Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-24

"The words nearly choked me. How
got them out I don't know. ! left TIL
house as quick as possible, holding tn
| finger separate from thu other fingers til
| reached my shop.
Something awful has been going on
wife. We will see it for certain in tn
papers,
"'Peter,' said she, be sure you don
wash that finger
"'Why notG said I, my teeth chatter
ing. ''I tell you you must not do itunti
We get the news
"'Good gracious. wife, says I, have
got to be all night with my finger 500
shall not s!eepa wink
Eyes, you have says she; 'and ]. viii
do it up with rag, so nothing can rur
the stain out
"'Please don't do thar, wife. 1t makes
me feel strange
But before I was done speaking, she
had the rag on. Then she got supper
but not mouthful could eat.
"'It's OF no use, can't work; may as
we'll go to bed,' saId
l did not light up the shop, but went
into the other room and got in bed. l
laid awake nearly all night, in terrible
state with my finger. AT last l fell
asleep, and dreamed it began to swell,
and Kept growing larger and larger, till
it was bigger than my head. was in
great trouble. A doctor came to cut it
off, and, just as he was commencing, I
heard a scream which woke me. There
was my wife standing over me, with a
newspaper in her hand.
"'The awfulest thing that ever happen
ed!' she cried. MIR. P-was murdered
yesterday afternoon, and it was his muir
derer you did thatjob for. Read!'
"The account was short. Mr.. P
had been discovered in the basement OF
his warehouse, near his vault, quite dead,
stabbed over so many times. The vault
it was where he kept his valuables--
was open. Everything disposable was
taken, of which was large sum In bank
bills-a tremendous robbery. From the
basement into the vault, you cross an
area, covered with an iron grating, which
let light into cellar below. The MUIR
derer's heel must have caught between
the bars during the scuffia. 1t was
wrenched off, and was found stuck there
There was no clew whatever to the MUIR
derer except the heel. This was the
whole story.
81 jumped out of bed.
Now, Peter, what are you going to
doc asked my wife.
81 am going to see lawyer E-(be
was one of my customers, and tell him
all 1 know
. That's right said she.
81 hurried off as soon as was dressed.
Lawyer E-was not up. l waited for
him. As soon as he came into the room,
I told him my story. He took it coolly
enough; but that was because he was a
lawyer, reckon.
"'Wait till have my breakfast he
said, and l will go with you 20 the police
headquarters
$50 be locked up!' says I. won't
that be the way OF it9'
"He laughed.
SCI will take care of you, Peter says
he;'~ill go bail tor your appearance, if
necessary
after he had his breakfast we started
off together. Lawyer E took me
to the chief man; I forgot what they call
him. told my story over again. Then
I answered so many questions that l be-
gan to teel as if l had killed Mr.. P
myself.
before they got through, they showed
me the heel of the boot. could have
sworn to it On a stack of Bibles. Then !
pulled off the rag and showed him my
finger.
"'What's that foE!' said the police
officer
II told him.
"sNever mind that lets see the bank
bill ! he exclaimed.
81 took il from my picket, and gave
it to him.
''He marked ii careful ly. and then
made me mark II, so should know it
again" he said. ',Fhen he put the bill
IN an envelope, and wrote on it, and put
it in his safe.
"They handel me- paper to go b fore
the coroner's jury thae afternoon, and law
yer E. gave his word that should bt
there. Then | went home.
II told the story for the third time be
tore the coroner's jury, and that was al
the good it did.
sit was nine days. wonder-the pa
pers full of it. Folks came croIdi2g tc
my shop to stare and ask questions. The,
only Kindred my work; it didn't do mt
any good. The police kept arrestine
people, and would fetch me to lock a
them, but they never got the right man.
Here the cobbler paused. He remain
ed so long silent that began to thlnl
his story was concluded.
"'Is that allp I at length asked.
"sAnr exclaimed the cobbler, with
stsrt. Il wish it was all! I have bu
just begun.
So saying he took from his pocket
large colored handkerchief, wiped hi
face, and proceeded:
"Nothing more came to light for fiv
years-fve years. The whole affair wen
to sleep-forgotten-as things are i
New York. Often, though, I used t
think of the sweet pretty girl, VIII
opened the door for me the day l too
MIR. P.'s boots home, dressed for het tri
to Boston, and of her eager anxiet
} when she asked Lie, DO you think any
} thing has happened to hlm9' Oh, dear
oh dear! I never could bear to recall j
and to think / had her fathers blood O
} my finger the very time she asked m
| the question!
r swell, as was saying, nothing mol
for five years--fiva years to month.
was working hard as usual-just as e,
] pect to woik all the days of my life.
don't know what made me cast my ey,
up to the strect-it is seldom / do IT'D,
a did do it, and--may tina Lord help M
] / saw going by, at that moment, Mr.. P
t murderer.