The Barrel MysteryFlynn, William J. (William James)
General
The Barrel Mystery
Flynn, William J. (William James)
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction
"After being in the city three days I found employment in a printing
shop in Brooklyn and worked there as an honest man, putting away all
thoughts of evil and tried to forget what I had been through in
Highland for the past nine months.
"On August 12, 1909, I read in an Italian newspaper about the arrest
of some persons who passed some of the notes printed by me. Thinking
that some one might mention my name, I wrote a letter to Cina,
addressed to No. 20 Duane Street, Poughkeepsie, informing him that as
I had not seen any one up to the present, and had not got what was
promised me, I had decided to leave for Italy on August 15th.
"Then I remained in Brooklyn working, without the gang knowing my
whereabouts. My employment for this period was in the printing shop of
Matteo Vestuto.
"One Sunday in September I met Calichio on the street. He told me that
he was going to my house to get a suit of clothes that had been sent
down from the stone house with my furniture.
"'Don Peppe,' said I, 'Caterina is at home and she will give you the
suit which was put away. If you see any of the _Gentlemen_ don't say
that you saw me, because I have written them that I am in Italy.'
"'I have not seen them any more,' replied Calichio. 'Neither do I want
to see them, after what I have been through. Bear in mind, Don
Antonio, that I have not yet received all the money that is coming to
me, but ----, if they come again to me, I know what to tell them
----.' He went off in a very angry mood.
"On the 16th of November, 1909, I read in an Italian newspaper of the
arrest of Giuseppe Morello, Antonio Cecala, Domenico Milone, Luciana
Maddi, Giuseppe Boscarini and Leolina Vasi. They were all put under
bail of from seven to fifteen thousand dollars. Three days later I
read in the newspapers that all these 'gentlemen,' whom I knew, were
released on bail, and were at liberty awaiting trial.
"I became frightened, thinking that these fellows might think that I
had said something to the police as they knew I was dissatisfied with
the treatment they had given me. Losing no time I packed my things and
went to live with an American family in Dominick Street."
CHAPTER XVIII
PINCHING THE GREENHORN
"I had been at this place about a month and a half when, on the night
of January 4th, 1910, about eight o'clock, six men came into the house
and, motioning me not to move, declared that I and Caterina were under
arrest.
"'But who are you?' I asked in Italian.
"'We are government officers,' one of them replied in Italian, and he
showed me his shield.
"'Well, the place is at your disposal,' I said, sitting down on a
chair and smoking my pipe, feeling quite sure of myself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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