now Mr.
Hammond.
Uh, could either Corbut or thisman Gaspard have got into room B
without your knowing it.
Easily.
(10:50):
Great heavens.
I never thought of that.
One of the may be the murderer.
Gaspard at these words turnedwhite as a sheet.
He was so frightened that hisEnglish, which was usually very
fluid deserted him, and hemumbled protestations of
innocence in his mother tongue.
Thank you, Mr.
Hammond said Nick, withoutappearing to notice Gaspard's
(11:12):
distress.
I have no more questions to ask,but I would be obliged to you if
you would wait here a fewminutes for me.
Nick went into another roomwhere he knew that Patsy was
waiting.
A set of signals is arranged inNick's house, by which he always
knows when one of his staff getsin.
Patsy said, Nick.
There's a fellow upstairs whomyou will have to shadow.
(11:34):
Gaspard.
No.
Uh, a man who calls himselfHammond.
Gaspard has identified him asthe man who was in room a.
Look here, said Patsy, am I afarmer?
Or is this man Gaspard thegreatest living identifier?
What do you mean?
Why it strikes me that he pickedout his men a good deal too
easy.
If it's all straight, I'd likethe loan of his luck for a few
(11:57):
days.
That identification on theelevated station looked to me
like a fake.
I don't believe he ever intendedthat you should get hold of the
man.
In my opinion.
He simply running around,identifying everybody he sees.
But this man Hammond admits it.
Is he telling the truth?
No.
Said Nick with a peculiar smile.
I don't believe he is.
(12:18):
Well then Gaspard's a liar.
And if he's lied here, he mayhave done the same thing in
Jones's case.
Nick looked shrewdly at hisyouthful assistant.
He is very fond of this brightboy and gives him every chance
to develop his theories in thosecases, in which he's employed.
come my lad.
Said the famous detective.
Uh, tell me what has you setagainst Gaspard?
(12:39):
He's going to skip.
Is that so well, this isserious.
It's a fact, I got it from oneof the men in the restaurant.
My man was told of it by Corbut.
Corbut?
Yes.
And there's another suspiciouscircumstance.
There's a French woman who isgoing to give little old, New
York the shake at the same timeas Gaspard.
They're going back to sunnyFrance together.
(13:01):
Now, nobody knows this, but theman I talked with.
Gaspard thinks that Corbut wasthe only one who knew it.
So it was for Gaspard's interestin case he really did this job
and lifted some valuable plunderoff that woman to get Corbut out
of the way.
Did he pay Corbut to skip first?
And is he now identifying TomDick and Harry for the purpose
(13:21):
of bothering us and keeping usbusy.
Until he can light out.
It's worth looking into saidNick.
At any rate, you stick toGaspard.
I'll put somebody else on toHammond.
Chapter six, Mrs.
John Jones.
Nothing of great importanceoccurred in the case until the
next afternoon when Nick was atpolice headquarters.
(13:45):
He was talking withsuperintendent Byrnes.
The identification of that womangets stronger all the time said
the superintendent.
I'm beginning to think shereally is the wife of our
prisoner.
Hmm, it looks so, said Nick.
At that moment, a card wasbrought in.
The superintendent looked at itand whistled softly.
Then he handed the card to Nickwho read the name.
(14:07):
The two men exchanged glancesand both smiled.
Mrs.
John Jones said, Nick.
Well, this puts a new face onthe matter.
It's a great case was the reply.
I'm mighty glad you happened tobe on the scene at once.
He turned to the officer who hadbrought the card and directed
that Mrs.
Jones should be admittedimmediately.
(14:28):
A pretty young woman entered.
She was of about the same heightas the unfortunate victim of the
tragedy in the restaurant andmuch like her in build.
The faces did not resemble eachother in outline.
But the coloring was similar.
There was a faint resemblance inthe large light blue eyes.
The hair was of the samepeculiar shade and nearly as
(14:49):
luxuriant.
But nobody would have evermistaken one woman for the
other.
After a fair look at theirfaces.
The costumes, however, we'repositively identical.
Mrs.
John Jones to all appearanceswore the very same clothes as
Nick had seen upon the woman inroom B.
Mrs.
Jones was evidently verynervous, but she made a fine
(15:12):
attempt to control herself.
You have my husband underarrest?
I believe she said.
And he is accused.
They say of killing me.
She tried to smile, but it was arather ghastly effort.
