West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-07-17

OH Ruafu plhceO ~ Tor greater security
in the troop store. That evening. before
stables. when tho orderly corporal
had read out thu duties for the succeed
ing day. he said, addressing me: Jones,
You have to attend the orderly room to-
morrow"
''WhyP" l inquired.
! You have been reported for neglect
Ing to salute Captain Sir Carnaby jerks
as he passed YOU while on sentry this
afternoon. was the corporals answer.
| said nothing by way of excuse. This
heinous charge was in all probability
true believe / might have omitted TO
present to Her Majesty the Queen
herself, II she had passed that afternoon
IN hor state carriage, 80 distracted was
6y the ehgrossing subject of this
valise
After stables, left barracks tor my
customary walk, and purchasing copy
oil the Echo from a juvenile news
vender read the particulars OF the
iataiity OF the morning. Friends had
identified the body, which was that of a
! gentleman named Nixon, who had re-
sided at Bayswater.
Nixon! That corresponds with the
initial IN on the bag" | thought to
|
the deceased was the person had seen
IN the morning. / also ascertained
from the newspaper report that a man
had been apprehended on suspicion of
having attempted to rifle the pockets OF
the clothes of the drowned man. and
who had been roughly handled by the
crowd, before a policeman conld be
| procured TO take him into custody.
| n - 4 A
call at the address given in the paper.
IN order to arrange about the restora-
uon oil the bag to the relatives of the
| deceased.
Reaching the house knocked softly
at the door, and stated my business to
the domestic who appeared. by whom
L was shown into a room. and imme-
dlately afterward was waited upon by a
young lady. the daughter of the de-
ceased. who, naturally enough, was
! perfectly overcome with grief | ex-
| planned to her in u few words the oh.
ject of my visit
IL am uncertain whether poor papa
had valise of that description when he
lett TINS morning." she said; 'but pos
sloly you may recognize him from the
photograph" submitting one she took
rom the table for my inspection.
experienced strange sense of re-
ief-the features in the photo were
those OF person bearing no resem-
Dlance Whatever TO the Individual who
mad left his bag in my charge
Inc young lady thanked me heartily
Tor the trouble had taken in the mat
ter and left the house of mourning
ana returned to the barracks in a very
mystitied state of mind.
| Gould the owner of the bag be the
tnlet who was caught i'm the act of
pluodering the dead mans clothesP" [
asked myself, but immediately dis
missed the idea from my mind, as being
absurd and improbable.
Next day attended the orderly
room, and received severe admonition
from the commanding officer tortu-
nateiy for me. as it happened, Sir Car
haoy mad been in plain clothes, so nv
onense IN the eye of martial law was of
comparatively venial character. I'm
nedlately afterwards | considered it nv
| duty to report the circumstances at
| tendlng the valise to the adiutant. who
IN TURN communicated with the police
authorities at Scotland Yard; and that
evening, pursuant to instructions re-
celVed, had the bag conveyed to that
estaDlishment After had explained
now 1t was placed in my charge, it was
opened IN my presence by an official,
ana was found TO contain Just a suit of
ola clothes and few newspapers, but
no documents of any kind rs stated bv
its owner.
After TINS the bag ceased to interest
me- as the valueless character of its
contents caused me to speculate less on
the unaccountable conduct of its DOS
SCISSOR IN never returning for it, may
mention that j read an account
IN the evening paper regarding
the alleged thief who had been
apprehended on the Serpentine Bank
under the circumstances before alluded
10, by the name of Judd he had been
taken before magistrate and remanded
Tor week. in order that inquiries might
be made concerning him.
some time afterwards I was on
Queens quart, Westminster | had
lust mounted my horse and taken up
position in one of the two boxes facing |
Parliament street. when gentleman
stopped opposite me and scanned me
curlously. Addressing me, he said: |
Don you remember me?n
mere was no mistsking the voice: il |
was that of tho owner of the baol !
Otherwise, he was greatly altered. as he |
had denuded himself OF the luxuriant
whiskers and mustache which he wore
when ! saw him previously.
What has been wrong3" / asked
I'm ] was seized with n fit that
morning when came out of the water. |
and was taken home in an unconscious |
state. l have been very unwel ever
since and have left my house for the .
iirst time today. made Inquiries nj the
barracks about you; and as the soldier
! spoke TO seemed TO know about the
bag i left with you, he directed me
here. -
well, sir, ] said 81 had quite made
up my mind that yOu were the gentle 1
man who wa drowned that morning. 4
and when / discovered my mistake. /
am almost ashamed TO own that fook (
you Tor the man who was apprehendcd
on the charge Of trying to plumber the
drowned mans clothes"
The gentleman smiled pleasantly and /
said. "Ah! / read about that. And now /
70 business. ] wish to get nv ba0 ot .
once. ! presume you have ID i'm safe- .
keeping at the barraeksp"
1T much nearer no hand. So I roplieJ 4
Just across the street from b6re.'' .
and then ] told him that h. was I'm tho /
custody Of the police authorities NJ
Scotland Yard
his information apparently discon-