Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-03-29

of Croftly's death shook their heads and
were at sea. Those who discovered the
body found the door securely fastened
from the inside, and were obliged to
burst it open. The room had no other
means of egress or ingress.
"Suicide!" remarked one Of the re-
porters. starr-r
"How came these wounds on the
neck ?" asked detective.
'"Wno else was here?'' RESPONDED
Journalist. And neither man had any
thing more to say.
A post mortem revealed nothing new,
except that the physicians found a state
of the blood which they could not sat
isfactorily account for.
He was Frozen" said young ply
stefan, whose opinion seemed to have
its foundation only in surmise. aU
"-You seem to have forgotten that
this is july" remarked an elderly gen.
tleman connected with university.
The newspapers WED with each other
in building up ingenious theories ac-
counting for the affair, the coroner's
jury found verdict of suicide, for want
of any thing better, and the remains
were buried.
The reader who desires to get more
detailed account of the aiiair-as related
at the time-can do so by referring to
the files of any of the city papers of that
date. In fact, would produce them
here did space permit. The main thing,
however, is to clear up the mystery of
| Croftly's remarkable death.
He came to the coast in 1860, and was
reputed to be man of sufficient means
to live handsomely on the interest Of his
money. He stopped a while at the
Oriental Hotel, and there met Edward
Dean, a young man who, like himself,
was gentleman of leisure. The two
became intimate, and finally, tired Of
hotel life, they determinedto seek quar-
tiers which would be more congenial
and home-like. They found these quar-
tiers at the residence of Richard Arm
strong, mutual acquaintance, who liv-
ed in very desirable quarters on the
corner of Mason and California Streets.
Before the costly habitetions of Stan
ford. Croker, and other miliionaires
sprang into existence, Armstrong;
\ u
mansion. Armstrong rented Croftly
and Dean three elegant rooms, partly
because he liked the men personally,
and partly because he was running on 3
pretty close margin financially. The
two found their new quarters as attrac-
tive as men of taste could wish. Arm
strong was widower, and the three
men had some rare old times together
evenings. His cellar was stocked with
excellent wines, and his library with
books of the very rarest vintage of lit
erature.
One evening hack drove up to the
door, and woman, clad in wraps,
bounded up the steps with astonishing
vigor and agility, like most Western
girls who are blessed with good health
and animal spirits. She dashed into
the hall, in style that sent percepti-
bic trenor throughout the house, and
| fell into old Armstrong; arms. A
fusilsde of kisses followed.
1t was his daughter Alice.
Next morning the usual formalities
of Introduction were gone through, and
Miss Armstrong became one of the fix
lures of the place. A few days before
her arrival Prof Croftly had suggested
the idea of living somewhere nearer the
center of the city. After Miss Arm
strong entered the house, however, no
further allusion was made 70 the pro-
posed removal. The Professor began
TO pay Miss Armstrong the most devout
attention, and as mater of course she
fell madly in love with young Dean,
who paid her none. It's generally con
ceded that one of the most effective
ways Of wooing woman is TO let some
other man do it. The woman tires of
the indefatgable lover. and the man
who treats her with indifference is soon
preferred. Some men learn this by ex-
perience; Dean discovered it by acct