The superintendent motioned thewoman to a seat.
Mr.
John Jones is here.
He said.
(15:33):
And he is suspected of murder.
I have read about it.
Replied the woman.
There certainly appeared to beevidence against him, but of
course you must be aware that Iknow him to be innocent.
How?
Because I was with him when thecrime was committed.
At half past seven o'clock ofthe evening, we were walking
toward the great central Depot.
We had dined in our flat.
(15:54):
The people who say they saw usgo out tell the truth.
But we came back.
It was my intention to take anafternoon train, but I decided
to wait.
So we came back and had dinner.
Nobody saw us go in or out ofthe flat.
After dinner, we walked to theDepot and I took the eight, 10
train for my home in Maysville,10 miles from Albany.
(16:17):
I arrived in Albany Wednesdaymorning and remained there with
friends throughout the day andnight.
Then I went to Maysville where Iheard the news and came back at
once.
The superintendent touched hisbell.
Two minutes later, John Joneswas brought into the room.
Amy! exclaimed he.
How came you here?
(16:38):
He ran up to her and theygreeted each other
affectionately.
The woman who had controlledherself up to this point, burst
into tears.
Jones turned in wrath towardNick.
Haven't we had enough of thisinfernal nonsense.
He exclaimed you have raised thedevil with my business and
scared my wife into a fit.
Now, let me out and arrest theAmir of Afghanistan.
(17:01):
He had more to do with thisaffair than I did.
Nick did not reply.
But he made a secret sign to thesuperintendent.
You are at Liberty.
Mr.
Jones said burns calmly.
I regret that it was necessaryto detain you so long.
I have no complaint to makeagainst, you said Jones.
It was that man's work and heshall pay for it.
(17:24):
He scowled at Nick.
And then after bowing to thesuperintendent walked out of the
room with his wife on his arm.
Shall I call a man.
Said burns.
If you please, said Nick.
Uh, my force is pretty busy.
Musgrave.
said the superintendent.
A man appeared so suddenly thathe seemed to come out of the
wall.
(17:45):
Shadow the couple that has justleft here said burns.
You are under Mr.
Carter's orders until dismissedby him.
Musgrave turned to Nick.
I have no special instructions,said Nick.
Except that you keep your eyeson the woman.
The officer saluted and vanishedalmost as quickly as he had come
in.
At half past seven o'clock thatevening musgrave was on guard
(18:08):
outside the flat.
The address of which had beengiven to Nick by Jones.
An old man selling papers camealong the street, calling extra
in a cracked voice.
Musgrave bought a paper.
Well said the newsman in NickCarter's voice.
What have you to report?
From headquarters, they went toan employment agency on sixth
avenue.
They engaged a colored girl as aservant.
(18:31):
Then they came straight here andthe girl followed them.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Jones have not been out since.
Are you sure of that?
Perfectly.
There is no way to get out ofthat house from the rear.
How about the fire escape.
There is only that one on theside, which you can see.
The little yard back of thehouse is walled in by buildings.
(18:51):
So Mr.
And Mrs.
Jones must be inside.
Yes.
And the girl.
She is out.
She has been going on errandshalf a dozen times, but usually
to the grocers or the butchersround the corner.
I don't know where she has gonethis time.
She's been out about a quarterof an hour.
All right.
I'm going over there.
(19:11):
Nick changed his disguise tothat in which Jones had seen
him.
He did it in the hall of theflat house while waiting for the
door to be opened in answer tohis ring.
Jones met him on the upperlanding.
Look here! said Jones when herecognized Nick.
Isn't this going a little toofar.
What do you want now?
I would like to ask Mrs.
Jones a few questions.
If you have no objections.
(19:32):
I object very seriously.
Will you ask her if she iswilling to see me.
No, I won't.
Then I shall have to use myauthority.
Uh, don't do that.
Come now be a good fellow.
Amy is sick with all this worry.
She's just gone to bed.
Let her alone until tomorrow.
I will said Nick.
Good night.
(19:53):
He descended the stairs andrejoined Musgrave, who was
standing in a dark place on theopposite side of the street.
Have you seen a light in thatwindow asked Nick pointing to
the flat.
No.
Then Jones lied to me a minuteago when he said that his wife
had just gone to bed.
That window is in the principalbedroom off the flat.
There's been no light there.
Then they fooled you Musgrave.
(20:14):
What do you mean?
I mean that Mrs.
Jones is out.
