Chapter XXVIII: A Frustrated Crime--The End

Since the startling events at the Three Oaks, terminating with the complete destruction of that gloomy old mansion by fire, another day has passed, and night has settled down upon the city of New York once more.

It has been an eventful day for many, no doubt; of its events for our hero, Frank Mansfield, his mother restored to reason and the world, and his faithful friends, the "Bats in the Wall," we have no time to speak.

Meanwhile, the virtuous Mr. Callister appeared at his office as usual, and figured prominently in several large transactions on the floor of the Stock Exchange.

The new clerk, Mr. Maxwell, however, did not appear at the office, nor had Detective Hook been seen by any one.

The police authorities, now thoroughly alarmed by his continued absence, caused a general alarm to be sent out, and during the entire day his brother detectives searched for him in all directions, but in vain.

Now, upon the night of the day in question, had any one chanced to stand upon the bulkhead of the East river front at a point somewhere between Catherine street and the Market slip, they might have observed a man of most singular appearance creep apparently out of the solid wall of the bulkhead itself, and, with evident effort, leap to the deck of a little sloop lying within arm's-length of the street line.

Once upon the deck of the sloop, he did not pause, but seizing the string-piece of the bulkhead, drew himself to the ground above, and standing erect, gave vent to a sigh of relief.

And no wonder.

From head to foot he was a mass of dripping mud.

"Safe--safe at last!" he muttered; "safe and free to act once more. It still lacks something of twelve--if my strength holds out I may make it yet. I will make it. Let Elijah Callister beware, for the day of his reckoning at last has come."

Turning abruptly he crossed South street and disappeared in the dark shadows of the great warehouses which cluster around the East river shore.

Who is this man who swears vengeance upon so worthy, so pious a member of society as Mr. Elijah Callister of the Tenth Baptist Church?

His name is Caleb Hook.

His business is that of a police detective.

Reuben Tisdale was right.

Out of the whale's belly the avenger has come.

Fate had indeed willed that he should prove the Jonah of the band.

* * * * *

"Now, then, Billy, you slip up the steps and try the door. If the watchman has not gone back on us, it ought to open at the first touch."

Before the Lispenard Bank stood three men, well disguised in great coats and low slouch hats, one carrying a small grip-sack in his hand.

They are Elijah Callister and the two Cutts--father and son.

It is the stock broker who speaks, and Billy Cutts, the renegade detective, is the one who creeps up the steps of the Lispenard Bank in obedience to his command.

"Is it all right, Billy?" whispered Cutts, the elder. "We want to get off the street as soon as we possibly can."

"All right, dad, come on."

The two men moved stealthily toward the steps of the bank.

"Squeak! squeak! squeak!"

Behind them a low, bat-like cry went up for one instant only, and then all was still.

"What the deuce was that?" whispered Callister, drawing back in alarm.

For the space of a minute all three stood motionless, Billy Cutts at the top of the steps, Callister and Cutts the elder at the foot.

The street was utterly deserted.

Nor was this strange.

Lower New York is always deserted at night, and the hour of twelve had already passed.

Before them rose the grim stone walls of the Custom House on William street--that upon which the Lispenard bank is situated--from Wall to Beaver, as far as the eye could reach, not a living thing could be seen.

"Come on; it's only a blasted bat!" whispered Billy Cutts, from the top of the steps. "We have no time to fool away, I tell you. First thing we know a cop will be along. The goose is ready for the plucking, and we want to be about it. It's blame strange Rube didn't show up!"

"Oh, never mind him!" answered Callister, hastily. "Probably he's off on some other lay. Open the door, Billy, and we are with you. We must and shall put this job through successfully. There's enough in that vault to make us all independent for life!"

"Go on--go on, you make too much talk," whispered Sam Cutts, leading the way up the steps. "Lead on there, Billy, if the door is open. We've nothing to fear."

Billy Cutts opened the door softly without reply.

Followed by his companions, he entered the bank.

"Hey, Mike!" he whispered, hoarsely.

It was the bank watchman he called who, faithless to his trust, had been bribed to assist them in their work.

There was no reply.

Within the bank all was dark; by the feeble rays of the street lamp without the outlines of the desks could be just discerned.

"Hey, Mike! Mike!" whispered Billy Cutts again, stealthily advancing.

The words had scarcely left his lips, than through the interior of the Lispenard Bank there shot out a blaze of light.

"Throw up your hands, there!" cried a stern voice before them. "Up with them, or you are dead men!"

With a low cry, Elijah Callister sprang toward the door.

Before them, in the full blaze of the lighted gas, stood Frank Mansfield and five policemen at his side, with glittering revolvers in their outstretched hands, aimed directly at the burglars' heads.

"Halt, there!"

Behind them, entering by the door through which Callister had turned to flee, a second posse of police was seen, headed by the pale determined figure of Detective Hook, while following close behind were three ragged street boys, easily recognized as our old friends Barney, the bootblack, Sandy and Garibaldi the Bats in the Wall.

