Sharp County record., 1885-10-29
ON HIS TRACK.
A Chance Discovery Which Led
to Important Results.

Over twenty years ago, said Mr. W nit
rnire. a detective. with whom | recently
had an interview, | was on the police
force of New York. One summer
night few minutes past twelve | was
pacing my beat in a quiet part OF c
street. when a man called from sec
-ond story window:
81 say, sir, are you policeman"
Yes" I said. whats the mat
ter?"
81 heard heavy jar in Mr. Brad
ley's house, next door, and ne may
have fallen and hurt himself. He Just
came in few minutes ago. If | were
you I'd ring the bell. "
Mr.. Bradley was a wealthy old bach
elor who had lived entirely alone for
wears IN an old-fashioned brick house.
His riches were a subject for frequent
gossip, and it was said that in his
house, to which no outsider was ever
admitted, he kept a lot of silverware
and money. rang the bell, but there
was no response.
care YOU sure you saw him 60 in?"
| asked.
Yes, sure of it. He hadn't been in
half a minute before / heard a heavy
fall have heard nothing since.
There must be something wrong"
[ said, after ringing the bell a second
time and receiving no response. tried
the door, but it was locked.
"If | were you l would force the
door," suggested the man at the win
dow
Il don't like to do that. Is there any
other entrance?"
"Yes, that alley Just beyond the steps
leads to a back yard, but the gate IS
probably locked, as well as the rear
door
II will 90 and see." said l; and walk
inc up the narrow alley discovered by
the dim light of the street-lamp nearly
opposite that the gate was wide open
| looked in, and perceived that the rear
door was also open, and faint llght
sbone out. All was perfectly quiet
returned to the street and said to the
man:
.The gate and back door are open.
, Come down and we'll 60 in.
In half a minute he joined me on the
sidewalk. when | recognized HIM as an
acquaintance named Henry Collins.
"Ah. is that you? l didn't know you
lived here" | said.
eyes. and didn' recognize you when
| first addressed you.
"Well, there may have been foul
work here said |; so we'll 90 in.
We went into the yard and entered
the house. The rear room had eyi-
IDENTIFY been used for kitchen; and
Guided by dim light we passed into a
narrow hall with a stairway Near the
street door was an old table, on which
was a lighted candle that had burned
to within an inch of the candlestick. AT
the foot of the stairs lay Mr. Bradley,
quite dead, and frightful wound upon
his head convinced me that he had been
murdered
At my request Mr.. Collins hurried
away to the police station to notify the
Captain, while made an examination
of the premises. A number of drawers
in the sccond-story back room had been
broken open and ransacked, and on the
floor lay half of a fresh looking news
paper Knowing that the old bachelor
was not-in- the habit of spending money
for newspapers, it struck rue that the
robber mi ght have had it in his pocket,
and probably used the other half tc
wrap up some of his plunder, leaving
behind him, in his hurry, what might
prove a most valuable clew. | there
fore folded up the fragment and put il
in my pocket. A moment later Mr.
Collins returned accompanied by sew
eral officers and surgeon.
TO make this part Of the story brief
Twill state that the usual fOrmalitie: