The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-08-07
SELECT STORY.
ON HIS TRACK.

r-pA HAAAOHs
81 say, ST., are you policeman"
yes" replied. Whats the mat
ter?"
II heard heavy jar in Mr.. Bradley's
house, next door, and he may have fall
en- and hurt himself. just came in a
few inmates ago. If I we're you would
ring the bell"
Mr.. Bradley was wealth old bache-
lor, who had lived entirely alone for
years, in an old fashioned brick house.
His riches were a subject Of frequent
gossip; and it was said that in his house,
to which no outsider was ever admitted,
he kept large amount Of money and
silver-ware. rang the bell, but there
was no response.
"Are you sure you saw him go in?" l
asked.
Eyes. sure of it. He hadn't been in
half minute before heard a heavy
fall | have heard no sound since"
There must be something wrong" /
said, after ringing the bell a second time,
and receiving no response. ! tried the
door, but it was locked.
''If were Won would force the door,"
sugge ted the man at the window.
81 don't like to do that. Is there any
other entrarce?"
"Yea, that alley just beyond the steps
leadn to back yard; but the gate is pro-
l.. h. -
81 will go and see" said /; and walk
'Ir p. p the narrow alley, discovered, by
.iiA light ola stree lamp nearly op
.a7 the gate stood open.
in, and perceived that the
-a> open, and Il faint light
ali wa- perfectly quiet. |
-. - The street, and said TO the
= 81. ht. window:
ir gate and back door are open.
CHme duwn, and Well go in"
In half a minute he Joined me on the
sidewalk, when recognized him as an
acquaintance, named Henry Collins.
"Ah, is this you? / didn't know you
lived here" said.
'Yes, and didn't recognize you when
! first spoke"
"Well," said !, there may have been
some foul work in this house. and we
had better both go in"
We went up the alley, into the yard,
and entered the open door. The rear
room was evidently used as a Kitchen;
and guided by the dim light, we passed
through another open door into narrow
hall with stairway. Near the street
door was an old table, on which stood a
lighted candle, that had burned to with
in an inch of the candlestick. At the
foot of the stairs lay Alr. Bradley, quite
dead, and frightful wound upon his
head convinced me that he had been
murdered.
At my request, Mr.. Collins hurried
away to the police station, two hundred
yards distant, to inform the captain,
while l took the candle and made a has
ty examination of the premises. num-
Der of drawers in the second-story back
room had been broken open and ransack-
ed, and on the floor lay half of fresh
Iookeng newspaper. Knowing that the
old bachelor was not in the habit OF
spending money for newspapers, it struck
me tha. the robber might have had it in
his pocket, and possibly used the other
half to wrap up some of his plunder
leaving behind him, in his hurry, what
might prove valuable clue. therefore
folded up the fragment, and put it in my
pocket A moment later Mr.. Collins re-
turned, accompanied by several officers
and a surgeon.
To make this part of the story brief,
will state that the usual formalities foil
owed, the body being handed over to the
coroner, and the case was placed in the
hands of the detectives. | at first intend
ed to give them the bit of newspaper
picked up, but had some ambition tt
be "a detective myself, and concluded tt
keep it, at least a day two, TO see if
could find clue from it. 1t was luck,
/ did.
On the following afternoon, while OF
duty, and walking around in ordinar.
dress, paused opposite well known no
tel, to watch some painters who were a
work ON a swinging-ladder under tn
caves, and my eyes chanced to alight OF
a man who sat by Il third-story window
apparently engaged in packing valise
The window was open, and as he lift.'
some article from the ledge to store
away, Il piece of newspaper on which
had been lying was carried out over til
street by a draught of air, apd tame fut'
ering down into the gutter, near my fee
I might not have noticed this trifin
circumstance, but for the man0er i
which the paper had been torn-that il
not in straight line, but almost in tn
form of the letter Y; as though it ha
been done hurrledly. This, I remembe
ed, corresponded with the piece l ha
picked up in the murdered mans hous
and I snatched it up and went into a
adjacent alley to compare them. Wha
leap my heart gave, when l discovere
that the two halves of the paper fitte
together exactly. There was. no doul
of it,
"On his track, /" 1 muttered. "Ah, o.
fellow, you don't get off with that vail
so easily"
And being familiar with the interi
of the hotel, l crossed the street, went
and was soon at the door of Roo
Twenty-one, from whose window Il
paper had blown. raped gently up'
the door, so as not to startle him +
much.
"Come in," said voice within.
opened the door and recognized, st
seated on chair by the window, t
man whom I had seen packing t
valise, a task he had just complete
He was muscular man of forty yea
with clean-shaven face that wore
expression of craftiness. He seem
somewhat confused when I entered a