Oh, it can't be possible.
It's true.
She's gone out disguised as herown servant.
I can't believe it.
Why the girls black as your hat.
That's why they engaged her, inmy opinion.
It made the trick easier.
A black face is a good disguise.
But I'm going to be sure aboutit.
(20:36):
How.
I'm going to see whether thecolored girl is in the flat.
How can you get in.
I'm going down the air shaft.
The servant's room opens on thatshaft.
They'd have made her go in thereso her light won't show as it
would, if she were in thekitchen.
Nick went to an engine housenearby where he secured a coil
of knotted rope.
He wished to make hisinvestigation secretly.
(20:57):
So as not to put Jones on hisguard, It would not have been
safe to get into the flat by theordinary methods.
By using the fire escape of thebuilding next door to the flat
house.
Nick got to the roof.
The top of the air shaft wascovered with a framework in
which large panes of glass wereset.
Nick removed one of them.
Then he made his rope fast andcrept through the space where
(21:19):
the glass had been.
The Jones's flat was next to thetop.
So Nick had a short descent.
But there was an awful stretchof empty air under him as he
hung there.
The shaft went to the basementfloor, about 70 feet below the
level of the window, whichopened into the room occupied by
the Jones's new servant.
He found that window readily.
(21:39):
One glance through it was enoughto satisfy him.
There sat the colored girl,reading a book.
Nick's suspicions had beencorrect.
Naturally, he did not delay verylong in the air shaft.
He had a hard climb to make handover hand to the roof.
The instant that his eyes restedon the girl, he began the
ascent.
He had gone up less than sixfeet when the rope suddenly gave
(22:02):
way and he found himselfplunging downward through the
shaft.
Have we seen the last of NickCarter.
Where has Mrs.
Jones gone and why?
And who is the mysterious womanwho is still at the center of
this case?
The answer to these questionsand more will be found out in
the next thrilling chapter ofNick Carter and the crime of the
(22:25):
French cafe.
Well, things are getting veryinteresting.
And before we go, I'd like tothank once again, the
hardworking crew over at projectGutenberg for keeping this
story.
And so many others.
Alive and well, Hop on over totheir website to check out all
their amazing stories.
(22:45):
That's gutenberg.org O R G.
Well, until next time, folks.
Thanks for listening.
Keep sharing your stories and bea good human.
Bye for now.
Hey everyone.
Welcome back to another episodeof forward into the past.
I'm your host and narrator JCRede and today we're going to be
picking up where we left off inthe Nick Carter mystery story.
The crime of the French cafewritten way back in 1893.
Exactly.
As it appeared in the street andSmith published weekly story
(00:23):
paper, the New York weekly.
Now, before we head back intime, as it were, I'd like to
circle back to something that Ihad to look up and share with
you.
In the very first chapter, thevery first line, as a matter of
fact, The author gives thedescription of the French cafe.
And that it is located in whathe says is the Tenderloin
(00:44):
district.
To be honest for me.
One of the joys of readingstories like this is finding
moments where as I'm readingaloud, I come across a line that
makes me pause and go.
What the hell is this guytalking about?
And I end up going down thatproverbial rabbit hole and end
up with useless trivia likethis.
That until I created thispodcast, the only time I got to
(01:07):
use it is when I would win agame of trivial pursuit because
I happen to know the definitionof a word, like jodhpers.
Anyway, back to the point athand.
The writer mentioned the settingof the story as the Tenderloin
district.
So what's up with that.
Honestly, I could probably do awhole episode based on the
(01:28):
information I found about thisarea, but I will condense it as
much as I can.
As I mentioned just a minuteago.
The story was written justbefore the turn of the 20th
century.
And it appeared in what wasknown then as a story paper with
the title of the New Yorkweekly.
So it seems quite obvious thatthe Nick Carter stories take
(01:51):
place in New York city aroundthat particular time.
And.
In that particular time, therewas a Tenderloin district in New
York city, which existed fromaround 1870 to approximately
1910.
Now, this area was located inManhattan and at that time was
(02:11):
the home to many glamorous andritzy, hotels, and home to the
theater district before it movedto its current location.
The Tenderloin district wasbordered on the north by 42nd
street.
On the south by 24th street onthe east by fifth avenue and on
the west by seventh avenue.
From the Northwest corner to theSoutheast corner.
(02:33):
I ran Broadway.
So in this section of Manhattananchored by glamorous hotels and
the original theater district.
