The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-04-01
Oalts, gbtttBts, 9nefOotes, dc.
HOW TO PROVE AZ AEHBz.
a DETECTIVES STORY.

One Sunday, about ten years ago, |
found myself al Carlisle. | was consid-
erablY acquainted there. and been there
pretty often on business but my being
there at this time was the result of an ac-
cident merely. l had been three hundred
miles west Of this, trying ID VAN 10 find a
clue TO the whereabouts Of an absconding
defaulter: and coming back to take fresh
start, | found that food had submerged
the track for several miles east of Carlisle,
and that there would be no getting away
until Monday, at the least. So | made
virtue Of necessity and telegraphed my
detention and its cause to my family /
went up town.
After dinner at the hotel, / dropped in
at the office of the district attorney, witt,
whom l was well acquainted | found
him arranging the details Of number of
criminal cases which were to be tried at
the court which began on the following
Monday.
Anything of Importance ?" 1 asked
rather careIessly.
"Onc, at least,'' he replied, ''Joe Sli-
fer, a notorious scoundrel, is 10 be tried
for highway robbery. The victim was
dragged out of his buggy on lonely road,
beaten insensib!e and robbed of thou
sand dollars. Ee identified Sifer posi-
lively as one of the rutfians."
What's the defense ?"
81 can't imagine. l don't think there
is any in reality"
Maybe he'll prove an alibi," jocose-
Iy suggested lie shook his head
| They'll hardly try that he said
''The facts are too clear"
After some more unimportant conver~
sation with him, | returned to The hotel,
where 1 spent the remainder of the day.
The next day was Sunday. l awoke
quite early. and found the promise of a
beautiful summer day so good that l
dressed myself and sailed out for a walk
! Nobody was stirring yet about the hotel
and the streets were perfectly still.
walked around several squares, and re-
turned TO The hotel, meeting only one
person on the way.
That person was standing in the door
way of a basement saloon as | passed.
looked around casually, and saw him
! standing there in his shirt sleeves. His
! hair was tumbled and he was gaping, as
! if just awakened. | did not discover that
he was DUNG anything particular there !;
l thought alterward that it was quite
! likely he had been left in drunken fit on
the floor or on the bench in the bar the
night before, and that waking up ct this
eaIly hour he had taken the wrong door
in seeking for his lodgings, and gone out
of doors instead of going TO bed.
My look at him was merely u side
glance, but that was enough TO photograph
his face in my mind. 1t was thin,
bilious face, perfectly smooth, with long
nose, much twisted to one side, and a red
scar over the lett eye, l marked it in
! stantly as the face of rascal.
How | could do that | cannot explain;
/ our business learns to read faces as most
other men read books, and the glance
had at that face told me that the man was
| lawless fellow. His actions confirmed
the opinion. Sleepy as he looked and
acted, no sooner had be seen me passing
than he drove back through the door and
slammed it to.
instantly understood him. ga scamp,
on some 'lay' or other, and don't want to
be SEEM" was my thought. And
| walked on with his photograph in my