The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1883-10-06
Lured to His Doom.
BY AN ENGLISH DETECTIVE.

l
Station man was found dead, hanging
by small cord to hook driven into
the wall, his feet resting on the floor.
! He was discovered some days after
his death, and by reason of the strong
smell sent forth from his decomposing
body.
He was stranger whom no one
knew, and why he should have come to
that place to commit suicide was mys-
terry.
He was well dressed, had a gold
watch in his pocket, to which was at
tached heavy gold chain he had a
diamond stud in his shirt front, and a
cluster ring Of diamonds on one finger !;
he had also pocket-book on his person
containing over two hundred pounds in
bank notes.
1t was therefore evident that he had
not committed suicide on account of
poverty, nor been murdered for his
money.
Was it suicide or was it murder
There was no scrap of paper on his
person to tell who the stranger was, nor
his motive for the murderous deed, if he
did it.
The room, which was an upper story
OF an old building, the lower portion of
which was occupied by commission
agent, contained no article of fuIni-
ture.
1t had been rented about ten days
previous to rather venerable-looking
man, who walked little lame and
wore goggles, who said he wanted it
for an Office for the sale of patent that
would soon become very popular with
sea-going people.
When questioned about the patent he
said he would not then explain it, but
would have some things on hand fol
exhibition in the course of ten days Oh
two weeks. e..-
The dead man was not the one who
had taken the room, however and how
and when he had got access to heapart.
ment no one knew. ....
There was an old-fashioned fireplace
in the room, and some paper ashes II
this attracted the attention of detec'
tive, who happened to be no other thar
my humble self.
In turning over these ashes, discov
cred two or three little bits of paper no
entirely consumed, and they had thes'
words written on them, though nov
barely distinguishable:
found her and locked
l private room
a meet you station a.
: Now, after reading these disjointe'
Q sentences, began to study and ponde
: them.
Might this not be portion of mes
sage sent to the dead man, to lure hin
q to the city for the purpose of putin
a him out of the way
But for what motivep
. Ah, that indeed could not know
. that was something only to be foun
A out after a serious investigation,
j case one should be made.
1 examined the charred paper as we
\ as L could, and reached the conclusio
!, that what / had read was part of
=, telegram which had been sent by somt
"A body at distance, and that either tf
sender or receiver intended to destroy |
at Now, if the deceased had received
I'd it must have been sent by somebod
IN and that somebody intended to me
I'd him, and probably did meet him at Il
e. railroad station.
VS. Well, then, where was that somebo'
lis and why had he allowed his correspo
dent to visit that out-of.the-way roo
alone and commit suicide without ev
n going near him afterward
as And why should the man come
I'M such place to kill himself ?
st. And could he have found the roc
ey without a guide, and got access to
ed unknown to any one, if he were not
mt man who had rented it in the first plac
IN. But then it was certain that he "
ith not that man, unless he was in disgu
a when he hired it and why had he &c
it to all that trouble merely to hang hi
em self, when he could have done it qu
nts effectually in ten thousand bet
eck placesp
ka No; look on it-reason as nigh
1 could not bring myself to believe {
the stranger hanging in that bare ro
had put the rope around his own b
ing neck.
Who 1 told the Coroner of my belief
axe whether he coincided with me or no
and is certain his jury did not, for t
ack brought In verdict of suicide.
the The body was placed in the mertu
|. for recognition, and l requested tina
should be kept there as long as poss
for 1 had a desire to see what l &C
The do is working up the case.
more 1 started out with the bits of p'
they had secured to see il 1 could 6n'
filth any telegraph office any message
,orso Gently sent off embodying the wor
ahly had transcribed In their consecu
order.