The Somerset reporter., 1885-12-09

you give me n recc.ptY
sat at the de-k, wrote ont tie receipt
and signed it; he looked over my shoulder
all the time When | turned the line
under my name and put the dot al the end
he touched me on the shoulder aud said .
i thought So ! arrest you for the mur-
der of James Smithson.'
Il am
you know | shall haYc to repeat all
you say, so don't say anything. llow's
business in these parts; It's rather duh in
New York
Il was stunned; ! made no answer"
How will YOU goE Quietly. / suppose:
most gentlemen do. But jn,t as Won
please" and he pulled ont Of his pocket a
pair of handouts. and opened his coat to
show the butt OF his rcvolrr. 1t i nu"h
pleasantcr travelling without these"
Yes, yes; I'll 20 quietly enough. Only
want an hour or two to arrange my af
fairs here
"Oh, certainly; only you III i pay the
express farc-l ncic sam doesn't allow ex-
press fares on these occasions | see
can trust YOU; and mind, leave my rep
utation with You. shall call for you for
the five O'Clock express. You eau settle
your affairs and look over your papers,
and I'll 90 and see your own. Don't
forget five O'Clock" and he left
The blow had fallen. | was hit. All
the little wealth had collected wa> 10 20
t defend my life. | called on my solici-
tor and told him about it.
awkward for you, NcIy. for you were
Il rising man, n very rising man
Il am as innocent"
"Oh, of course, my dear fellow. But
am thinking how we'd best administer
the estate for you. If it gets wind you'll
have more difficulty in getting your mon
ey. What's the amount Out-tWrntY
thousand dollars!'
about that say twenty-two.'
We'll, you'd better sell. I'll find YOU
buyer for the whole concern for. say ten
thousand dollars in hard cash. You can
| leave it with me- Com" back here at
four and I'll have the papers ready"
Ten thousands rather small for
twenty-five clear surplus
We'll, as you like. Name your lowest
and I'll see what can be done: only re-
member you've but four hours to do it in
and don't put it too high. Tomorrow
morning your surplus will be. as far a
your chance of getting it is concerned,
very small indeed
We'll. get twelve if you can; If not.
ten: and let me see you in New York"
Right you are. | was going for my
vacation to that very place, and now i'll
combine business and pleasure. Call at
four. mind
wandered back to the Office. told tn"
chief clerk that had To leave. and had
sold the business and would introduce the
purchaser that afternoon; and then sat
down with my head ON my hands utterly
broken down.
At four went back To the lawyers Of
free made out the necessary papcrs. and
Mt five promptly met the officer of the law
at nv own place of business
During the tourney 10 New York the
dcte 1iyc became quite friendly, and told
me how the matter came to be revived
1t appeared that. unknown to his mmcdi-
ate relatives Mr.. Smithson had insured
his life for Il very large amount in favor
of his brother. before going to Europe;
the policy he had put in box of papers
left with his bankers The papers on his
death had been looked over by his >clic- !
tors clerk. and no one knowing anything
of the policy it had escaped his careless /
observation by being hidden between tine |
parchmcnts of lease. Some few months
before NV arrest it became necessary to
refer to the papers: the policy was found, |
and Il claim made by the brothers on the
Office. The reply was that there was no
evidence of James SmithsonS death not
being the result of his own act he Nigh. |
have thrown himself overheard. and in
that ease the policy would be invalid.
The row with YOU" said the officer. rs
described in the papers at the time, ''was
remembered, and the advertisement in
serted. Y Il see it was not of much con-
sequence to any one whether he was muir
dered or jumped overheard until it be-
came question of some fifty thousand
dollars on IA disputed policy The broth
er is. of course. quite willing to spend
half in securing evidence of his murder,
and YOU can get a good deal Of evidence
for TWENTY-FIVE thousand dollars 50 YOU
will have rather a hard time of it. It's
worth, YOU see, above twenty-five thOu>-
and dollars to him to see YOU hanged and
he'll do it if he can"
was horror-struck. The man talked
not of anv question of innocence or guilt
but of questions of bought evidence and
money. Its an awful position to he in
that some one should gain some thousands
of dollars by your being hanged.
need not describe the preliminary en-
animation and commitment. | was two
months awaiting nv trial and all the evil
dencc could .ct in my favor amounted
to nothing ON the other side there was
the evidence of the quarrel: and last there
was the evidence of two of tn crew, who
on oath had testified that they saw my
self and the murdered man on the fore
castle together, that struck him with
behaving pin and threw him overheard.
What could hope for against such wit
ncsscs? The steward and captain were
both dead and those two shameless hcnds
had concocted this story under the in
ducement of n large reward. 1t was
clear | was to be the victim of miserable
speculation to gain money.
The day of the trial came at last. was
taken into the courtroom between two
turnkevS. The counsel for the prosccu-
ton in stating his case twcl long ON the
anilnus shown in the quarrel at dinner
and concluded by calling his witnesses.
The cabin boy and the chief mate told
the story of the quarrel; and the man al
the wheel told of the last time he had seen
the deceased alone: and then came the
two witnesses.
4 tt,r