Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-01-18
Who Killed the Judge?
a Mystery OF Crime.
BY T. G, HARBAUGH.

One raw morning in March the JAM.
tor of the Court House of b en-
tered the Judges private room for the
purpose of making the fire, and was
frightened almost out of his wits at
finding the honorable dignitary lying
motionless on the floor.
The janitor was about to retreat and
raise the alarm by ringing the Court
House bell. when he bethought him.
self that the Judge might have but u
fit, and that he could render him the
needed assistance. Therefore, he has
tened forward and tried to lift the
PROSTATE man, who lay on the floor
with one hand partially hidden in his
bosom, while the other, lying near his
head, held his penholder, the gold pen
of which had its nib broken. But as
the judge was large man, giving over
to some extent to obesity, and the
janitor cadaverous fellow, who had
been denominated "Bones" by the at.
taches of the Court House, he found
his attempt useless, and soon gave it up
as futile.
The stare in the Judges eyes and
the CHASTITY hue of the skin told the
janitor that life had departed, and a
moment after this discovery the Court
House bell was spreading woniermeni
throughout the town.
At that time an unusually interesting
Court was in session at b, presided
over by Judge Blakely. A large mum.
of criminal cases mad been disposed of
and few remained which were of more
than passing importance. The session
just drawing to a close had attracted
many people from the rural districts
and the several hotels were nightly
taxed to their utmost capacity. At
torneys from distance were in attend.
ance, and many friends of the prisoners
still remained in town.
Therefore the wild ringing of the
Court House bell, fully three hours be
fore the opening of the Court, startled
everybody who heard it. There was
catastrophe in it's uuwonted tones, and
while Jabez Throck, the janitor, still
held the rope, he heard the patter of {
multitude of feet in the stone corridor
below. Releasing the rope, he planted
himself at the top of the stairs and for
babe the crowd surging up, saying thai
the Judge was dead, and that the Cor
oner was needed.
The report of the Judges death nov
spread like wildtire, and the Court
House was speedily surrounded by the
most excited crowd ever seen in b
After some delay, caused in q grea
measure by the extraordinary excite
ment, the coroner, slow but precis,
nnnnnnaa1 hfNooo1f e.,
business, and, accompanied by tn,
Sheriff, several surgeons and the JAM
tor, proceeded to the Judges room, tn,
door of which was locked behind then
in order to keep Intermediates out.
Judge Blakely was found in the man
ner in which the janitor had left hira
and the examination was begun.
The surgeons who had come before
hand to the conclusion that appoplexy
had taken the Judge off, were forced
to abandon such IDEAS. For a brie
examination told them that an ASSASSIN
had been there. A crushed sku i owe
the left ear, and four dagger stabs il
the region of the heart W ere the proof
Of the murder. Lying in its accus
toned place by the coal stove was seer
one of the instruments Of death.
short. iron poker, to which adhered
both hair and blood. But the dagger
was missing.
The assassin, whoever he was, hat
first struck the Judge from benin,
with the poker while he sat in hi
great armchair at his desk, as the 20
sition of chair and body indicated, an,
then dealt the blow with the dagger.
In bearing of the sharp ins.rumen
of death, 1t was at first believed tina
the murderer had left no clue behind
but after the surgical examination,
discovery was made that startled ever,
one.
Lying upon the desk, and almos
entirely concealed beneath n mass O
legal documents, was - piece of lega
cap, upon which was traced, IA a SPAS
mOdic hand, these words:
Jason Bowers did this"
Below this brief but startling sen
tence which seemed ut once 10 fix til
identity of the assassin. was what ap
peared to be an attempt Of the write