The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-06-10
A Shrewd Detective

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T WAS called down from London to
Il Ipswich on an errand peculiar to one
of my profession. reached an inn where
was to meet fellow detective, who had
expended both time and patience in at
tempting to ferret out mysterious muir
der. But it appeared to be one of those
singular cases that defy human detection,
and which are generally abandoned by
those appointed to discover the culprit, and
left to Divine vengeance.
met Mr.. Croft, who formally resigned
in my favor, and after taking glass of
rum punch with him, returned to the city,
while prepared for my journey.
will now state how the matter stood.
Some three and half miles from Ipswich
stood a stone mansion, the property of
Charles Simonds, a retired barrister. He
had resigned his profession, owing to hav-
ing bequeathed to him u handsome legacy
by an only brother, who, after amassing
fortune in Australia, took it into his head
to die. Charles was his sole heir. Mr..
Simonds had practiced law in Ipswich, but
his health had never been very robust, and
soon after entering into his legacy, he pur-
chased the mansion alluded to, and retired
from business, seeking the quiet and rest
one in his station so greatly needed.
He married when young, but he made a
great mistake in selecting partner for
life. His wife was pretty (the snare that
caught him) but wholly devoid of prin-
ciple illiterate and low in her tastes, she
became the bane of his life.
She had brother who occasionally visit
ed her house, and who ingratiated himself
in Mr.. Simonds' favor by his aimiable man
ner, genteel address, and the frequent
brotherly lectures he read to Mrs. Clara
Simonds, his sister.
Morris Opdyke was always we'll dressed
when he came to the house, and his con-
duct was unexceptionable, quite in con-
trast to that of his sister,
What his profession was could not be
ascertained by Mr.. Simonds. When he
asked his wife, she replied she did not
know, and he forbore questioning Mr..
Opdyke himself, for the reason that the
gentleman never spoke of having any bus
mess.
All that could be learned was that he re-
sided in London, made periodical visits to
Ipswich, and remained there two or three
days, then left again, whittier, no one
could tell, or those who could would not.
When Simonds retired from business and
took possession Of the mansion, Opdyke
came more frequently, and his visits were
more prolonged.
In spite of the lectures, he and his sister
seemed to agree amazingly well, ,and, to Mr.
Simonds' great satisfaction, she grew more
refined, Or, more properly speaking, less
vulgar every day. Refined she probably
never would be it was not in her nature
to be SO and she managed, by some means,
to render herself less obnoxious to her hus-
band, and he conducted himself toward her
accordingly
Matters stood thus for five years, when
Mrs. Clara Simonds contracted malignant
fever and died in five days after the symp-
toms manifested themselves. This occnr-
red during the absence of her brother and
she was inferred before he knew that she
was sick.
When he heard Of the sad event, his
rage was terrible to behold. He accused
Charles eimonds Of being the cause Of her
death, and threatend to have the affair
thoroughly investigated.
But ascertaining that his sister died
from natural causes, he suddenly disap-
peared from the neighborhood, and came to
visit Charles Simonds no more.
There were no children born to Mr..
Simonds, hence, in the event Of his death,
the estate would fall into the hands Of
distant relations, who had gone to America
years before.