The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-08-07
VOLUME 2.

and quickly snatched il from him. 1
had scarcely done so when he dealt me
blow near the temple with his fist, send
ing me neeling across the RON, where L
brought mp against the door. He then
snatched up the valise which had fallen
from my hand. threw it on the bed, ad
angrily exclaimed:
"Look here, air, are you drunk or cra-
zy? Now hand me that key, and get ont
of my room, or will throw you out Of
the window
"Not SO fast said | drawing ms re-
vOlver. 81 am an officer, and am here TO
arrest you for the murder you commit
ted last night"
He stared a moment, then a change
came over his countenanee, and he sat
down again and fairly roared with
laughter.
"Cone, you can't play that" said L.
"This is no laughing matter. Where are
the money and silver-ware You took from
BradIey's house?'
"Are you really an officer?'' he asked,
growing serious again.
Certainly l am. Perhaps You never
saw this bit of paper. sir" said i, dis
playing the piece that had blown from
his window.
"Niy friend" he replied. II admire
the earnestness with which you go about
your duties as detective, but you have
by some means or other got on the
wrong scent. am very sorry struck
you in a moment of anger, and hope YOU
will pardon me. / am Charles NJ,
Boston detective, of whom you have
probably heard. l arrived about day
light this morning, and have since been
taking a good sleep, before attending to
little business in Brooklyn. | regis
readily comprehend. Here is my card,
and here are some slight evidences of
NV vocation" Here he took two pairs
of handouts from his pocket, and jim
gled them before my astonished gaze.
"Ry the way, if that is the piece of news
aper that fell from my window, and
you think it has any connection with the
affair you speak of, it viii probably af-
ford yon an important clue. / found it
here, where it was probably left by a
| former lodger, and | think there is a
name on the margin"
| examined the margin over the title
of the paper, and TO my establishment
found written in pencil the name and
residence of Henry Collins. 1t was a
weekly paper which l observed was
published in little city he had former
| ~ lived in, and its date was SO recent
that he must have received it on the very
day preceding the murder. immedi-
ately took leave of Mr.. NJ, saying
that thought l knew where the paper
had come from, and begging his pardon
for having treated him so rudely, and
FASTENED down to the office of the hotel,
where examined The register, finding
the name of J. Brown (the detective),
with Room Twenty -one assigned.
knew the clerk, and i inquired:
"When did Mr.. Brown take Room
Twenty -one?"
early this morning when l was not
-on duty"
Did any one occupy the room during
the night?"
"No-or, yes-let me see" he replied
looking oyer the preceding page Of the
registered-"here is the name of Ha~-
vey Elton. / remember now. He was
without baggage and paid for the room
in advance, saying he wanted to be call
ed at three o'clock. The porter went
up at that hour, but the dooRwas oper
and the bed had not been slept in. The
other clerk mentioned to me that he
gave the same room, this morning, tc
Mr.. Brown, beca use he wanted n from
ROOM"
"Do you remember the appearance o
Elton?"
"Yes--rather small man, with full
black beard"
Henry Collins was small man, bu
wore no beard. Of course my suspic
ions were fixed on him as soon as dis
covered his name on the margin of the
newspaper, yet never dreamed that h
was capable of committing crime.
Ny mind now underwent series 0
rapid changes One moment regard
ed it as almost certain that Henry Col
lins had something to do with the mur
der; the next next moment i would sa
to myself, at is preposterous; he is NJ
such man. There are a thousand way
this paper might have got into othe
hands. He may have lent it to oil
= Bradley, or it may have fallen from hi
: window; or he may have lost it from hi
pocket Why should he have called m
, attention TO Bradley's house? Besides
he wears no beard"
On the subject of this beard it did nc
! at first occur to me that he might hay
worn false one; but it did finally, an
= l recalled, very soon afterward, what
now regarded as most suspicious eli
! cumstance.
) It was about midnight that Hem
:. Collins told me that Mr.. Bradley ha
been in but few minutes. I now r
membered that the body was cold an
u rigid when first went in, and hastene
y away to meet the surgeon who had mao
the examination, five minutes later.
'r had the good luck to find him 500
H. and in reply to my inquiry, he state
M that Bradley must have been dead tv
le hours when he was called.
IN "Have the detectives found any clue
20 he asked.
"Not that Pm aware Off I reptile
and took my leave.
i'll My first step now was to go to an {
he tablishment in which Collins was ell
be ployed and enquire for him.
d. On doing so, was informed that
RS, had asked and obt&ihed leave of q
an sence to visit Trenton.
ed next started for his house, viii
nd was half mile distant carefully loc