And just east of hell's kitchenwas a centralized entertainment
district.
Because wherever live theaterexists.
True back then as well as now.
(02:54):
Ancillary businesses pop up,serving that clientele.
The hotels lined fifth avenue.
Big theaters up and downBroadway and just west of that
up and down sixth and seventhavenue.
We're numerous restaurants,cafes, gin, joints, dance halls,
pool halls, gambling halls.
(03:15):
And of course, Brothels.
There were so many legitimateand illegitimate businesses that
police in that area were bribedto look the other way.
During this time.
Any red light district in theUnited States, meaning of
course, areas of the city thathad houses of ill repute became
(03:35):
known as Tenderloin districts.
Okay.
JC.
That's all well and good.
But where did the name comefrom?
Oh, okay.
Legend has it that the name camefrom a New York city police
captain by the name of Alexanderclubber Williams.
When clever Williams wastransferred to a police precinct
(03:57):
in the heart of this district.
He said.
I have been eating Chuck steakever since I've been on the
force.
And now I'm going to have a bitof Tenderloin.
Chuck steak, of course being oneof the cheapest cuts of meat.
Compared to the Tenderloin beingone of the priciest.
And just what made such a changein his eating habits?
(04:18):
Of course all that money flowingeverywhere within that district.
Clubber Williams retired amillionaire.
Now, eventually the theaterdistrict moved further uptown
taking with it.
All of the entertainmenthotspots.
The Tenderloin district, as itwas now known.
Eventually became a faded memoryaided with the advent of the
(04:42):
first world war.
As of course the story papersfaded to.
And with them, our hero, NickCarter.
And so we move forward into thepast.
Again, revisiting the case filesof Nick Carter and the crime of
the French cafe.
In the last episode, our masterdetective Nick Carter was
(05:03):
visited by a man who claimedthat John Jones, the main
suspect in the murder of thewoman found at the French cafe
is not who he claims to be.
But Gaspard the headwaiter atthe cafe has already identified
the man as John Jones.
So who is who.
And who is the woman who wasmurdered at the cafe.
(05:26):
Well, let's find out as we delveforward into the past.
Chapter five Patsy's tip.
Gaspard's declaration produced astunning effect upon Hammond.
At first, he seemedthunderstruck.
There was a look in his face,which made Nick say to himself,
(05:47):
it isn't true.
But whether the accusation wastrue or false, Nick knew at once
that Hammond recognized Gaspard.
Yet, he couldn't be a regularvisitor to the place because
Gaspard had said that he hadnever seen either of the two men
before the fatal evening.
Therefore as Hammond hadrecognized Gaspard, he must be
(06:09):
the man who was in room abecause the man in room B had
not seen the headwaiteraccording to Gaspard's story.
Hammond after the first shock ofsurprise recovered his nerve
wonderfully.
He calmly took a chair and satthere in deep thought for nearly
five minutes.
He paid no attention toquestions.
(06:31):
Finally, he looked up and said,I don't know why I should try to
deny it to you.
There is no charge against theman in room a.
None, whatever said Nick.
He is wanted merely as awitness.
It occurred to me that you mighthave some theory of a conspiracy
in which both men wereconcerned.
I never thought of it.
Then I am not to be put underarrest.
(06:53):
Certainly not.
Unless some new evidence appearsand I do not expect it.
Very well.
I was the man in room a.
And who was the lady?
I decline to mention her name.
She has nothing to do with thiscase.
You will easily understand thatI do not wish to bring a lady's
name into a tragedy of thiskind.
(07:14):
I can understand that.
Now tell me why you feel so sureof this man, Jones's innocence.
Will you promise to keep me outof this affair as much as you
can.
Why do you wish it?
What are you afraid of?
Well, said Hammond looking verymuch embarrassed.
I'm a married man.
A very respectable sort of afellow and the lady with whom I
(07:36):
dined was not my wife.
It's all right.
You know, my wife is not ajealous woman.
But the thing would not lookwell in print.
I won't make this public.
If I can help it, Mr.
Hammond.
Not that I have much sympathyfor you.
You shouldn't have been there.
But the publicity would annoyyour wife and do nobody any
(07:56):
good.
Thank you.
said Hammond with a grim smile.
Now I will tell my story.
There is very little to tell.
We arrived before the otherparty, we heard them go into
room B.
Bye and bye, I went out into thehall to find the waiter, who
didn't answer my ring.
