The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-12-09
=" NUMBER EIGHT. +"
How a Detective Barely Escaped
playing" That Role.

"Playing" That Role.
"You can bring in no other verdict.
gentlemen, than that Of 'willful murder
by some person or persons unknown"
Such was the direction OF tho coroner to
the jury Of Iowa County, in the State OF
Wisconsin as they sat assembled in barn
belonging to FARM Dewitt, In a remote
district on an evening in the month OF
September.
The deceased was attired In the garb Of
fnery lay beside the dead body. his pockets
were turned inside out, just as they had
been found on the discovery Of the corpse
early on the morning Of the same day a
few yards from sluggish stream, across
ran between the two small towns of Min
eral Point and st. Rose East equidiSt ant
in opposite directions about five miles from
the river The stream, though deep in its
ordinary course, happens at this Z RI,
especially during the summer months, to
be not more than few inches high, and so
shallow was the water then that the tracks
of the cart wheels and the marks of the
horses' hoofs were quite discernible in the
hard sand or fine gravel. An odd step
.pkn6 -SCOHc was also 10 Oo dVdll0Q OF.
A verdict in accordance with the dirsc-
tion of the coroner was then handed in and
the jury were discharged with the remark
of that Official:
"It is altogether most mysterious bust
ness; this is the seventh case of the kind
within the past four months"
My firm-a detective agency-had been in
structed by the authorities at Mineral Point
to deputs some one to attend the inquest
and to slit tho affair to tho bottom. An
intimation was given me that speedy pro-
motion would follow on my unraveln tho
mystery, and as got unlimited discretion
concerning my line of action whether as
regards the time l should occupy about
the business, the expenses might incur or
the assistance, any, should avail myself
was at stake and that IL another such MUIR
der were to he committed ere had un-
earthed the guilty parties, the sooner
charged my vocation for some other the
bettor for myself and my employers.
No one who is not detective can enter
imaginative moments conjurs up the fscl.
ings which influence the breast of o true
member of such useful branch of the
community. Crimes are perpetratsd which
battle detection. The miscreants who CON-
mitted them 60 about in the full glare Of
noontide unpunished, because unrecog-
niZed; perhaps, sit at the same table, ride
in the same car. join you in conversat ton,
jostle you on the highway, and until the
requisite clue is discovered, knowing all
ers himself as in some measure an abetter,
involuntary though he be, of every such
defeat Of justice, and almost betrnyer Of
the confidence reposed In him to find out
to 'detsct'-the criminal, and tho case Is
no whit altered by the circumstances sur
rounding. it from the very start being
shrouded in complete mystery and that no
clue whatever presents itself in the outset.
walked with the coroner to his house in
the small town of Mineral Point, which Law
fve miles westward OF the river, and 1
learned from him, while sat at dinner,
that pre- viOusly to this last one six m ysteri-
GUS murders had been, as he had In timat
to the jury already committed at the same
spot The first person murdered was q
commercial traveller, as appeared from
letters found about his person. He had
,represente a jewelry firm in Oh icsgo, and
had taken with him a sample case OF
watches and rings, but the bag in which he
carried his wares was nowhere to be found.
Every barrel OF his siy-shooter was undis.
charged causing the inference that he had
been taken by surprise. No marks of vio-
lence we're observable about his person at
the time he was fonnd, and the verdict
handed in was one of death from unknown
causes-presumabiy apopleKy or sun stroke.
his murder respectable farmer, we'll
known in the locality, shared the same fate
on his return from journey on which he
had received a large sum for corn, and Of
which he was plundered. In his case the
circumstances were somewhat different,
for, whilst the commercial traveller afore-
said was a person Of stout physious.
Farmer Goodwin was thin, spars, meager
man. about the last, Judging from his ap-
pesrance, to meet with such u supposed
visitation. His sons insisted on a strict
post-mortem examination being held, and,
in addition to the doctor OF tho town, th.v
brought from distance an eminent med
tical man, both of whom, after q careful
inspection of the body. discovered small
punctured wound In the region OF the heart
caused, as the scaipel showed ON q dissec-
ton OF the flesh, by q needle which was
lodged in the heart.
''Of course, Mr.. Coroner" said I, "you
sxhumed the body OF the commercial
"You have anticipated me-" replied the
narrator. "Wo had the body dug up, snd
the same medical men examined Il and
found that death in the former case had
also been caused by similar means.
We, that is the authorities, then had the
locality watched for at least . fortnight
afterwards and then gave over the quest,
thinking that perhaps the murderer, who
ever.he was, had either been scared upon
the discovery OF the hidsous method OF
neighborhood satisfied with the booty 40
quired by the two murders; but no sooner
had the vigilance OF the police been re-
laxed than in less than . week Afterwards
another murder occurred. This time it was
the poxtman, and his mailbag and its con
tents could not be traced In any way"
- Did you search the various dwellings
aroundf Could there have been any lurk-
ing place inquired, ''anywhere that the
miscrsant could have been sscretedFn
The most thorough search was made for
miles around need scarcely tell you. A
watch was again set, but to no purpose.
Day and night for . month constables In
disguise were stationed neer ths place, but
AL was unavailing, for upon their with
drawal altar months tme another foul
murter was committsd. 11lts tims II was
another dEza1nnAr, maR 'named Briscos,
who yepresented IN iron gats nanaksctur-
ing drm IN Ailyeukee. He bad nsithsE
watch nor purse about his person vbsn hia
body wus dfxcovsrcd, and lis murder, too
- elso eGectsd by like oontr5vapcs
"While the jury Were actually sittlna
upon his case," +" eontiausa ~ eoEoreS. q