Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-08-15

reason you will readily comprehend
Here is my card, and here are som
slight evidences of my vocation.
Here he took two pairs Of hand
cuffs from his pocket, and jingle'
them before my astOnished gaze
"By the way, If that is the piece
newspaper that fell from my win
dow, and you think it has any con
nection with the affair you speak OF
it will probably afford you al
important clue. l found it here
where it was probably left by
former lodger. and l think there /
a name OIL the margin"
examined the margin over tn
title of the paper, and to my aston
ishment found written in pencil th'
name and residence of Henry Col
Inns. 1t was weekly paper whicl
l observed was published in a littl,
city he had formerly lived in, ant
its date was so recent that he mus
have received it Oh the very day
preceding the murder. immedi
ately took leave of Mr.. NJ, say
ing that l thought | knew where
the paper had come from, and beg
ging his pardon for having treated
him so rudely, land fastened down tC
the office of the hotel, where ex
amined the register, finding the
name of j. Brown (the detective),
with Room Twenty-one assigned.
l knew the clerk, and l inquired:
"When did Mr.. Brown take
Room Twenty-one p
''Early this morning when | was
not on duty"
"Did any one occupy the room dur
the night ?"
"No-or, yes-let me see," he re-
piled, looking over the preceding
page of the register is the
name of Harvey Elton. l remem-
ber now. He was without baggage
and paid for the room in advance,
saying he wanted to be called at
three O'clock. The porter went up
at that hour, but the door was open
and the bed had not been slept in.
The other clerk mentioned to me
that he gave the same room, this
morning, to Mr.. Brown, because he
wanted front room.'
"Do you remember the appear
ance of Elton ?"
"Yes-rather small man, with full
black beard"
Henry Collins was small man,
but wore no beard. OF course my
suspicious were fixed on him as soon
as | discovered his name on the mar
gin of the newspaper, yet 1 never
dreamed that he was capable of
committing a crime.
My mind underwent a series of
rapid changes. One moment I re.
garded it as almost certain that
Henry Collins had something to do
with the murder; the next moment
[ would say to myself, "Lt is prepos.
ferrous; he is no such man. There
ire q thousand ways this paper
might have got into other hands.
He may have lent it to old Bradley
or it may have fallen from his win
low; or he may have lost it from
lis pocket. Why should he have
called my attention to Bradley's
house I? Besides, he wears no beard.
On the subject of this beard it did
not at first occur to me that he might
nave worn a false one but it did
inally, and l recalled, very soon af-
erward, what l now regarded as a
most suspicious circumstance,
1t was about midnight that Henry
Collins told me that Mr.. Bradley
lad been in but a few minutes. l
low remembered that the body was
odd and rigid when l first went in,
md l FASTENED away to meet the
who had made the examin-
ltiOn, five minutes later.
l had the good luck to find him
Don, and in reply to my inquiry,
le stated that Bradley must have
,een dead two hours when he was
allied.
"Have the detectives found any
,lue 2" he asked. ....
"Not that l am aware Of" I re-
lied, and took my leave.
My first step was to go to an es
ablishment in which Collins was
mployed and inquire for him.
On doing SO, l was informed that
e had asked and obtained leave
f absence to visit Trenton.
lnext started for his house, which
ras half a mile distant carefully
,,l-;,,e. ~, o,d dour,, o,-orxr OF moot I |