The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-03
A DROP OF INK.

ber little Western town of Wilton. Al
old man, whom nobody had ever seen il
The neighborhood, had been found deat
in the road only mile from the town
and but few hundred yards from tht
farmhouse of Amos Stetson, who was
also the sheriff Of the county. A bullet
wound in the head pointed to the cause
Of death, while u pistol lying near al
first suggested suicide. The pockets O.
the old man-whO was weli-dressed-
were examined, and in them were found
a pocket-bo0k, containing over fifty dol.
lars, and gold watch. +.
This at first strengthened the belief in
the theory of suicide, because it was
natural to argue that il the man had
been murdered the motive would have
been robbery, and the murderer would
of course have secured the valuables.
l. There was another circumstance,
however, that decidedly pointed to mur-
der. An examination disclosed the fact
that the fatal bullet had entered squarely
in the back of the head, passing through
the hat Just above the brim.
| There was no detective within twenty
miles of Wilton, and Sheriff Stetson
called on me to assist him In his efforts
to unrayel the mystery and trace the
murderer.
As the fruit Of our inquiries, we learned
that stranger had been in Walton the
same morning, and that he had taken
breakfast at the only hotel in the place.
He had stated that he was looking for
work as Farmland, and alter writing a
letter he had started out on loot, taking
road leading northward toward Kents-
ford, q large town on the Ohio River,
about. ten miles distant. We thought it
best to follow the stranger; and having
obtained thorough description OF him,
we mounted our horses and went forth
at a brisk trot.
On visiting the levee, we found dozen
laborers handling bales, boxes, and
answering the description of the stran-
ger who had passed through Walton.
Descending to the waters edge, how
ever, we found our man. He was sitting
with his his coat OF, and his back against
a pile of boxes that protected him from
the strong rays OF. the sun, tor 1t was
rather hot. He was a stOut-built man OF
| thirty, with very repulsive counte-
nance. ~
/ "Stranger, will there be a boat down
the river soonW asked.
"Yes, so Pm told" he replied.
"Then you don't live herer'
"No," he replied, laconically, as II not
caring about conversation.
"Are you going down the riverW l
lasked.
Eyes, yes-that is I was thinking of
it,"
"Did you come from Wilton2"
He started perceptibly, but said with
affected carelessness:
"Not that know of. may have done
so without knowing its name. Yes, now
thatI think, believe that I did pass
through Wilton"
Wrhere has been a fearful dead com.
mitted thereV
"Ahl what was thatW he asked
somewhat nsrvously.
.An old man slot himself with
y pistol, last night, on the pubic road"
IA suicide, ehw and sigh OF relief
escaped him.
Eyes; an old man, too, and no one
knows who he is"
He now grew much more cheerful, and
seemed rather inclined to converse than
otherwise.
"Strange," he moralized, "that man
can do such An awful thing as to kill
himself"
"Strange, ALSO" I rejoined, "that he
should shoot himself in the back OF the
head"
"Did her That was singular" ,
''There was something still stranger
about it," went on.
'.Ah! whatW he asked, quickly.
"Why, he must have held the pistol
quite distance from his head, for 1t did
slnge his hat or hair"
A pallor everspread his face, as he
arose from where he was sitting and
took up his coat. -.
"That is stranger he said. Then he
abruptly changed the subject by adding:
II wish that boat would come."
Said MIR. Stetson, II am the sheriff OF
the county, and you are my prisoner.
Don't resist"
Istood near In order to assist the sher.
iff If necessary, andI observed small
red stain on the left sleeve of the prison.
er's shirt, near the waistband. had
sharp knife in my pocket, and selling
the sleeve, I deliberately cut out piece
of the cloth containing the spot saying:
"Excuse me, young man, but l want
this. pllbuy you new shirt, II 1t turns
out that you are not guilty Of murder"
"Come, let US CO." said the sheriff.
Leaving Mr.. Stetson in conversation
with the magistrate, / repaired to the
store of q druggist, with whom was ac-
quainted, and whom knew to be skilled
in chemistry. To him / exhibited the
piece OF cloth, after the conventional
salutatiOn and asked:
els that bloodf"
He took the bit Of cloth bestowed q
glance first on one side then ON the 9TH
or, and responded to my query:
isBlood4 Mo-"
"Whatis it, thenW
"Red ink" he rejoined, as he quietly
handed 1t back to me.
Disguised with my first effort in. the
role OF detective, mechanically
thrust the worthless thing into my
pocket and went out upon the street,
seriously thinking Of obtaining the re-
lease OF the prisoner, and asking him
how much he would charge to refrain
from prosecuting Mr.. Stetson and my
self for illegal arrest.
1t happened that, on my way to where
I had left the sheriff, / had TO pass the
post-ofice. One of its windows was
show-window, carefully secured, and In
1t l saw several letters. One Of the let
ters was directed with red ink, and 1t
instantly OCCURRED TO me that II might
have been written by the man ON whose
sleeve i had found drop Of red Ink.
The letter was addressed TO ssJohn 8.
Silyerton,n ct certain large oity, which
i shall style O. 81 & n
C-lwas only twenty miles distant
nom Ksntsfords and thst sysnin6s shout