Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-11-03

I u
lsle; go to the principal hotels; find out
IL any young man, dark, thin, arrived
yesterday. If so, ask to see him. and
collar him. Wen so snags for the
blood-money. Burn this"
80 IT came to pass that when the SUI
perlntendent fastened to the hotel
Where Williams was staying, he found
large and excited crowd blocking IN
the approaches. What's up" he asked
as he elbowed his way to the door
Why, the've got the murderer, Will
iams, and he's making fight for life in
the hail. replied half dozen voices.
'Coniound ltl' exclaimed the superin-
tendent, not because he wished the
criminal to elude justice, but because
he had hoped to have the honor and
credit OF arresting him himself He
nad avoided bringing a constable with
nm, so that nobody might be able to
claim a share in the capture.
The door of the hotel had been lock-
/ ed, and the superintendent found some
dlfiiculty in gaining admittance. When
at last he got IN he found that the peo-
pie lighting in the hall were Harry
fowler, the bank clerk, and Hans
kruckmann, a German waiter. The
latter, 1t seemed, had noticed Will
Jams appearance in the coffee-room at
breakfast, and happening to be in the
ball when the bank clerk came to ask
Tor the list of strangers who had arrived
over night, he had instantly rushed up
to Mr.. Whites" room so as to have
the merit of making the arrest single
handed. In his hurry, however. he
had seized, in one of the passages, a
young man who, owing to the partial
obscurity, seemed to him to be the
criminal and clutching him by the
sleeve, had halloed, "Helpl help! |
ave cot EN-; de murderer helpl O,
my vriendsl' The cries set the whole
hotel i'll an uproar, and gave the real
MIR. White time to decamp. Hearing
the noise, and dreading to be lynched
by an infuriated crowd, the hapless
man with dalk hair plunged down
back staircase, used only by
servants, and darted into the ho-
tel by a small door leading into
Hind sheet. The Boots saw him go,
and hearing the hullabaloo in the hall,
suspected who he was, but the Boots
reasoned with himself: "If catch hold
of him here, they'll say that ] only as
sisted the other people; whereas, if |
follow the cove into the town, dodge
him about for an hour, ard then nab
him myself, as if it were altogether an
accident, nobody will be able to say
that | didn't do the trick alone" SO
the far-seeing Boots called out casually
to housemaid: MARY, Pm just going
into the town to buy some backing"
and catching up his jacket, he ran out
in pursuit, as he blissfully hoped, of
1000
1t was not the Boots game to collar
him too near the hotel, as he quietly
let him go fifty yards ahead. The sus-
pected murderer was not running, but
walked fast, being scared, pale and
breathless. Every now and then he
looked behind him; but the Boots was
following with an unconcerned air,
sauntering on the opposite pavement
with his hands in his pocket. Sudden
ly the hunted man halted at the corner
of small street, and allowed his pur-
suer to come up. Boots did not like
this, for he would rather have captured
his prey in crowded thoroughfare;
however, he advanced, and looked the
suspected murderer in the face.
Twill you show me the way to the
police station?" asked the latter in agi-
ton.
"Hullo this won't do" reflected
Boots, and he laid his hand on the
speakers cuff "John Williams, |
know yer" he said, "'tain't no use try
ing to escape. Well go to the station,
together"
"Ah you, too, suspect me of being
the murderer, then" exclaimed the
wretched man. swell, you're wrong,
but | was just going to the station to
explain. You need not grip me so
tight by the cuff. +"
'Look here, John Williams, III act
the man by you, if you act likewise by
me-" replied Boots, impressively. "If
you promise to tell them at the station
that it was me, and me only, that
nailed you, l won't hold your sleeve.
You looks like gentleman, and you
wouldn't try to do poor bloke out of
his e200.".
81 tell you | am not the murderer, so
you'll get nothing by catching me" an.
swered the man. However, come
along; | see you are incredulous; you
shall say what you please and / won't
contradict you"
A few minutes later Boots and John
Williams stalked INTO the police station
together. There was only sergeant
and single constable on duty, for sew
eral other policemen had been sent to
the hotel to take into custody Harry
fowler, Hans Kruckmann and some
others who had been having free fight
on the subject of John Williams, Tow
Ter having accused kruckmann of
abetting this malfactors escape, and
Kruckmann retorting with blows, while
the young gentleman who had been
arrested by mistake for John Williams
Joined in the scuflle. Presently the
superintendent came down foaming
from the hotel with all these
disturbers of the peace, who were
to be taken before magistrate, and
he learned that John Williams was al