St. Landry democrat., 1882-07-29

: his search. Search around the scene o.
!; the murder was rewarded by finding the
} knife with which the deed was done
The police had failed to find it. Crane
found it himself
: Days followed i'll which he carefully
examined the stock of cutlery in one
store after another in his search for
) knives like it. He found its mate at last
in little variety store far out in the
suburbs the only one like it which he
had seen for sale in the whole city. He
bought it, treated the man who sold if
to glass OF beer, praised the little child
who came INTO the store from the dwell
ing behind it. and so won upon the man
that he learned where the other two
knives from the quarter dozen he had
had. had gone when sold.
He took the likelest case first.
A fellow who had been indicted for
manslaughter once, and who was popu-
larry believed to have escaped by false
swearing, was followed first Whatever
he had been doing, he was evidently
covering up his tracks. But when
found at last, late in March, thousand
miles away from where Crane had com
menced to follow him. he was sitting in
a bar-room whiting a single with the
mate of the knife which had killed
jackson, and two months of hard work
had come to nothing. Crane was dis
gusted, not disheartened
The next day he was on his way back
to begin again.
Inc other man was an express mes
senger. An honest, Woodworking,
straightforward man. 1t seemed al
most mockery to follow him. Crane
took another step forward in regard to
the knives themselves before he began.
He went to the manufacturers, and from
them to the wholesale dealers, TELLING
them just enough of his purpose to Sc
cure their aid, and traced the knives
from the place where they were made. !
In towns not far away knives like
these had been bought and sold again,
but only the three he had already known
OF had ever been sent to the city in
which the murder took place.
There was nothing left 10 do but to
follow the express messenger. Crane
began his work. He had seen the man
once. or twice, and so knew him by
sight. He found him one morning in |
his neat yard at home. He was CUTTING |
limbs from the trees next the walk; and, |
to Cranes disappointment, the knife he |
used scas not the mite of the one which !
had killed young Jackson.
Thomas Crane went that afternoon to
see the Jacl1son's. They had known
for some time that he was following up
the case, and he had been to see them
COY To to1l
had done, and what he had found out:
but he did not tell them yet achy he was
following the murderer. 1t was begin
ming to be ghastly piece of business
IN his estimation, yet he scarcely dared
hope for so welcome thing as failure.
Think OF it. A man bending all his en-
ergies to one dread end, and hoping
that the ghastly necessity of being the
avenger Of murder may pass by him.
How the man longed for January again,
that beautiful April morning. If he
could only fall sick; but his oath kept
him from exposure; the year of his life
was to be given in honesty, even though
In the evening Crane called on Harry
Fenton.
I'D give anything for look at the
inside of that mans house," said he,
IN conclusion.
''Well,'' said Fenton, '.the case is a ,
strong one already. If the express
Messenger is guilty, he could never be
convicted and hung on what we know 8
low. But with proof that you have +
given your time for months to following r
Up this case, it would be the easiest /
hing to clear you if caught and al f
aligned as a house breaker. If you +
want to examine the inside of that
mans house, break in some night when g
here is no one at home .a, =
You, a lawyer, my friend, advise +
his?' p
''Under the circumstances, yes" t.
The next day the press-messenger' n
7ife was sick, the day after better, the a
ay after that worse, and so on for c
feeks. Thomas Crane watched the r.
remises nights, for a chance to be-
ONE q burglar, and spent a large O
art of every day at the Jacksons' n
omestead. n
1t happened as might have been ex- Il
ected. Lizzie Jackson became the p
life Of Thomas Crane, after an en- q
agement of one short month, late in W
ecember. He told her of his fearful n
ath before the marriage. She was HI
locked. even though her husband ~
as following the murderer of her q
rother. " he
1T isn't long now, barely . fortnight;
I'd you may put what evidence you
Ave in the hands of the authorities and
, free yourself then. Be brave and
ue only a little 10 1ger,'' she said. Of
And Thomas Crane answered: II -
ILL., u