ghlin smiled grimly, but said nothing. A couple of nights later,
while the detective and Whalen were walking down Clark street, Coughlin
met a man who appeared to know him. He did not offer to introduce him to
his fellow officer, and the latter strolled on, while the two men
engaged in conversation. When Coughlin rejoined Whalen he said that the
man he had talked with was the mysterious "Smith," and that he was on
the point of leaving for New Mexico. Whalen turned round to look at him,
but he had disappeared. That night Coughlin told the same story to Capt.
Schaack, and the latter dismissed the matter, with the remark, "all
right," never even so much as thinking to ask his subordinate whether he
had asked the man where he went with the rig that night, or why he had
not brought him to the station. To Dinan the detective repeated the
same story, mentioning Prescott as the point in New Mexico to which the
man was going. He also said that he had collected three dollars from him
to pay for the use of the rig, but that he had spent it, and would
settle on the first of the month.

COUGHLIN UNDER ARREST.

But, although he held his peace until Coughlin had left, the livery-man
was anything but satisfied in his own mind, and the more he thought of
it the stronger he was convinced that the matter had not been properly
investigated. Finally he went to Horace Elliott, chief of detectives,
with his story. Elliott took him to Chief of Police Hubbard. The head of
the force listened attentively, and shrewd and experienced as he was,
recognized the importance of the disclosure. Dinan's description of
Coughlin's friend was compared with that of the supposed messenger from
O'Sullivan's ice house, and found to correspond in almost every
particular. With the chief to think was to act. Instructions were sent
to the Chicago avenue station that Coughlin was to remain indoors, and
all that day he was so closely watched that if he had attempted to
escape he could not have left the station without being placed under
arrest. In the afternoon there was a conference at police headquarters,
in which Mayor Cregier, Chief Hubbard, Corporation Council Hutchinson,
Lawyer W. J. Hynes, Col. W. P. Rend, and others interested in the
prosecution participated. Coughlin was sent for, and for two hours he
was subjected to a rigid and merciless examination. His replies were
evasive and unsatisfactory. Several times when hard pressed he refused
to answer at all,