St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-09-13
THE TELL-TALE SIGNATUE-A
DETECTIVE STORY;
BY JOHN B. WILLIAMS, N. D.

One day, while cozily slipping cup of tea,
and talking over our courting days with my
wife, loud ring at the bell informed ire that
visitor wished to see me. The servant girl
ushered into the apartment a young lady Of re-
markable beauty, who stated that she wished
to see me privately on very important business.
Ny wife, (God bless her! who is by no means
Of jealous disposition, discreetly withdrew,
and We were lett alone. offered the young
lady chair, and informed her that was at
her service. Aftrr little hesitation natural
to her years, she made statement to me which
1 will condense rs follows:
Charlotte Melvin (my fair visitor) was the
only child Of Reuben Melvin. Esq, who had
resided on the banks Of the Hudson river, about
twenty miles from New York. Her father had
been devotedly attached to her, and they had
lived as happy as it was possible to live togeth-
er. He had gratided every wish Of hers, and
for years not single cloud had obscured their
calm and peaceful happiness. About year
ago Charlotte had been introduced to the son
of gentleman living in their neighborhood,
and mutual love had sprung up between them.
Her father had not opposed their union, as it
was a very desirable match on all sides, and it
was settled they should be married next Spring
Things went on in this way for some months
Leonard App]eby visited her fathers house
every night, and everything went as merry as
a marriage bell. But suddenly their dream of
happiness was dissipated, and that, too, by an
extraordinary occurrence. Her betrothed was
one morning found in the garden attached to
the house in a half-senseless condition, his
clothes and hands bespattered with blood, and
her father had mystcriously disappeared Ev-
cry search was made for him, but without any
avail; and her lover Leonard Appleby had
been arrested on the charge of having murder
ed him, and it was supposed that he had con-
cealed the body somewhere. It was evident,
from the appearance Of the place where Leonard
had been found in the morning, that terrible
! struggle had taken place the flowers and roots
we're torn up, the shrubbery broken, the ground
! in various places was covered with blood, and
| a knife, which was proved to have belonged to
the prisoner, was also stained with the vital
fluid. The most damning evidence, however,
against the prisoner, was the fact that Mr..
MelVlns watch and purse were found in his
possession.
Leonard Appleby was removed to the county
Jail, where he was incarcerated at the time Miss
Melvin called upon me his case not having
| been Investigated, from the fact of the body oil
the man he was supposed to have murdered not
having been discovered. But the stranges,
thing of all in this affair was, that week after
the catastrophe a brother Of Mr.. Melvin's ap
peared and claimed his whole property by vr.
tue Of a will which he exhibited, and by which
he was made sole heir to all his brothers pro
perty. There was no disputing the will, 70,
it was unquestionably signed by the deceased
and Richard Melvin took possession Of the
whole Of the property Of his late brother, ano
did not offer to expend one cent for the sup
! port Of his niece Charlotte, who was thrown
upon the world in an utterly destitute condi
tion.
Such was the substance of the story told mt
] by Miss Melvin; and she further added tha
three weeks had elapsed since her fathers
death, but that no satisfactory result had beer
obtained as to how or by what means he hat
come to his end, and that although she hac
employed almost every detective officer in New
York, they had been unable to afford her any
satisfaction. a.. <-..--
''Miss Melvin,' said l, as soon as she hat
finished, sis it.not very strange that your
father should have LETT your uncle all his prop
erty From some hints you have let: fall,
should judge they were not ON very good terms
with each other during your fathers life
/ "You are right, MIR. Barker" said Miss Mel
vim; 'tthey had never spoken to each other fo7
years. My poor father could never bear t,
hear the name Of his brother Richard mention
Led, and heard him say frequently that he wa
: bad-hearted man. - 7' ,."N -"
care you sure the signature to the will va
really In your fathers hand-writing!"
4 II am: perfectly satisfied Of it., 90 much q
that when some of my friends advised me t
contest the validity Of the will, being 6rml,