Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-16

got to be all night with nay finger go? l
shall not sleep wink
"'Yes, you have says she, and will
do it up with rag, so nothing can rub the
stain out
''Please don't do that, wife. 1t makes
me feel strange
''But before | was done speaking, she
had the rag on. Then she got supper,
but not mouthful could eat.
as It's of no use, can't work may as
well 60 to bed | said.
81 did not light up the shop, but went
into the other room and got into bed.
lay awake nearly all night in a terrible
state with my finger. At last / fell asleep,
and dreamed it began to swell and kept
growing larger and larger untilit was big.
ger than my head. l was in great trouble.
There was my wife standing over me, with
a newspaper in her hand.
The awfulest thing that ever hap
pened p she cried. Mr.. P was muir.
dered yesterday afternoon, and it was his
murderer you did that job for. Read =
"The account was short. Mr.. P has
been discovered in the basement of his
warehouse near his vault, quite dead, stab
bed ever so many times. The VAULT
was where he kept his valuables open.
Everything disposable was taken, of which
was large sum in bank bills-a tremend-
GUS robbery. From the basement into the
vault you crossed an area, covered with an
iron grating, which let light into cellar
below. The murderer's heel must have
caught between the bars during the scuffie.
1t was wrenched off and found stuck there.
| There was no clue whatever except the
heel. This was the whole story.
81 jumped out of bed.
CHOW, Peter, what are you going to
! dor asked my wife.
" L am going to see Lawyer E The
was one of my customers) and tell him all
l know
"That's right said she.
hurried off as soon as l was dressed.
Lawyer E was not up. l waited for
! him. As soon as he came into the room |
told him my story. He took it coolly
enough but that was because he was a
lawyer, I reckon.
"'Wait till 1 have my breakfast, he
said, and I will go with you to police
headquarters
"'ro be locked up: says I. Won't
that be the way of it?'
He laughed.
"I will take care of you, Peter, says
he; will 60 bail for your appearance if
necessary
latter he had his brea kfast we
started of together. Lawyer E. took
me to the chief man. l forgot what they
call him. told my story over again.
Then l answered SO many questions that
began to feel as if had killed Mr.. P
myself.
"But before they got through they
showed me the heel of the boot. / could
have sworn to it on stack of Bibles.
Then pulled off the rag and showed him
my finger.
'"t What's that for said the police
officer. s8g sas $50
81 told him.
"'Never mind that let's see the bank
bill, he exclaimed.
Ct took it from my pocket and handed
it to him. s5sss - at;-.sa.s
"He marked it carefully, and then made
me mark it SO that should know it again,
he said. Then he put the bill in his safe.
"They handed me paper to 60 before
the Coroner's jury that afternoon, and law
yer E. gave his word that should be
there. Then l went home. '
81 told the story for the third time be-
fore the Coroner's jury, and that was all
the good it did.
Sc 1t was nine days wonder-the pa.
pers were full of it. Folks came crowding
to my shop to stare and ask questions.
They only hindered my work, it didn't do
me any good. The police kept arresting
people, and would fetch me to look at them,
but they never got the right man.
90 Is that all 2 asked.
"'All = exclaimed the cobbler, with
start I wish it was all Ihave only just
begun"
So saying, he took from his pocket
large colored handkerchief, wiped his face
and proceeded
Nothing more came to light for FIVE
years-five years. The whole affair went
to sleep-forgotten as things are in New
York. Often, though, used to think of
that sweet, pretty girl who opened the door
for me the day took Mr.. 2. s boots home,
dressed for her trip to Boston, and of her
eager anxiety when she asked me, Do you
think anything has happened to him? Oh.
dear oh, dear l never could bear to recall
it, and to think 1 had her fathers blood on
my finger at the very time she asked me
the question
"Well, as l was saying, nothing more
for five years-fve years to a month. l
was working hard as usual, just as l ex
pect to work all the days of my life. /
don't know what made me cast my eyes up
to the street-it is seldom do it-but
did do it, and-may the Lord help me! 1
saw going by, at that moment, Mr.. P.'s
! murderer.
"He had a young Woman on his arm
she held by the hand a little tot of child
not more than three years old, who tripped
along with her.
1.-The wretch cast strange glance into
| my place-he could not see me-and then
turned away.
81 threw down my work and ran into
the other room for my wife.
"'I have seen him, 1 have seen him, l
have seen the murderer! | scream in her
ears. Put on your hat and shawl, and
! follow him-follow him to the ends of the
earth, and see where he goes-young
woman and child. Do you hear:
"Quicls as thought, almost, my wife was
on the sidewalk.
GO Be careful, says 1; don't let him
suspect
before the words were fairly out of my
mouth she was out of sight.
SaI Inc d petTlucdtiou ioT HoiO tial
a good long hour. Nobody can tell. First,
was so crazy glad to discover that wretch
1 did not know what to do. Then / began
to settle down more quiet, and when an
hour passed and my wife did not get back,
1 fell into great thinking, and so many
things came crowding, crowding into my
mind.
"' This is his wife with him. said to
myself, and that little tot, trudging, is
his child. God forgive me what am /
trying to do? To make that young woman
a widow, and the little tot an orphan.
"The perspiration stood in big drops on
my FACET could scarcely breathe.
" Suddenly the vision of the young girl
waiting for her father to come home ap-
peared to me. There she was, standing in
the doorway.
He shall hang! 1 exclaimed aloud.
What Is his wife to me or the child
either.'
After that l settled down, weak as a
kitten, and remained in a tremble until my
wife came back
when she did come she did not look