The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-08-31
II HUMAN FIEND.
4 STORY TOLD By PETERS. THE NEw YORK
DETECTIVE.

| = SIoNs IoIBp Bf PEIERS. THE NEW NORk
DETECTIVE.
| One day, in the spring of 1865. | was sit.
| ting i'll my o!iice in Broadway, New York
! niedita ing what to do. Business had not
| been brisk lately with the firm of Peters &
| Henry, private detectives. Crime was on
the increase, so the newspapers said bu,
! it was the sort of crime that did not come
| within our province. IL all, went to the
! regular detectives, none of whom, in my
| humble opiuion--l say this without moi
sci OF envy-can come anywhere near either
Harry or myself III working up big
| case.
! For want Of something better to do, |
| took up tue morning paper, and glanced a,
| it. y line in displayed letter caught my
| "yc.
! "A Human Fiend.''
/ l read the article headed thus, to dis
cover who the Human Fiend' was.
/ found the Article to be an account of a Sc
! iIeS OF really atrocious murders committed
! III a little town in West Virginia, net a
! hundred miles from Parkersburg. Three
| men liad been found dead, With about an
! interval Of week between each death, i'll
! either their shops or louses. Each man
| had apparently met his death i'll the same
| manner namely from a blow from behind,
! giving apparently from a liatclet, some
! similar wearnu--the weapon striking the
| head aud cutting into the skull just behind
! the ear. In all these Gases tg. oue blow
| had been given; no other mark of violence
was upon the bodies and death haG cvi
| dcnily occurred almost instantly after the
| blow. The account Of these murders was
| very we'll written, and gave the full par
ticuars. The murdered men evidently
, had fallen by the same hand and by the
same weapon. Robbery was apparently
The motive, as the victims had been relieved
| Of their watches aud pocket books. and yet
the amount Of the booty obtained 10y the
moIIstroIIs crime small i'll the extreme.
One man, a poor shoemaker, was said by
his wife TO have had but three dollars i'll
his pocket another, Il tailor by trade. had
but a few pence but from the thiid VIC
i'm. the keeper OF grocery stone, the muir
dcrcr was supposed 10 have obtained about
twenty dollars, as the grocer was known to
| bave that amount with him about an hour
befnIe the murder. The writer summed
up the article by declaring it to be the Ge-
lief of the Inhabitants of the little town
| tina. it was not s'iunder alone, out love OF
| blood, that could induce a series of such
| horrid crimes and tina: human tierd was
| III their midst, whose appetite cravcd blood,
| and blood alone.
| read the article over carefully, and
poudercd on it. Perhaps you'll think I'm
| interesting myself greatly about an affa II
! that don't concern me but when l tell
| YOU that at the bottom of the newspaper
article which contained the account of The
! murder, is sta ed .Gat the Governor 0t w est
| Virginia had offered reward Of 5000 Tor
| :he arrest of The murderer, as it was plain
| there was but one hand concerned III it,
| you " ill quickly see that it did interest me.
| I'm fact had made up my mind to put my
! fingers on that 5000.
| No sooner thought of than 1resulved to
set about it. My plan IF action was rx
rremey simple. | riust goto c, not as
! "A detective. but upon some business which
! would detatu me there at least a month,
| then could mingle with the inhabitants,
and ruisue my investigation withou. ex
| ci ing any suspicion. | resolved TO make
NV appearance in the town in the charac.
! ter Of young lawyer studying for the bar,
! and coming down there foi peace aud quiet
90 pursue his studies. knew a little about
the law, too so could keep the character
very we'll. As for Disguise, shaved of
my moustache, cut off my light locks. and
| s,orted my best brown wig. I've got q
collection Of wigs, 10y he way, that would
make an actor go wild with joy.
| I wen; to a legal friend of mine that
| once pulled through '.aCy' scia2e.
| thought lie might know some of the law
yers i'm c., which proved to be the case
So, armed with n letter of introduction from
| him, and "a choice assortment OF law oook'
from his library, | took the train for the
scene of my future operation.
| found G. n nice, pleasant little vii
lape. situated Oh the Ohio river, and divid
ed by a little stream which came dow
from the interior, and emptied into thu
| Ohio here.
called on Mr.. Jackson, the lawyer, tt
| whom I had letters of introduction, anC
found him fine specimen of the Virgins
pentlemau. whose only fault seemed t.
consist of drinking enormous quantities o
whisky, and abragging of their town ant
adjoining .coMt,try. After | had taken ;
| little office in the main street, the lawyer
insisted upon my stopping with him; ant
began to get acquainted with the people
must confess l never enjoyed myself bet
ter in my life for nore whoie-sonied
generous lot of gentlemen, in spite OF thei
| Dragging propensi:ies, than the ones wht
live on the West Nirginian bank of ih'
Ohio. don't exist in this wrs iu.
Ny daily life that for the rst two weeks
| I passed in this little village. was abor
| the same. After breakfast | wen 20 m.
office to .'study' law; but precious httl
study did for some of the young fellows
or some of the old ones-I knew everybod.
within Eve miles in two days-would droI
n To see mo, aud generally Brought pacl