The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-05-09
: = =. provo mn Abba Detcctive'S
AA" story.

.h;s time was the icSu" r,,nar.,, miles
Merely, ,I',r had been three ~ t;nd clue
west OF .u's, Sn,3fs of an absconding oe-
10 ,le nnd coming back TO take llesh
iaul.ei3 ta,nd that flood had sup,le ,:
sSar!. fn,. several miles east OF cati.s,s,
inc '. taScs there would be no getsnag away
~: at Nnndsp, at the least. 50 naus ta a,
~ pecessity. and telegraphi.lg my to~n
and it's cause to my family; m arnnne5 in nj
ave. a u.'. nf the district attorney, with
nv. .ns "' 7 ,vas well acquainted. toQno pun
a-.,ans;nr the details Of number OF cri,i-
;,,ai Eases which were to be trleu Ut tile
LIN, which began on the following Mon
day. srtopoe,u asked.
t' "0ne. at least" he replied. "Joe Sitter,
a notorious scoundrel, IS to be trleu TOT
HIGHWAY robbery. The victim was oragseo
oni of his buggy on lonely roaa, Deaseii
insensibly, and robbed OF tn nous uoe'
lars. He Identifies Sitter positlVeis - oho
of the ruftianS."
"Wh.t's the defence"
81 can't imagine. l don't think there Is
any in reality" ;oooss,v
suggested. He shook his head.
"They'll Ia, dly try that" nc said. " Inc
facts are too clear"
After some more unimportant CONVERSE
ton with him, returned to the hotci'.
where I spent the rema'n der Oh lne ua!.
The next dav was Sunday. awoke quite
earIv. anG found the promise OF beautiful
summer day so good that dressed myseil
and sailed ouS Tor walk. Nobody was
stirring yet about the hotel, ant. the Stfee.s
were per.ectly still. walked around seVe-
raj SQUARES, and returned to the motel,
meeting only one person on the way.
That person was standing in the DOOR
WAY of a basement saloon rs passed: l
looked around casually, and saw him sand
in~ there in his sbirt-sleeves. >. His hair was
tMubled, and he was gaping as II just
awakened. did not discover that he was
DOING ANYTHING particular there. thought
aftcrward that it was quite likely that he
had been ieil in drunken tit on the floor
or ON the bench in the bar the night before,
and that waking up at this early hour, he
had taken the wrong door ID seeking Tor
his lodings, and hid gone out oil doors IN
stead of going to bed. My look at MN was
merely side glance; but that was enough
10 photograph his face in ny MIND. 1t was
2 linn. bilious f,,ce. perfectly smooth, with
4 lony nose. much twisted to one side, ana
q red scar over the lett eye. l marked IL
instantly as the face OF rascal.
low could do that can't explain our
business learns us to read faces rs most men
read books, and the gl..nce l had at that
fee told me that the man was lawlcss TEL
low. His actions confirmed the opinion.
Sleepy rs lic looked and acted, no sooner
had he seen me passing imam ne GROVE pSeA
through the door and slammed 1t to.
instantly understood him. "a scamp,
on some Law or other, and don't want TO
he seem" was my thought. And walked
on with his photograph in my mind, but
ceased to think anything of him or The cir
cumstances before reached the hotel.
The day passed, and bright and early
Monday morning [ took my salchel ana
went down to the depot. But ii was TO no
PURPOSE: the Office was closed, and pt-
card Oh the wall informed the public that
The road would not be opened before Tues
day,
went back to the hotel, too much out
OF sorts TO enjoy my breakfast. did not
understand, till the day was some hours
older, that | was needed more here at Car
Isle than anywhere else, just then.
went from the breakfast table into The
adinr-room, and after had read al hour
heard one man say to another:
Lets 20 over to the courthouse they
aro trying Joe Sliler.' They went out ;
and remembering my little talk with the
district attorney. my curiosity was excited,
and | followed them.
When I entered the courtroom the vic
tim of the robbery was on the stand. He
was plain, simple old man, and gave his
evidence with apparent truthfulnesS. lie
testified that he WAS stopped about sunset
some months before, passing from Carlisle
Ia his home with one thousand dollars he
had drawn that afternoon from the bank.
It was Il lonely spot anu there was not q
house within hail OF it. He was jogging
Iri>urclv along, wien & light wagon, drawn
by two horses, dashed up beside his buggy.
and three of the four men in it jumped out,
while the fourth held the rcins. They We're
all masked. one Of them seized his horse
by the bit and stopped him the second
5natched the lines from his hands, and the
third, climbing half into the buggy, anu
taking him ky the arms, demanded his
money. He said that he instantly shouted
~ loud as he could, when the ruitian dealt
him savage blow with 4 slung-SiIot, which
knocked him Senseless, and when he came
to himself again both robbers and money
were gone.
He recognized only one of the four-the
man that struck him. AS he drew back to
give the blow his mask dropped, and re-
vealed the face Of Joe Slifer, the prisoner
a the bar. lie knew 1t, he was positive of
il. and I'LL the ingenuity of the cross.exami-
nation could not weaken or shake his evil
dence onthis important point.
NO other witness was called for the pros.
ecutlou; none seemed necessary. The pri- |
spncr's lawyer got up and made q plausible |
statement To the jury that the complainant
was mistaken about recognizing Joe Slifer
on the occasion referred to; that Sitter was
not there Ut all. but that he was at Nor
colt, fifty miles north of Carlisle, at the very
hour OF that robbery, and that he should !
prove ii by at least TWO witnesses. He sat |
down and called out ''Culeb Wve." and !
everybody leaned forward cXpectantlv. |
The witness came forward with a slow. |
impmg gut, leaning on Il cane. He was |
apparently man Of middle age, and dress |
ed III u suit of sombre black, with a white
choker about his neck. His hair was silver
gray, and as he mounted the stand. and |
leaning on his cane, turned placidly to the
prisoners counsel, he presented an appear
ance which would attract attention and re- |
spcct everywhere.
l saw him, and though I did not betray !
any surprise, KNOW that ny heart gave u !
tremendous thump. For saw the bilious, |
thin face, the crooked nose and the Scared |
forehead OF the dodger whom | had seen
tWenty-tour hours before in the doorway of |
the saloon. With this difference, however, !
the hair Of that man was almost black, |
while this mans was silver gray.
edged my chair quietly up beside that
o; the district attorney, and while the man
vas testiying managed to whisper in the
others ear without attracting the attention
OF the witness.
The latter testified that he was deaerin
Teady-made clothing at Norcott, and one Of
the firm of Wye e. Peasants; that OH the
dry testified to as The robbery, both he and
his partner were ut their store at Norcott,
and there was an unusual call for goods.
Joe Sller was then in town they knew him