Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-08-11
THE ALIBI.
BY A DETECTIvE.

One Sunday, about ten years ago,
found myself at Carlisle. Aourishin,
town on the Blank and Blank railroad
/ was considerably acquainted there
and had been there pretty often on bust
ness; but my being there at this time
was the result of an accident merely.
had been three hundred miles west o
this, trying in vain to find clew to the
whereabouts of an absconding dcfaulter
and, coming back to take fresh start
/ found that food had submerged the
track for several miles east of Car
Isle, and that there would be no getting
away till Monday at the least. So
made virtue of necessity, and tele.
graphing my detention and its cause tc
my family, 1 went up town.
After dinner ut the hotel, l dropped
into the Office of the district attorney,
with whom I was well acquainted. ]
found him arranging the details of a
number of criminal cases which were to
be tried at the court which began the
following Monday.
Anything of importance? asked,
rather carelessly"
Gone, at least" he replied. "Joc
Slifer, notorious scoundrel, is to be
tried for highway robbery. The victim
was dragged out of his buggy on lone
ly road, beaten insensible, and robbed
of thousand dollars. He identifies
Slifer positively as one of the rufians. {"
"What's the defense %
" can't imagine. don't think there
is any, in reality"
"Maybe he'll prove M nlibi," |
jocosely suggested. He shook his heal.
"They'll hardly try that" he said.
"The facts are too clear"
After some more unilnportant con-
versation with him, returned to the
hotel, whore spent the remainder of
the day.
The next day WAS Sunday. / woke
qnite early, and founl the promise of Il
hA"rt full summer day so good that 1
dressed myself ana sailed out fora walk
Nobody was stirring yet about the hotel,
and the streets were perfectly still. I
walked around several squares. and re-
turned to the hotel, meeting only one
person Oh the way.
That person was standing in the door
way of basement saloon as passed.
| looked down casually, and saw him
standing there in his shirt sleeves. His
hair was tumbled, and he was gaping, as
if Just awakened. I did not discover
that he was doing anything particular
there ; I thought afterward that it was
quite likely that he had been left in
drunken sleep on the floor or on bench
in the bar the night before, and that
waking up at this early hour, he had
taken the wrong door in seeking for his
lodgings, and had come out of doors in
stead of going to bed.
My look at him was merely side
glance, but that was enough to photo
graph his face in my mind. 1t was n
thin, bilious face, perfectly smooth, with
long nose, much twisted to one side,
and red scar over the left eye. /
marked it instantly as the face Of n ras-
cal. How I could do that, I can't ex-
plain our business teach us to read
faces as most men read books, and the
glance that 1 had at that face told me
that the man was lawless fel ow. His
actions confirmed the opinion. Sleepy
MS he looked and acted, no sooner did he
see me passing than he dove back
through the door, and slammed it to.
l instantly understood him. ga
scamp on some lay or other, and
don't want to be seen," was my thought.
And I walked on with his photograph in
my mind, but ceased to think anything
of him or of the circumstance before
reached the hotel.
The day passed /; and bright and early
Monday morning took my satchel and
went down to the depot But it was to
no purpose; the Office was closed, and
placard on the wall informed the public
hat the road would not be opened before
tuesday.
1 went back to the hotel, too much
out Of sorts to enjoy my breakfast. I
did not understand, till the day was
some hours older, that I was needed
more here at Carlisle than anywhere else, I
ust then.
I went from the breakfast table into
he reading room, and after I had read
N hour, heard one man say to another: {
"Let's go over to the courthouse
hey're trying Joe Slifer.' They went
mt and remembering my little talk s
With the district attorney, my curiosity {
vas excited. and followed them. {
When I entered the courtroom, the /
'ictim of the robbery was on the stand.
lie was plain, simple old man, and
ave his evidence with apparent truth '
illness. He testified that he was stopped j
bout sunset, some months before, while |
'assing from Carlisle to his home with c
ne thousand dollars that he had drawn t
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