"Those are your men, officers!" cried Frank, in clear, ringing tones. "That's Callister--the tall one by the door--that's the head of the gang who robbed the Webster bank, and sought to throw the crime on me!"

* * * * *

Morning dawned upon the city of New York with clearer skies so far as Frank Mansfield was concerned, than he had known for months.

The end had come.

The mystery of the robbery of the Webster bank was a mystery no more.

The rising sun found the virtuous Mr. Callister and the two Cutts snugly ensconced in the Tombs.

Before a force so overwhelming they had not even tried to resist.

And then the whole thing came out, and the newspapers rang with it next day.

It appeared that the first information of the intended robbery of the Lispenard bank had been given by Frank Mansfield, who walked boldly into the office of the Chief of Police, told his whole story and placed the plans found in the coat of Callister in his hands.

It was upon information thus received that the police secreted themselves in the bank after nightfall, stationing the "Bats" to watch outside and sound the alarm of the approach of the burglars by their usual cry.

The arrival of Detective Hook had been an entirely independent affair.

Reviving at last from his swoon, this brave officer had escaped by the secret passage--an old sewer beneath the Donegal Shades, used doubtless by the scoundrels who frequented that den for the conveyance of stolen goods--as we have seen, and hurrying to the Oak street station had made his story known, and started with a number of policemen for the Lispenard bank.

Of their timely arrival we are already informed.

That the arrest of Callister made a tremendous stir in financial circles need not be told.

But Frank Mansfield stands to-day rich, happy and prosperous, his name justified before the world.

The officers of the Webster bank now understand his innocence, and would be only too glad to receive him again into their employ.

But Frank has no need for further toil.

From beneath the ruins of the Three Oaks there came forth a golden treasure which has placed him beyond all fear of want.

For a round half million will do that and leave some to spare, even in these expensive days, and such proved to be the value of the gold and gems buried by that strange old man, Jeremiah Mansfield, in the cellar of the great house where for so many years he dwelt alone.

During the search which took place at the ruins, both Detective Hook and Frank's new-found cousin, Jerry Buck, whose true name proved to be Dupont Tisdale, assisted.

By Jerry the presence of Mrs. Mansfield at the Three Oaks was made perfectly plain.

Familiar with the house and its secret passages for years, she had, assisted by the boy, played the ghost most successfully, gliding in and out of the chamber of its former owner by means of a secret panel set in the wall, while the light--nothing more than the usual stage fire--was used to add effect to the scene at the suggestion of Jerry himself.

They found the iron chest without difficulty, and the will having been placed in the hands of the Surrogate of New York County, its contents were turned over to that official to be dealt with according to the law.

By the confession of Tisdale, all stain being removed from the name of our hero, in due time he came into his own.

And these two important points being settled, nothing remains but to dispose of the principal actors in this strange but true narrative of events growing out of the robbery of the Webster bank.

The body of Reuben Tisdale was recovered from the sub-cellar beneath the Donegal Shades upon the morning of the burglars' arrest.

In some unexplained manner, P. Slattery had got wind of the affair, and deserting his saloon, has never since been seen.

In due time, Elijah Callister, exposed in his true colors before the world, paid the penalty of his many crimes upon the scaffold in the yard of the Tombs, which event occurring as it did only a few months since, after a long and much talked of trial, must still be fresh in the minds of all who read this tale.

The Cutts, father and son, were sentenced to Sing Sing on the testimony of Caleb Hook, for a term of years.

Between the detective and Mr. Billy Cutts this most effectually squared accounts.

For his services, so kindly and faithfully rendered, as may be well believed, Frank Mansfield saw this brave member of the New York detective force fully repaid.

Indeed, it is rumored that so liberal was this compensation, that there is no actual need for Caleb Hook to continue on the force.

The papers given by Mrs. Mansfield to the detective in the room in Cherry street proved to be simply a desultory description of the history of that unfortunate woman's past life.

Before his final resignation of the case he turned them over to Frank, who having revised them in the light of later disclosures, gave them to the press, thereby clearing the name of his dead father from all stain, Tisdale's confession rendering it absolutely certain that the funds placed in the hands of that unfortunate gentleman for safe-keeping had been stolen by Callister and himself.

The watchman of the Lispenard Bank, and Flaherty, the "crooked" policeman on the beat covering the Webster Bank, were tried together for aiding and abetting the gang of burglars.

Against Mike, the watchman, the evidence was conclusive, and he was sent to Sing Sing to keep company with his friend Detective Cutts, but Flaherty escaped for want of evidence, although he was dismissed from the police force in disgrace.

Jim Morrow and Ed Wilson, Frank's fast companions, who assisted Billy Cutts to betray him, we presume remain still in California--at all events we have heard nothing of them since.

Nor is this to be regretted.

