Following this, two men boarded an outgoing railroad train at night, and at one of its stopping stations captured a passenger who was standing on the rear platform of a coach, dragged him away, robbed him of a small sum of money, a lady's gold watch, took a plain gold ring from his finger, then bound and gagged him and threw him into an empty freight car near by. Within three weeks after the publication of this effusive compliment to the police, a citizen sent the following communication to an evening paper, which, together with the comments of that paper upon it, is here inserted, as the best criticism of the Mayor's optimistic view of the efficiency of his police force: "April 26, 1899.--Editor the J.: Not fewer than 15 flats and residences in the district bounded by West Adams street, Kedzie avenue, Homan avenue and Washington boulevard have been plundered recently. The thieves reside at ----, a fact well known to the police, but all the efforts of the suffering tax payers are unavailing in having them arrested. "The police authorities will not act. The rascals have been at their present abode (----, first flat) since early last autumn. Their landlord is (well, I won't mention his name) well known. "Our community has become so terrorized that no one dares remain out after dark. Can't you assist us in our troubles? The police don't act. "RESIDENT OF THE DISTRICT." The comments of the paper read as follows, viz.: "The author of the above is a well-to-do West side manufacturer. He says in a note which came with this communication: 'Do not under any circumstances couple my name with it. We are all afraid of our lives, believing that the thieves are so desperate that they would murder any one disclosing their method and abode.' This is the district in which George B. Fern and Cora Henderson met their deaths under such mysterious circumstances. Here is a partial list of the happenings of recent date in this one neighborhood, the first four named cases being within one business block: GEORGE B. FERN, dry goods merchant, 1393 West Madison street; found in his store with bullet hole in his head, mask and revolver with one chamber empty at his side; police say he committed suicide; coroner's jury returned a murder verdict; the grand jury also declares it was a case of murder. CORA HENDERSON, blind woman, 1385 West Madison street; found dead in her house, hole in her skull; murder theory worked upon by police; later theory advanced that she might have met her death by a fall. F. W., tailor, West Madison street; robbers drove up to his store in broad daylight while he was eating in a restaurant next door and intimidated clerk with revolver, loaded in tailor's cloth, drove away. W. H. D., West Madison street, grocer; hole drilled in his safe; burglars scared away when D. came to open store. MRS. FRANK W., Washington boulevard, house entered; $200 stolen.