Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-10

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A longer pause, and then Crane said
solemnly, 81 do swear it!'
A wilder blast swept across tho park,
and when it had passed, Crane was look
ing down on the dead face of the man
whose path had crossed his that fearful
night, and to whom he had pledged a
year of his life.
CHAPTER II.
Thomas Crane testified at the inquest
to the conflict he had seen, and to being
with the ran at his death. TO his
father and to Harry Fenton only dc: he
tell OF the fearful oath he had taken In
the tempest of that January night.
Both grieved that he had taken it, but
neither said one word to induce him to
break it.
"My Legal knowledge is at your com.
mand, SAM Harry Fenton.
"My fortune is at '1 your command, "
said his father. H.: ~,
Long before noon the dead mans TEL
ativee had come to claim h{m-his Wild
owed mother and his sister; but they
had nothing to tell which would throw
any light on the murder. Charlie Jack
son had spoken the truth when he said
he bad not an enemy in the world. He
had no great amount of money. It was
a most terrible mystery.
The next clay Thomas Crane began his
search. Search around the scene of 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 in 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 III the
suburbs, the only one like it which he
had seen for sale in the whole city. He
bought it, treated the man who had sold
it to glass of beer, praised the little
child who came into the store from the
dwelling 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 likeliest case first.
A fellow who had been indicted for
man slaughter once, and who was
popularity believed to have escaped by
false swearing, was followed first, what
ever he had been doing, he was evident
~ covering up his tracks. But when
found at last, late in March, thousand
miles away from Where Crane bad COM
| menced to follow him, he was sitting in
a bar-room whiting shingle 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.
Ihe other man was al express mes
senger. An honest, Woodworking.
straightforward man, it seemed almost
mockery to follow him. Crane took an
other 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 for 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 three he had already known of had
ever been sent to the city in which the
murder took place.
There was nothing left to do but fol-
low tie express messenger. Crane be-
gan bis work. He had seen the man
once or twice, and SO he knew him bv
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 was not the mate of the one which
had killed young Jackson.
Thomas Crane went that afternoon to |
see the Jacksons. They had known for
some tune that he was following up the !
case, and he had been to see them sew
eral times. He told them what he had |
done, and what he had found, but he |
did not tell them why he was following
the murderer. It was beginning to be |
a CHASTITY piece of business in Lis est.
nation, and yet he scarcely dared hope
tor SO welcome thing as failure.
Think OF it, A man bending all his !
energies to one dread end, and hoping !
that the CHASTITY 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 |
hun from exposure; the year of life his |
was to be given in honesty though I'M
willingly.
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 |
strong one already. If the express mes
senger is guilty, he could never be con-
Victp1 and hunp IN uhot MO b,o,
But with proof that you have given your |
time for months to following up this
case it would be the easiest thing to |
clear you if caught and arranged as a |
house breaker. If you want to examine |
the inside of that mans house, break in |
some night wheE there is no one at |
home"
You, lawyer, my friend, advise
this ?"
Under the circumstances, yes"