Frank plays poker no more, and has no use for any of their sort.

In an elegant mansion on one of the avenues, Frank Mansfield lives with his mother, whose reason is now fully restored.

With them dwells a young lady who seldom appears in public, and dresses in the deepest black.

It is Miss Edna Callister, who, while admitting the justice of her father's punishment, still deplores his fate.

Time, which cures all things, has, however, already done its work for her, and it is commonly rumored that at the expiration of the prescribed year of mourning, her marriage with our hero will be duly announced.

With them also dwells Jerry Buck, who is now attending school, and endeavoring to make up by hard study for the time lost during the years spent as a waif in New York's streets.

The old vault beneath the grave-yard of Trinity Church is deserted now--restored to its original use, a burial place of the dead.

After the newspaper disclosures the boys could not return there, of course, and Frank, mindful of his promise, not only rewarded Barney, the bootblack, Sandy and Garibaldi by a substantial gift from his newly acquired wealth, but provided for all the boys a comfortable home.

"For the result of these strange events," as he remarked to us the other day, when we visited him at his elegant home for additional particulars to be incorporated in this tale, "might have proved to be a very different affair had it not been for the timely assistance afforded my mother and myself by those kind-hearted street boys, the 'BATS IN THE WALL.'"

[THE END.]

Transcriber's notes:

Added table of contents.

Retained some inconsistent hyphenation (e.g. second hand vs. second-hand).

Changed Lige to Lije for consistency (twice).

Removed unnecessary quote before "Now, in thus demanding...."

Changed "neerest" to "nearest."

Changed "to night" to "to-night" for consistency.

Changed "Detetective" to "Detective."

Changed comma to period after "she will ruin all."

Added missing quotes after "try the door" and before "Mistake added...."

Added missing comma after "better by and by."

Changed "Schnieder" to "Schneider" (twice).

Added missing quote after "bats in the wall?"

Removed unnecessary quote after "P. Slattery's Shades."

Changed "That was the true meaning" to "What was the true meaning."

Changed "clastered" to "clustered."

Changed "fasionable" to "fashionable."

Changed "suddenly appear within" to "suddenly disappear within" (error found in _New York Detective Library_ edition but not in _Boys of New York_ text).

Added missing "it" to "Frank took the document from his pocket and placed it in his hands" (based on consultation of original _Boys of New York_ appearance).

Added missing long dash after "who was said--who" (based on consultation of original _Boys of New York_ appearance).

Changed "churchyard" to "church-yard" for consistency (twice).

Changed "cotemplating" to "contemplating."

Removed unnecessary quote after "And yet----."

Changed "boys's" to "boy's."

Added missing quote after "return it some of these days."

Changed "Garabaldi" to "Garibaldi."

Changed "familarity" to "familiarity."

Removed duplicate word from "clump of of oaks."

Removed unnecessary quote after "Reuben Tisdale by name."

Removed unnecessary quote after "even had they been so disposed" and "sort of an affair I like."

Added missing quote before "exclaimed the stock-broker."

Changed "familarity" to "familiarity."

Changed "but the name" to "by the name."

Added missing quote after "this is the result."

Changed "Mansfied" to "Mansfield."

Swapped ? and ! in "Now, where is that sealed parchment? That's the question before the house!"

Changed "supposing your" to "supposing you."

Changed "couse" to "course."

Added missing quote after "what's the matter with this room?"

Changed "forhead" to "forehead."

Added missing quote after "within our grasp."

Changed "suburbam" to "suburban."

Changed "goverment" to "government."

Removed superfluous quote after "Who are you, sir?"

Removed unnecessary quote after "How----."

Added missing quote before "there's the fellow."

Changed "monment" to "moment."

Changed "got got" to "got."

Changed "Are your not" to "Are you not."

Changed "similiar" to "similar."

Changed "that was ordinarily" to "than was ordinarily."

Changed "weeke" to "weeks."

Changed "at steak" to "at stake."

Changed "cuting" to "cutting."

Changed "Hook Spring" to "Hook sprang."

Changed "murder" to "murderer" in "A strange murderer, for a fact." (Based on consultation of original _Boys of New York_ appearance).

Changed "Deeective" to "Detective."

Changed "tremling" to "trembling."

Changed ! to ? in "Well, which way are you going?" and "Won't they give you away?"

Changed "floor" to "door" in "The rapping was upon the door...." (Based on consultation of original _Boys of New York_ appearance).

Changed "Tree Oaks" to "Three Oaks."

Changed "seeen" to "seen."

Changed "Ruben" and "Rueben" to "Reuben."

Removed unnecessary comma from "Elijah, Callister."

Added missing comma in "Rube, Cutts and myself."

Changed "Mansfied" to "Mansfield."

Changed ! to ? in "My slight to you, dearest?"

Removed unnecessary quote before "With them dwells...."

Added missing end single quote to final "Bats in the Wall."