Nebraska advertiser., 1865-09-07

brought that another man had been foun
dead and robbed in the swamp. Watso
and posted off with many others, an
found it 10 be as had been related. Th
dead man lay upon the road side, abOu
two rods from the bridge, with his skul
broken and his pOcl empty.
A score Of peoplo l15m jackson werl
already there, and / soon learned tha
the murdered man had stopped at th,
latter place on the evening before.
whispered TO Watson thai / must not Be
known, and bade him not recognize me
any more in public.
After this mingled with the people
of Jackson, and gathered vha. informal
ion ] could, and at length tie following
facts appeared The murdered man
was not known in section. he had ar.
rived at Jack son on the evening before.
on horseback, and put up at hat place
He had started on bis way very early in
the morning, and was next oay found
dead by boy who had come down to
the creek to look to some traps which
be had set the previous day.
The man who had kept the inn at
Jackson was present and had been be lp-
ing to indentify the dead body. His
name was Lamar Stoker, and the mo.
ment | rested my eyes upon him, dislyked
him. He was short, square built man,
with tremendous breadth of shoulders, a
small bullet-shaped head, with prominent
cheek bones, and small, thin ears, buton-
ed back fat upon his skull I was close
by him, engaged in studying his physi-
ognomy, when an old gentleman, who
had come down on horseback, approach
ed and spoke TO him:
Il say StOker, what time did this man
leave your inn this morning 2" the gen.
tleman asked.
"As soon as it was daylight" replied
Stoker.
Il told him he had better wait for
company, but he was in hurry"
'Ty wonder if he had much money about
am ~
At this query, StOker betrayed me a
suspicious sign, for 1 was watching him
very closely. He tried to look surprised
that such question should be put to
him.
Glow do you. suppose knOw!" was
be reply "He may have had thou
al,d dollars, and he mayn'i have had
ol!ar, I can't tell"
.,Ba, where's his horse 2" asked the
Id man.
ellis horse was found in MY yard by
nv hostIer, Just after breakfast"
eWas there any blood on him 90
81 guess net.
At this point Stoker turned away, and
went to look at tlNe dead inan.
The CORPSE had be en- brought up from
he wayside upon the ,2Or dnrOy, it struck
ne that very little blood had been there.
You may call it chance or you may
-dmit that my perception was keener
han that of most men, ba :, at all events
ny mind begun to take a Turn ID d.
ectIon not yet explored by the omcers
Who had preceded me in the seNreh. AT
irst suspected that the man, or men,
Who had committed the crime, res ldSn
n Jackson or Huntsville, / had drawn
enough out of two old hunters TO con-
1nce me Of that. Next / suspected thai
1aman Stoker had some hand in the
bloody business. He looked fit for the
work; and within the past few minutes
lad exhibited signs of guilt, which to me
we're apparent enough.
Loose straws indicate the way of the
Wind, and the man who seeks-to ferret
,ut great things, must mol pass over little
hings. Why was there no blood spilled |
where the dead man was found +! Sure ly, |
lot because the gates had not been open
ID. for his skull had been broken to d
1umice. and il was evident enough, TO
one well versed in such matters that
nearly all the blood in his b ody had ran
but But where was it? From such a
nan as that, killed by so fufious wound,
with all the arteries and vains broken,
here could not have flowed much less
han two gallons of blood. But where
was ii! There had not been pint spill.
led where the body had lain. ! looked to
see if could see blood. anywhere else
and by and BY had found clot nearer
10 the creek. continued 10 move on,
and at the very edge of the stream /
found more-nOt much-only a few
drops-but knew that it was blood -
And l found the prints of feet theFe
deeply sunken in the mud.
At this point the idea which had be-
fore been dinlly floating in my mind as