Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-08

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every thing had been taken. The
search had been so thorough that it
was likely the murderer had spent sew
eral hours in the house after his horri-
BILE deed. He had even taken the old
wOman's spectacles, snuffbOx, thimble
and other trifies of the sort: but he had
come and departed without leaving
trace.
"Well, the first inference was that
he had come and gone in the night.
The next inference got me into trouble
at once. The sheriff and constables
and all the townspeople had made up
their minds that tie murderer was a
young man named John Winthrop, the
old woman's nephew, who hung out
around Cincinnati. 1t was known that
he often appealed to her for money
when hard up, and that only two or
three weeks before the murder she had
refused to advance him another dollar,
and that he had gone away cursing
her.
1T was IA fair clue to work on, and
/ went to Cincinnati to work up John
Winthrop. He could not be found,
but found friends of his who strength
ened the case against him. The day
previous to the murder he was hard
up. and trying to borrow money. The
day after the murder he had plenty of
money, and offered to lend some. He
was gambler, a rake, and all that
was bad, and no one would be sur
prised to hear that he had committed
murder. To still further strengthen
the case, l discovered that he had been
seen on the train running from Cincin-
natl 10 Blankville on the afternoon of
the murder. He was also known to
have returned to Cincinnati on the
morning after. Better clews could not
be asked for, but, hunt as l would, l
could not turn him up. He seemed to
have dropped ri ght out of the world.
For SIX weeks went up and down the
country, seeking everywhere, but all
in vain.
'.There was one thing in the case
which puzzled me. Why had the MUIR
derer packed up and carried away the
tritiing articles have mentioned? A
tramp wouldn't have done it; and
what the nephew could want of them
was more than could understand. l
had never met with any thing like it in
all my experience. and my mind was
half made up on the very start that the
crime was the work of lunatic. After
six or seven weeks of faithful work the
case'was practically abandoned. One
| day was at the Air Line junction, a
couple of miles north of Toledo, and
| among other people there, waiting for
| h.
fifty years Of age. As she sat reading
her spectacles fell off and one glass
rolled out of the frame. 1t was my
| fortune to sit near her and to pick up
the glasses. As did So she said:
.'.There they 90 again! Inever saw
such pair of glasses in my life!'
The optician did not give you 4
good fit | observed.
"'Oh, did:'t get EN- of an optician:
| bought EN- of Il stranger while was
| travelling, but | was never SO cheated
in my life
"'Was it very long ago?'
"'About three weeks.
".Here?'
"'Oh. no. 1t was while / was wait
| ing at Monroeville. l had lost my
glasses and was fretting about it, when
the man asked me to try these. They
seemed to fit me nicely. and l gave
him half dollar for them
Il was breathing hard about that
time. and it required a strong effort to
control my voice rs | said:
81 think he was cousin of mine.
Can you remember his description
inl, u,
man, having black hair and eyes. and
he walked lame. On the back of his
right hand was an initial in India ink
Hes the one, madam, and I'm
sorry he cheated you. Let me give
YOU this two dollar bill in exchange for
the glasses
'''Oh, thanks! thanksn
'Well, | got away by myself to
think. / had seen that man some
where. Where was it? l began and
followed my work al over in my mind.
but could not locate him. 1t was
midnight. and was fifty miles away
when suddenly placed him. He was
one of the jurors ut the coroner's in
quest. Next day l was back in the vii
lage where the murder occurred. The
spectacles were identified by several of
the neighbors, and when l came to
make some cautious inquiries al out
the man | found him to b. worthless
sort of fellow living mile or so out of
town. and making poor living for
himself and family by digging wells
and doing odd jobs. 1t was true that
he was a juror on the inquest, and it
was also true that he had been at
Monroeville at the time named.
went alone to arrest him. called
at his house in the evening. under pre-
tence of engaging his services. and Is
he sat by his own iireSidc, surrounded
by bis wife and children, told him
who was, and charged him with the
crime. He wilted like q weed in the
sun rs he comprchended what my
words meant. but his wife was made of
different stuff An axe stood in cor
ner of the room, and she seized it and
tried to split my head open. had just
all could DO to put the handouts on
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