The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-08-25

questioned him as to the appearance OF the
man; but the story was the anne as told me
at first. Several Of us wrote it down, and
I charged the child to remember it.
] was convinced that the murderer was a
stranger in that part of the country. No
one has seen him come or go; nc knew
the hour of his arrival or departure; and he
had left no clue behind-nothing but my
theory that the thumb was missing from
the left hand. I rode out to the toll gates,
but he had not been seen to pass. I ques-
toned the stage drivers, but they could
give no satisfaction. l went to the rail-
road station, but no n could remember
having remarked the presence Of a stranger
On that night. The murderer had arrived
and departed like a bird.
Twas considerably discouraged in not
striking his trail, but I was determined to
pursue the case until there was no longer
Visiting Pittsburg and Harrisburg I laid my
plans to trap him if he tried to dispose of
the watch. I wrote letters to various Off
Gals and then I could 90 no more. For six
months l had the case uppermost in my
mind, while transacting other detective
business, but I failed to find the least clue.
Then one day I got q trace.
I was riding on the cars Of the Pennsyl-
vania Central railroad when I observed an
old lazy shaking a gold watch in her hand
and then holding it to her ear to see if it
would run. Crossing over to her 1 asked
to look at the watch, and she handed it out
with the remark:
els isn't much good; but I don'tknow as
it ought to be. My husband only paid ten
dollars for it."
found that her name was Allen; that
she lived within a dozen miles of where the
Arnolds had been murdered, that on the
morning Of the murder, AS near as she
could remember, her husband had pur-
chased the watch of a traveller on the high
way, who was looking for work and out of
money. She remembered that the man
was a large man, had red hair, and full
beard of the same color, but could not say
that she had noticed anything suspicious in
his actions.
found by questioning that the stranger
had continued on the road to the west, and
that if he kept on he must have struck the
railroad after an hours travelling. I was
convinced that this was the murderer, and
that he made a long journey on the high
way in order to battle pursuit and hide his
trail.
But it was but little comfort to know it,
as SO manySmonths had passed that the man
might now be in Europe or underground.
I took the lady's address, allowed her to
retain the watch, which I knew had be-
longed to the Arnolds; and again I lost the
case for several months, I wrote over fifty
letters, travelled three or four thousand
miles on the lookout for a big man and
nothing came of it. But one day when ap-
preaching the village Of Newfeld, New
, York, by stage, two suspicious-looking fell
, lows got into the vehicle, and they were my
3 only company. I knew them to be flash
> as soon as I saw their faces, and their tall
went to prove it. I pretended to be very
deaf. as soon as they got in, not replying t.
! any Of their questions. I assumed The
! and held my hand to my ear and moved
over and expressed by regrets if I had of.
Tended them, saying I could not even hea
the rumble of the coach.
t "Good!" exclaimed one one of the men
as l sat down at the other end Of tn
vehicle. "Now you can go on with you.
yarn"
[ Before proceeding the other one calle'
me an old fool, a thief, a robber and var
ious other things, closely watching NJ
n c~ountenance to see if I could hear hi
words.
"Thc old smooth-bore is as deaf as
stone," he remarked, having satisfied him
self as to my deafness, and then be wen
on with q narrative which had been inter
rupted.
I soon ascertained that they were 0
their way to Penfield to rob a merchan
they had everything arranged to CONN
e the crime the very next night, and the on
a who had put up the plan gave oil the de
n tails as to how the robbery was to be CON
mitted, where they would "run" to, an
= gave a guess as to each ones shares,
/ What about Luke?" inquired the cthe
o after the plot had been discussed.
"Oh, Luke will be there on time, reptile
!, the man. HE has kept devilish shad
le since that business at L-,but now want
to make a haul and dig out for the far ives
You needn't fret-we can depend on him
# Before we got into the village the me
tried me again, but I could not hear e2cel
Ell when they shouted in my ear, and the
le were sure that the conversation had bee
ID strictly private.
ID When they put up at the hotel, I went
g the house of a deputy sheriff, intending
remain concealed all the next day. I ha'
m of course, to state my business to the oil
ne Ger as I must have his aid, and he, the sin
pleton that he was, related the whole sto:
of to his wife after they had retired. Thus
lie naturally came about that next dav, while
W was lying shady, but planning how to Cal
s, tuce the burglars, the woman was retaili1
ng my plans to the neighbors. When mig
We came there were six of us ready to poun
eft upon the criminals, but there were no crir
he mails to be found. The fellows had g
ur wind of the affair and were out, and I b
en- lost the second only reliable clue to the A
wn mold murder which I had been ever able
NIB find. Some time after this, while in the Ct
at Of Rochester, I caught sight Of q hand re!
ing OH the window sill Of ahorse car
mt large, red hand. The hand was nothi
in strange, butt the thumb was missing.
lg. I did not wait an instant to think, I lea
d. ed from the car, entered the other, and thu
he sat my friends of the stage coach on eitl
lad side of the owner of the hand-"a big m
in with red hair and whiskers." They
or- jumped up as I entered, but I hung fast
no Luke, and soon had the bracelets on hi
lid allowing the others to get away. He b
at no idea who I was, and I took care not
rch hint at the charge against him until IL
lad him back to l..
ad, My arrival created much excitement.
old the pursuit of the murderer had from t
out first been deemed hopeless. Many CO
cir tended that I had not securedt the right m,
the and Luke protested never to have been
ing that part OF the state before. The Oh
was several miles aWav from the villa