I saw this man pointing toGaspard, at the desk and should
(08:20):
have spoken to him.
But just then the waiter hoveinto sight at the end of the
hall.
So I went back.
Uh, just as I was closing thedoor of our room, I heard the
man come out of room B.
I didn't see him, but I knowthat he went down the front
stairs for I heard his footstepsand also heard the door shut.
(08:41):
The waiter came in and finallywent out again.
We were just ready to leave theplace when we heard the pistol
shot in the other room.
Then we got out of the housejust as fast as we could.
It was cowardly perhaps, but Iknew that something terrible had
happened and I didn't want to bemixed up in it.
(09:01):
Of course, I wanted to keep thelady out of it too.
And.
And.
Well, you can see that therewere many reasons why I should
have decided to make tracks.
You know that the man was not inroom B when the shot was fired.
said Nick.
I'm sure of it.
He might've come back.
No, the front door makes a loudnoise when it is shut.
(09:24):
I should've heard him if he hadcome in that way.
And if he had come the otherway, this man would've seen him.
You didn't see him at all.
Did you.
No.
So you can't say whether Joneswas the man.
Uh, no.
But I'm sure he wasn't themurderer.
(09:45):
You think it was suicide?
I'm sure of it.
How could it have been anythingelse?
The woman was alone.
There might've been somebodyelse in the room.
No our waiter told us that theparty consisted of only two.
You mean Corbut?
I believe that's his name, thefellow who disappeared.
How do you account for hisdisappearance?
(10:07):
I don't, but perhaps he wasafraid of being mixed up in the
affair.
He may have had a record, whichwon't permit him to go before
the police, even as a witness.
How could he have got that cab?
I've thought a good deal aboutthat.
It was mentioned in the papers.
I believe he may have slippedout the front way, called the
cab, and then gone back to getsomething.
(10:30):
Perhaps he went back for hisclothes, but didn't dare take
them.
And how about the cab man'sstory of the man who engaged the
cab?
The cab man's a liar.
That's plain enough.
I'm afraid he is.
Now Mr.
Hammond.
Uh, could either Corbut or thisman Gaspard have got into room B
without your knowing it.
Easily.
(10:50):
Great heavens.
I never thought of that.
One of the may be the murderer.
Gaspard at these words turnedwhite as a sheet.
He was so frightened that hisEnglish, which was usually very
fluid deserted him, and hemumbled protestations of
innocence in his mother tongue.
Thank you, Mr.
Hammond said Nick, withoutappearing to notice Gaspard's
(11:12):
distress.
I have no more questions to ask,but I would be obliged to you if
you would wait here a fewminutes for me.
Nick went into another roomwhere he knew that Patsy was
waiting.
A set of signals is arranged inNick's house, by which he always
knows when one of his staff getsin.
Patsy said, Nick.
There's a fellow upstairs whomyou will have to shadow.
(11:34):
Gaspard.
No.
Uh, a man who calls himselfHammond.
Gaspard has identified him asthe man who was in room a.
Look here, said Patsy, am I afarmer?
Or is this man Gaspard thegreatest living identifier?
What do you mean?
Why it strikes me that he pickedout his men a good deal too
easy.
If it's all straight, I'd likethe loan of his luck for a few
(11:57):
days.
That identification on theelevated station looked to me
like a fake.
I don't believe he ever intendedthat you should get hold of the
man.
In my opinion.
He simply running around,identifying everybody he sees.
But this man Hammond admits it.
Is he telling the truth?
No.
Said Nick with a peculiar smile.
I don't believe he is.
(12:18):
Well then Gaspard's a liar.
And if he's lied here, he mayhave done the same thing in
Jones's case.
Nick looked shrewdly at hisyouthful assistant.
He is very fond of this brightboy and gives him every chance
to develop his theories in thosecases, in which he's employed.
come my lad.
Said the famous detective.
Uh, tell me what has you setagainst Gaspard?
(12:39):
He's going to skip.
Is that so well, this isserious.
It's a fact, I got it from oneof the men in the restaurant.
My man was told of it by Corbut.
Corbut?
Yes.
And there's another suspiciouscircumstance.
There's a French woman who isgoing to give little old, New
York the shake at the same timeas Gaspard.
They're going back to sunnyFrance together.
(13:01):
Now, nobody knows this, but theman I talked with.
Gaspard thinks that Corbut wasthe only one who knew it.
