The Penn's Grove record., 1883-10-06
Lured to His Doom.
BY AN ENGLISH DETECTIVE.

III An EsN bEA ~ -
1t was a very singular, mysterious and
complicated case.
In a bare room of an old house in the
vicinity of London Bridge Railway
Station a man was found dead, hanging
by a small cord TO a 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 a stranger whom no one
knew, and why he should have come to
that place to commit suicide was a mys-
terry.
He was well dressed, had a gold
watch in his pocket, to which was at
tached a heavy gold chain he had a
diamond stud in his shirt front, and a
cluster ring of diamonds on one finger
he had also a pocket-book on his person
containing oyer two hundred pounds in
bauk 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, mol
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 a commission
agent, contained no article of furni-
ture.
1t had been rented about ten days
previous to a rather venerable-looking
man, who walked a little lame and
wore goggles, who said he wanted ii
for an office for the sale of apatent 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 oil
two weeks.
The dead man was not the one who
had taken the room, however and how
and when he had got access to the apart.
ment no one knew.
There was an old-fashioned Fireplace
in the room, and some plper ashes in
this attracted the attention of a detec-
tive, who happened to be no other than
my humble self.
In turning over these ashes, Idiscov'
cred two or three little bits of paper not
entirely consumed, and they had these
words written on them, though now
barely distinguishable:
found her and locked
private room
meet you station O..
Now, after reading these disjointed
sentences, l began to study and ponder
them.
Might this not be a portion of a mes.
sage sent to the dead man, to lure him
to the city for the purpose of putting
him out ofthe way
But for what motive?
All, that indeed l could not know
that was something only to be found
out after a serious investigation, in
case one should be made.
/ examined the charred paper IS well
as l could, and reached the conclusion
that what | had read was part of a
telegram which had been sent by some
body at a distance, and that either the
sender or receiver intended to destroy it.
Now, if the deceased had received it,
it must have been sent by somebody,
and that somebody intended to meet
him, and probably did meet him at the
railroad station.
Well, then, where was that somebody
and why had he allowed his correspon-
dent to visit that out-of-the-way room
alone and commit suicide without ever
going near him afterward
And why should the man come to
such a place to kill himself
And could he have found the room
without a guide, and got access to il
unknown to any one, if he were not the
man who had rented it inthe first place I
But then it was certain that he was
not that man, unless he was III disguise
when he hired it and why had he gone
to all that trouble merely to hang him.
self, when he could have done it quite
effectually in ten thousand better
places
No look on it-reason as | might
l could not bring myself to believe that
the stranger hanging in that bare room
had put the rope around his own bare
neck.
/ told the Coroner of my belief but
whether he conceded with me or not il
is certain his jury did not, for they
brought in a verdict of suicide.
The body was placed in the mertuary
for recognition, and | requested that ii
should be kept there as long as possible
for I had a desire to see what l could
do is working up the case.
l started out with the bits of paper
| had secured to see if 1 could find at
any telegraph office any message re-
Gently sent off embodying the words |
had transcribed in their consecutive
| order.
l was soon fortunate in getting pos
session of what | believed to be the
original message.
1t was addressed to Horace Granger,
1s7- street, Manchester, and read
as follows-the words found among the
paper ashes | inclose in brackets !:
Ihave found her and locked her up in
a private room]. Come on and use a par
ent's authority. Take the last day train
and l will inject you'll at London bridge
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