Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1884-04-03
A DETECTIVES STORY,

work up the case.
1t was my trade or profession then,
down thieves and assassins
and I had been SO long at the busi-
ness, that a telegram announcing any
such case was taken as coolly as if
the dispatch had related to some Or
dinary affair.
Before noon 1 was at Colville. 1t
was a little hamlet, about twenty
miles from New York and three miles
away from the railroad. / had an
swered the telegram before leaving
New York, and people were therefore
me. As stepped on the
platform, farmer came up and in
quired my name, and was requested
to take a seat in his one-horse pha-
ton for a drive to the village. He
was greatly excited, and we had
scarcely started when he commenced
talking.
l soon learned that laiy was the
victlm-a rich old spinster, named
Miss Williams. She was a woman
about fifty-five years old. living in
the best house in the village, and was
possessed of some fortune. She had
never been married, but years before
had adopted boy, who was now a
young man Of twenty. These two,
with a couple Of servants, made up
the family.
1 learned that the family always re-
tired at nine o'clock. If Tom, the
adopted, was out, as frequently the
case, front door was left unlocked for
him to come in. He was not consid-
cred bad young man; but he drank
a little, smoked a good deal, wore
good clothes. and might be classed
under the head of FAST As fol-
the servants, 1 had seen them, and
that was enough. Without asking
them a word, would have taken my
oath that they were innocent.
In working up case 1 always had
a theory, and l worked to prove that
my theory was right. In this case il
was that Tom was guilty, and l start
ed to prove it. Going down stairs. ]
entered the bedroom. The dead body
was still there. The blow had been
dealt with terrible force, and any one
of the four or five blows would have
been fatal. The deceased was in hel
night dress, lying on the bed, and /
was not long in ascertaining that she
had been placed there after death, or
after insensibility.
There were stains on the bed, on
the wall. and on the carpet at the end
of the room. Getting down on my
hands and knees, I found that a cor
ner of the carpet had been loosened
and turning it back discovered two
or more bank notes On the floor
This, then, had been hiding place
for her money, of which she was
supposed to have large sum.
I decided that the assassin haC
crept in, tore up the carpet, and was
discovered as he was seizing tht
money. The old lady had got out Of
bed and approached him, and wa
struck down as they stood together il
the corner. This was very strong
evidence against Tom. Had sh'
awoke to discover stranger in th'
room, she would not have left he
bed-or the chances were against i
and she certainly would have beel
struck down near it, instead of afte
reaching the corner. She had 5eel
killed in the corner-and then he
body placed on the bed was sur
of it.
If I had wanted any further evi
dence against Tom, 1 found it abou
the corpse. From the finger nails o
the index finger of the right ham
waved three Or four blue threads
tiny little things, which a hundre'
pairs of eyes would have passed over
There was slit In the nail, and
had caught coat sleeve and torn th
little threads out. They told me tina
Tom had a blue blouse coat, and the
l knew she had torn the threads on
as she clutched him in her dyin
struggles.
"Well, what do you Think" in
quired the constable, as l finishe
my examination.
81 want to see Tom," / answered
"Why, surely you don't suspec
him."
Certainly not. 1 want to hes
his statement" I replied.
One of them went and brough
him. l saw from the first glimps
that he had made up his mind
ssbrazen it out" He was a gooC
looking young fellow, face pale an
anxious, and 1 saw by his set teet
that he was bracing himself to baff
me.
"You will please to give me a plai
statement of the affair, so far as 20
were concerned" l said as he too
seat. .e#E
We oil sat looking at him, and /
had to make an effort to start of
He stated that he came in at half pa:
nine, went to bed, and about dayligl
WAS awakened by scream. He ra
down stairs, and to his aunt's doc
and then discovered she was dead.
"But the body was cold at da,
i,rht answarad Tho doc