So it was for Gaspard's interestin case he really did this job
and lifted some valuable plunderoff that woman to get Corbut out
of the way.
Did he pay Corbut to skip first?
And is he now identifying TomDick and Harry for the purpose
(13:21):
of bothering us and keeping usbusy.
Until he can light out.
It's worth looking into saidNick.
At any rate, you stick toGaspard.
I'll put somebody else on toHammond.
Chapter six, Mrs.
John Jones.
Nothing of great importanceoccurred in the case until the
next afternoon when Nick was atpolice headquarters.
(13:45):
He was talking withsuperintendent Byrnes.
The identification of that womangets stronger all the time said
the superintendent.
I'm beginning to think shereally is the wife of our
prisoner.
Hmm, it looks so, said Nick.
At that moment, a card wasbrought in.
The superintendent looked at itand whistled softly.
Then he handed the card to Nickwho read the name.
(14:07):
The two men exchanged glancesand both smiled.
Mrs.
John Jones said, Nick.
Well, this puts a new face onthe matter.
It's a great case was the reply.
I'm mighty glad you happened tobe on the scene at once.
He turned to the officer who hadbrought the card and directed
that Mrs.
Jones should be admittedimmediately.
(14:28):
A pretty young woman entered.
She was of about the same heightas the unfortunate victim of the
tragedy in the restaurant andmuch like her in build.
The faces did not resemble eachother in outline.
But the coloring was similar.
There was a faint resemblance inthe large light blue eyes.
The hair was of the samepeculiar shade and nearly as
(14:49):
luxuriant.
But nobody would have evermistaken one woman for the
other.
After a fair look at theirfaces.
The costumes, however, we'repositively identical.
Mrs.
John Jones to all appearanceswore the very same clothes as
Nick had seen upon the woman inroom B.
Mrs.
Jones was evidently verynervous, but she made a fine
(15:12):
attempt to control herself.
You have my husband underarrest?
I believe she said.
And he is accused.
They say of killing me.
She tried to smile, but it was arather ghastly effort.
The superintendent motioned thewoman to a seat.
Mr.
John Jones is here.
He said.
(15:33):
And he is suspected of murder.
I have read about it.
Replied the woman.
There certainly appeared to beevidence against him, but of
course you must be aware that Iknow him to be innocent.
How?
Because I was with him when thecrime was committed.
At half past seven o'clock ofthe evening, we were walking
toward the great central Depot.
We had dined in our flat.
(15:54):
The people who say they saw usgo out tell the truth.
But we came back.
It was my intention to take anafternoon train, but I decided
to wait.
So we came back and had dinner.
Nobody saw us go in or out ofthe flat.
After dinner, we walked to theDepot and I took the eight, 10
train for my home in Maysville,10 miles from Albany.
(16:17):
I arrived in Albany Wednesdaymorning and remained there with
friends throughout the day andnight.
Then I went to Maysville where Iheard the news and came back at
once.
The superintendent touched hisbell.
Two minutes later, John Joneswas brought into the room.
Amy! exclaimed he.
How came you here?
(16:38):
He ran up to her and theygreeted each other
affectionately.
The woman who had controlledherself up to this point, burst
into tears.
Jones turned in wrath towardNick.
Haven't we had enough of thisinfernal nonsense.
He exclaimed you have raised thedevil with my business and
scared my wife into a fit.
Now, let me out and arrest theAmir of Afghanistan.
(17:01):
He had more to do with thisaffair than I did.
Nick did not reply.
But he made a secret sign to thesuperintendent.
You are at Liberty.
Mr.
Jones said burns calmly.
I regret that it was necessaryto detain you so long.
I have no complaint to makeagainst, you said Jones.
It was that man's work and heshall pay for it.
(17:24):
He scowled at Nick.
And then after bowing to thesuperintendent walked out of the
room with his wife on his arm.
Shall I call a man.
Said burns.
If you please, said Nick.
Uh, my force is pretty busy.
Musgrave.
said the superintendent.
A man appeared so suddenly thathe seemed to come out of the
wall.
(17:45):
Shadow the couple that has justleft here said burns.
You are under Mr.
Carter's orders until dismissedby him.
Musgrave turned to Nick.
I have no special instructions,said Nick.
Except that you keep your eyeson the woman.
The officer saluted and vanishedalmost as quickly as he had come
in.
