The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-03-03
THE MAN IN HE COACH.

1t was past ten clock, and one of the
coolest nights that ever blew. The blasts
came roaring through the mountain gor-
ges as Il bent upon o~erturning the lum-
bering old stage. 1t had begun to snow
too and the wheels creaked heavily
through the drifts threateninga complete
stand still at no distant moment.
Wrapped i'll my cloak, lay shivering
in a corner OF the vehicle, the sole pas
sepger, in the very worst frame of mind,
was disappointed and dsheartened man
was then at the outset of my career as
detective, young and ambitious. Hitherto
had been intrusted with no case of i'm
portance, but on this occasion fortune had
thrown grand opportunity Of making
i'll my way, only to tlcut me
with complete failure.
The case was one of murder, a very in
terestinS one from its complicated and
character. James Platt,
well-known citizen of -, a village in
hoi UuCii Ci lhpiits ud't oCtu GSdt
in pit beside the very road | was now
travelling. There were marks of violence
upon his person. death having resulted
from heavy blow with a wooden cudgel
upon the back of the head. Robbery
could not have been the motive, since a
large sum of money was left untouched
in his pockets. The man was not known
to have an enemy in the world, and the
most searching inquiry into his private
history revealed no secret enmity Or quar-
rel. The only person in anyway interes-
ted was his nephew, Thomas Judson, his
only relative and heir at-law.
This individual had been the first OBJ
.ect of my suspicious, unfounded, it
should seem. Personally he impressed
me unlavorably. He was one of those
Journalists whose very freedom from all
of the petty weakness of men is prima
taeie evidence of the capability of crimes
of greater magnitude-at any rate. in my
experience with humanity. He was a
pale-iaced, pale haired, hght-eyed and
altogether washed out looking person.
with soft voice and quiet manner, and
withal in great favor with the tea drnk-
ing snssips of n -. His past record,
so far as ! could get at it, was simply
perfect. At the death of his uncle. more
over he was Known to be in the posses
SION of several thousand dollars in cash.
While he was the dead mans heir he ex-
hibited no iInFatience to know the terms
of his will OF to benefit thereby. On the
routrary. lie seemed to be crushed with
-orrow. and 10 one lent my efforts to
ieovcr the assassin such ready aid as he
# there had been any plausible doubt,
was to say the least, batiled by the
ct that he could, if necessary, have
qrly perfect abb. | say nearly, be-
use to my thinking. there was flaw in
At a quarter to eight he was seen in
tversatioh with the dead man on the
r uer Of the village street, where they
halated the uncle going down the
i toward his home, a little way out of
IN, and the nephew proceeding to at
Id church sociab'e at the town
birch. He was known to have arrived
ir, certainly, at quarter past eight.
e evidence as to the time was doubt
,, L; no one being able to tell the exact
ment of his arrival. There was how
2r, i'll my view the possible hiatus of
enty minutes, in requiring only ten
autes to reach the church from the
ut here he had last been seen.
- / must not be imagined tina: CLEANED
sse fragments through Judson's own
timony. His name never appeared in
snection with the affair, and if had
itured to hint at his possible compli-
y, should have been hooted out of
. - village by his Indignant neighbors.
ch information as | acquired was
cough the medium of patient and eau
US study of all of the points presented.
hen | had summed them up, had no
ldence that would hold water for
pgle moment. l was thus at stand
81, stId after short interval Of obsti-
fe Waiting, | started for the city, dis
A'oiqted and Disguised.