New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-14
HOW TO PROVE AN Abb.
A DeteetIve,s story.

this time WIGS the result OF an accident
merely. had been 800 miles west Of this
trying Ia vain to find a clue to the wherea
bouts OF an absconding defaulter, and
coming back TO take fresh start, found
that flood had submerged the track fol-
several miles east Of Carlisle, and thai
there would be no getting away till Mon
day, at the least. So ! made a virtue Of
necessity, and, telegraphing my detention
a id its cause to my family, / went uptown,
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 a number of crimi-
nal cases which were to be tried at the
court which began on the following Mon
day.
@One, at least, be replied. "JOe Slifer,
a notorious sc0undrel, Is to be tried for
highway robbery. The victim was dragged
out o. his buggy on a lonely road, beaten
insenslble, and robbed Of a thousand dol
lars. He identifies Slifer positively as one
of the rufians."
What's the defensep
II can't imagine. / don't think there is
any In realiJy..'
Maybe hen prove an alibi," loosely
suggested.
He shook his head.
"They' II hardly try that" he said. "The
After some more unimpoTtant converse
tion with him, / returned to the hotel, where
/ spent the remainder Of the day.
The next day was Sunday. ] awOks
quite early, and found the promise OF a
beautiful summer day so good that 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 returned to
the hotel, meeting only one person on the
way.
That person was standing in the doorway
of a basement of saloon as / passed. /
looked down casually and saw him standing
there in his shirtsleeyes. His hair was
tumbled, and be was gasping as if just
awakened. did not discover that he was
doing anything particular there; thought
afterward that it was quite likely that he
had been lett in a drunken sleep on the
floor or on the bench in the bar the night
before and thai, waking up at this early
hour, he had taken the wrong door in seek
ing for his 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
on my mind. 1t was q thin, bilious face, |
perfectly smooth, with a long nose much |
twisted to one side, and red scar over the |
left eye. marked itinstantly as the face of |
rascal. How ] could do that can't ex- /
plain our business learns us to read faces |
as most men read books, and the glance |
that had at the lawless fellow convinced
me that he was villain. His actions con-
tirmed the opinion. Sleepy as he looked
and acted, no sooner did he see me pausing
than he drove back through the door and
Il to.
/ instantly understood him. "a scamp
on some lay or other, and don't want to be
seen, was my thought. And walked on
with his photograph in my mind, but ceased
10 think anything of him or of the circum-
stance before / reached the hotel.
The day passed, and bright and early
Monday morning / took my satchel and
went down To the depot. But il was to no
purpose; the office was closed, and pla-
ard on the wall informed the public that
he road would not be opened before Tues
lay.
went back to the hotel, too much out of
orts TO enjoy my breakfast did not I'M
Ierstand, till the day was some hours older,
hat / was needed more here at Carlisle
han anywhere else, just then.
/ went from the breakfast table inst into 9
he reading-roOm, and, after / had read an
our, heard one man say to another:
Lets 90 over to the courthouse; they're
rying Joe Slifer." j
They went out; and, remembering my 7
tile talk with the district at m V, my a
uriosity was excited, and followed them
When ! entered the courtroom the victim |
the robbery was on the stand. He was
plain, simple old man, and gave his evil o
ence with apparent truthfulness. He tes-
fed that he was stopped about sunset, l
)me months before, while passing from
arlisle to his home with $1,000 that he had t
rawn that afternoon from the bank. 1t
as q lonely spot, and there was no house a
lthin half o mile of it. He was Jogging g
isurely along, when light wagon, drawn p
y two horses, dashed up beside his buggy,
nd three Of the four men in it jumped out, Il
lille the fourth held the reins. They were v
4 masked. One of them seized his horse "
? the bit and stopped him, and the second 81
latched the lines from his hands, and the p
lird, climbing half into the buggy and j
king him by the arms, demanded his
oney. He said that he shouted as leud as
Q could, when the rufian dealt him a
eavy blow with a slungshOt which knocked ! ,
i'm senseless, and when he came to him y
slf again both robbers and money were .
one. 81
He recognized only one Of the four-the "
ian that struck him. As he drew back to NJ
i've the blow his mask fen and revealed the "
loe Of Joe Sitter, the prisoner at the bar. b
lie knew 1.-THE was positive Of it-and an CT
he ingenuity Of the cross-examination pt
Ould not weaken or shake his evidence On tb
his important point. No other witness was hi
allied; none seemed necessary The pris tie
ner's lawyer got up and made a plausible b
to the jury that the complainant vi
gas mistaken about recognizing Joe Slifer
n the occasion referred to; that Slifer was
OF thereat all, but that he was at Narcott, o.
fly miles north of Carlisle, at the very in
our of that robbery, and that he could 81
rove 1t by at least two good witnesses. He 81
at down and called out "Caleb Wye" and | y
verybody leaned forward expectantly. N
The witness came forward with slow, 7
mping gait, leaning on q cane. He was b
pparently man of middle age, and was n
ressed in q sober suit Of black, with a 81
7hite choker about his neck. His hair was n
liver gray, and as he mounted the stand. a.
nd, flaming on his cane, turned his ewes d
lacidly on the prisoners counsel, he pre- hi
5nted an appearance which would attract
ttention and respect anywhere,
saw him and, though / did not betray a.
ny surprise, know that my heart gave 81
thump. For l saw the bilious, a.
ain face, the crooked nose and the SCARED l
,rehead of the dOdger whom / had seen fl
yenty-four hours before in the doorway of s,
le saloon. With this difference, however. Il
lie hair of that man was almost black, q
bile this mans was silver gray. i
edged my chair quietly up beside that le
the district attorney, and while the man 81
as testifying managed to whisper in the Il
ieer's ear without attracting the attention ca
the witness. The latter testified that he al
ls dealer In ready-made clothing at ~