At half past seven o'clock thatevening musgrave was on guard
(18:08):
outside the flat.
The address of which had beengiven to Nick by Jones.
An old man selling papers camealong the street, calling extra
in a cracked voice.
Musgrave bought a paper.
Well said the newsman in NickCarter's voice.
What have you to report?
From headquarters, they went toan employment agency on sixth
avenue.
They engaged a colored girl as aservant.
(18:31):
Then they came straight here andthe girl followed them.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Jones have not been out since.
Are you sure of that?
Perfectly.
There is no way to get out ofthat house from the rear.
How about the fire escape.
There is only that one on theside, which you can see.
The little yard back of thehouse is walled in by buildings.
(18:51):
So Mr.
And Mrs.
Jones must be inside.
Yes.
And the girl.
She is out.
She has been going on errandshalf a dozen times, but usually
to the grocers or the butchersround the corner.
I don't know where she has gonethis time.
She's been out about a quarterof an hour.
All right.
I'm going over there.
(19:11):
Nick changed his disguise tothat in which Jones had seen
him.
He did it in the hall of theflat house while waiting for the
door to be opened in answer tohis ring.
Jones met him on the upperlanding.
Look here! said Jones when herecognized Nick.
Isn't this going a little toofar.
What do you want now?
I would like to ask Mrs.
Jones a few questions.
If you have no objections.
(19:32):
I object very seriously.
Will you ask her if she iswilling to see me.
No, I won't.
Then I shall have to use myauthority.
Uh, don't do that.
Come now be a good fellow.
Amy is sick with all this worry.
She's just gone to bed.
Let her alone until tomorrow.
I will said Nick.
Good night.
(19:53):
He descended the stairs andrejoined Musgrave, who was
standing in a dark place on theopposite side of the street.
Have you seen a light in thatwindow asked Nick pointing to
the flat.
No.
Then Jones lied to me a minuteago when he said that his wife
had just gone to bed.
That window is in the principalbedroom off the flat.
There's been no light there.
Then they fooled you Musgrave.
(20:14):
What do you mean?
I mean that Mrs.
Jones is out.
Oh, it can't be possible.
It's true.
She's gone out disguised as herown servant.
I can't believe it.
Why the girls black as your hat.
That's why they engaged her, inmy opinion.
It made the trick easier.
A black face is a good disguise.
But I'm going to be sure aboutit.
(20:36):
How.
I'm going to see whether thecolored girl is in the flat.
How can you get in.
I'm going down the air shaft.
The servant's room opens on thatshaft.
They'd have made her go in thereso her light won't show as it
would, if she were in thekitchen.
Nick went to an engine housenearby where he secured a coil
of knotted rope.
He wished to make hisinvestigation secretly.
(20:57):
So as not to put Jones on hisguard, It would not have been
safe to get into the flat by theordinary methods.
By using the fire escape of thebuilding next door to the flat
house.
Nick got to the roof.
The top of the air shaft wascovered with a framework in
which large panes of glass wereset.
Nick removed one of them.
Then he made his rope fast andcrept through the space where
(21:19):
the glass had been.
The Jones's flat was next to thetop.
So Nick had a short descent.
But there was an awful stretchof empty air under him as he
hung there.
The shaft went to the basementfloor, about 70 feet below the
level of the window, whichopened into the room occupied by
the Jones's new servant.
He found that window readily.
(21:39):
One glance through it was enoughto satisfy him.
There sat the colored girl,reading a book.
Nick's suspicions had beencorrect.
Naturally, he did not delay verylong in the air shaft.
He had a hard climb to make handover hand to the roof.
The instant that his eyes restedon the girl, he began the
ascent.
He had gone up less than sixfeet when the rope suddenly gave
(22:02):
way and he found himselfplunging downward through the
shaft.
Have we seen the last of NickCarter.
Where has Mrs.
Jones gone and why?
And who is the mysterious womanwho is still at the center of
this case?
The answer to these questionsand more will be found out in
the next thrilling chapter ofNick Carter and the crime of the
(22:25):
French cafe.
Well, things are getting veryinteresting.
And before we go, I'd like tothank once again, the
hardworking crew over at projectGutenberg for keeping this
story.
And so many others.
Alive and well, Hop on over totheir website to check out all
their amazing stories.
(22:45):
That's gutenberg.org O R G.
Well, until next time, folks.
Thanks for listening.
Keep sharing your stories and bea good human.
Bye for now.
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