Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-10-08

removed, the night being wet and damp
thankfully accepted.
Just before noon tine following day Jcna
Sampson died. The physician said tha
the disease had been deep seated, before hi
had been called to prescribe for him: an(
that it wasn't surprising that it so quickly
ended fatally.
Mr.. Smith, our landlady's husband, in
my presence searched Jonas SIMPSONS eff
fects; but not letter OF paper was toune
that gave any clue to who his relatives
were or where they resided; neither was
more than five dollars found in his clothes
pockets, and d silver watch worth double
the amount. He had told me his mother
lived in Ohio, but in what town, village OF
county he did not state so we could not
apprise any Of his relatives of his death.
Mr.. Smith as it happened knew the firm
by whom he had been employed; and the
evening of Jonas SIMPSONS death he, ac-
companied by myself, called ON one of
them, a Mr.. Horton.
Mr.. Horton knew nothing about his late
employees relatives, and was greatly sur
prised when told by Mr.. Smith that no
more than five dollars had been discovered
among his (Sampsons) effects. He said
that Sampson, the preceding afternoon, at
three O'Clock, had drawn part of four
months salary due him, amounting to just
three hundred dollars. Not feeling we'll,
he had requested to be allowed leave of alb
sence for that afternoon, which had been
granted.
''Now," said Mr.. Horton, "what has be-
come of that three hundred dollars ?"
Mr.. Smith," he remarked, lit is either
been lost or stolen. The former, of course,
is possible, though unlikely; but more
probably it has been stolen. 1t is very Of
ten the case that thieves are found in
boarding houses, whose sole purpose is to
rob their fellow boarders.
Now. among your wife S flock of board
ers there may be such d thief; and grant
ing that Jonas Sampson was robbed, per-
maps we can lay our hands on the culprit.
Who entered the room he occupied after
he went to bed yesterday afternoon until
the time OF the searching OF his effects !?
Do you know? I feel a great interest in
this because Jonas Sampson was IL favorite
of mine, besides I've a detectives nature,
and like to solve mysteries.
'sTo my knowledge" l said, speaking
before Mr.. Smith, ''the physician; Mr..
and Mrs Smith, myself, and young lady
boarder, Miss Gardner by name, who stayed
up and nursed HIM last evening. She, to
my knowledge, IS the only person who was
in the room alone with Jonas Sampson be-
fore his DEATH"
| GAS far as L know" said Mr.. Smith,
mfr Slocum is correct in what he says. -
But [ doubt very much whether Miss
Gardner would do such thing, in fact, |
can hardly give such suspicion place IN
my mind for an instant. She has an open
and honest a face as l ever looked on and
is very ladylike and refined i'll her manners.
IT'S true she has been boarding at our
J house only Il month and my wife and l
know nothing about her beyond that she
is a saleswoman in a Broadway store"
| ssShe may not be Il professional thief
perhaps we are wrong in even thinking she
is thief of any kind-but probably she
| CHANGED to see the money in his coat pock
| ct, where I saw Sampson place it before
| leaving the store yesterday, and, on the
spur of the moment, was tempted to pur-
loin it and did SO when he was uncon-
scious from fever or sleep. l tell you
what we can do" said Mr.. Morton. 'To-
| ic al
tending to her business, you and |, Mr..
Smith, can search her room, clothes and
things, and if we do not find some contir-
nation of my suspicion, in the shape OF
the money, we will let the matter drop
Let poor Simpsons remains be decently
inferred" added Mr.. Horton, "and have
| the bill for the same sent to me. There is,
I know, more than a hundred dollars due
him, which he said, when he took his mon
ey yesterday, he would draw next Wek.-
So there will be more than enough to pay
funeral expenses and board bills"
Mr.. Smit h agreed to Mr. Horizons prop
osition about searching Miss Gardeners
room, to see if she had taken the dead
mans missing money; and, accordingly,
the next day it was done.
To Mr.. Smith surprise and regret, two
hundred and ninety-eight dollars were
found secreted in an old dress in her trunk.
The money was replaced where it had
been discovered, and MI. Horton, his sus-
picions being confirmed, forthwith pro-
cured warrant for her arrest, and also a
search warrant. The former being served
upon her that evening.
Mr.. Horton and Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, an
officer and l, were seated in the private
parlor when Miss Gardner came home
from the store where she was employed.
Mrs. Smith went out to her and told her
that some parties in the parlor wished to
see her.
She walked in ahead Of Mrs. Smith,
plenty of color in her cheeks, and a bright
smile upon Eer face, perhaps thinking some
friends had called to see her; but when she
perceived that four men, one of whom
wore a poiceman's uniform, were tie sole
occupants of the apartment, she started
back in dismay, and d little Of the rosiness
fled from her cheeks, as if she had some
chilling presentiment of coming danger.
''Do these gentlemen wish to see me,
Mrs. Smith % she asked in faltering tones.
{ ..About the three hundred dollars you
stole from Jonas Sampson" Said Mr.. Hor-
ton sternly.
Mr.. Horton, as 1 rightly judged, was
J pitiless to any person who was convinced
r in his own mind was a criminal; and l be-
leve he would have sent his own flesh and
r blood to prison, the circumstances being
r the same as in the present instance.
f s.The three hundred dollars 1 stole from
: Jonas Sampson 20 she repeated, in appa-