Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-06-08
N. O. WALL.ACEs,
How to Prove an Abb.
Detectives story.

One Sunday about ten year
ago, / found myself at Carlisle. q
was considerably acquainted there
and had been there pretty otter
on business; but my being there
this time, Was the resul. Of al
accident merely. / had beer
three hundred miles east of this
trying in vain to find the wherea.
bouts of an absconding detaulter
and coming back to take a fresh
start, ] found that the food had
submerged the track for seyeraI
miles east of Carlisle, and that
there would be no getting away
till Monday, at the least, So ]
made a virtue of necessity, and
telegraphfng my detention and its
cause tony family, Iwentup town
After dinner at the hotel, ]
dropped in at the Office of the
District Attorney, with whom !
was well acquainted. / found
him arranging the details of q
number cf criminal cases which
were to be tried at the court
which began on the follwing Mon.
day.
Anything of importance?" ]
asked rather carelessly. FffR
''One, at least" he replied.-
"Joe Slifer, a notorious seoundrel,
is to be tried for highway robbery.
The victim was dragged out. of
his buggy on a lonely road, beaten
insensible, and robbed of a thou
sand dollars. He Identifies Sill
ferpositiYelyas one of the ruffans. =
whats the delense2''
81 cannot imagine. | don't
think there is any in reality" u
"Maybe he'll prove an alibi, y
| jocoSely suggested. He shook
bis head.
"The facts are too clear"
After some unimportant con.
versation with him / returned to
the hotel, where l spent the re-
mainder of the day
The next day was Sunday. l
awoke quite early, and found the
promise of a beautiful summer
day SO good, that | dressed my.
self and sailed out for a walk.
Nobody was stirring yet about the
hotel, and the streets were perfect
ly still. / walked around several
squares and returned to the ho-
tel, meeting only one person on
the way.
That person was standing in
the doorway of q basement-sa-
loon as passed. / looked down
casually, and saw him standing
there in his shirt-sleeves. His
hair was tumbled, and he was
gaping, as if just awakened. l
did not discover that be was do
ing anything particular there; |
thought afterward that it was
quite likely that he had been left
in drunken sleep on the floor or
on the kench in the bar room the
night before, and that waking up
at this early hour, he had taken
the wrong door in seeking for the
lodgings, and had come out Of
doors instead of going to bed
My look at him was merely side
glance, but that was enough to
photograph his face in my mind.
1t was thin, bilious face, per.
fectly smooth, with long nose
much twisted to one side, and a
red scar over one eye. l marked
it instantly as the face of a rascal.
How | could do that cant ex-
plain; our business learns us TO
read faces as most men read
books, and the glance that had
at that face told me that the man
was a lawless fellow. His ac-
tions confirmed the opinion
Sleepy as he looked and acted,
no sooner did he see me pausing
than he drove back through the
door and slammed it to.
instantly understood HIM.
A scamp, or some 'lay' or other.
that don't want to be seen, was the
thought. And j walked on with
his photograph in mind but ceased
to think anything of him or of
the circumstance before / reached
the hotel.
The day passed and bright
and early Monday morning / took
my satchel and went down to the
depot. 1t was to no purpose; !;
the Office was closed, and a pla-
card on the wall informed the
public that the road would not
be opened before Tuesday.
/ 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
Carlisle than any where else just