The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-12-11

| lay anu uIgnJ IuOnGu COHStdUleS III
! disguise were stationed near the place, but
| all was unavailing, for upon their with
| drawal after months time another foul
murder was committed. This time it was
another drummer, man named Briscoe,
who represented an iron gate manufactur-
| ing firm in Milwaukee He had neither
| watch nor purse about his person when his
| body was discovered, and his murder, too
was also effected by like contrivaDce.
| while the jury were actually sitting
| upon his CASE continued the coroner, "a
| fourth murder was committed at the same
| place. This time it was of wealthy
| farmer who lived some fifteen miles further
west of thistown"
''All this is most extraordinary" OBJ
served. why did you not prolong the
watch on the placegn
so We did" replied the coroner "but
carly one morning a stranger man OF
| gentlemanly appearance, was found dead
| at the ford. We we're unable to discover
who he was; he had no jewelry or val
| uables OF any kind about his person save
| diamond ring. Any letters he had which
| might lead TO his iden iication were doubt
| less in whatever bag he may have carried,
! which, it is needless to say, was not forth
| coming. and now we have this seventh
case of the peddler. The fact is the police
! force here are so bewildered that thew
! gave up the matter in despair, and adj
/ mitted their incompetency TO cope with
| the mystery, and they recommended that
your firm should be wired to send their
| most efficient officer"
| "Well, Mr. Coroner" said |, Though the
| case does look any thing but promising,
| shall do my best and have hopes from the
reckless pc rsiStencX- Elth VII .ehr tia nUr--
ders have been perpetrated that shall I'M
earth the desperate, or my name is not
| Jackson
We separated for the night I 30 repair
to my hotel in the town on the understand
| ing that the coroner was to come to me
whenever should send for him, and that
| should not be seen either entering his house
| or the police precinct. | should here mem
ton that l had undertaken the journey
| disguised as mechanic, carry ing a large
| bag containing several suits of various
| descriptions. | had brought the bag in my
hand from the depot to the hotel, and after
| having sent for the captain of police and
ascertained whore the inquest was to be
held had sauntered to the place in q
casual sort of way and dropped in dis
gused as a travelling preacher
! AS lay awake for several hours that
| night revolving in my mind what course
! of action | should adopt, | came to the con-
| clusion, inasmuch as none of the victims
| when found had their boots wet, that they
wero when severally overcome travelling
| from st. Rose East, and in the direction of
the place where | was at present sOiourn-
| ing consequently that the murderer must
in all probability have come from the di-
| rection of the former town, and that l
| should at present prosecute my investiga-
tions on that side of the river. This to
some extent smpli6ed the case.
Another hypothesis l formed was that
| possibly the several murders were COM
mitted by person disguised as a woman,
\ and a further ono was that RS the river was
| described to me as being deep and sluggish
save at the ford and was overriding by
! wooded emlnenceS, the murderer may have
| come from his lurking place in boat AMI
| w1tphiDo his victims a ha Cd
| leading down to the hollow at the stream
| had Joined in conversation with his
several victims, and had in an I'M
| guarded moment on the part of each
of them taken his life and then made
| good his escape up the river with his plum
der, especially as he might possibly be seen
| at some time or other bringing it along the
road Whoever the murderer was, he must
| have been a man of considerable deter
| minati0n, GOODNESS and intre pidity, con
| clnded. ] made several other speculations
| about the matter and fell asleep through
| sheer mental wetrineSs.
On the following day ] arrayed myself in
| the attire of a commercial traveller, bear
| ing in my left hand black leather square
| shaped bag, and having carefully exam
| ined the printing of my revolver, which /
| carried in my coat pocket ready for use at
my left hand. / am ambidextrous, using
| either hand with equal facility carried a
thick stick in my right hand l could thus
my revolver with the left hand, or coul
use the stick with the other.
Two hours of stroll sufliced to cover the
| distance of five miles between the town of
Mineral Point and the river, and it was not
| without a sensation of treDidation that /
reached the fatal ford. In the most incon-
| sequent way, as l trudged ankle deep
through the river, stepping whenever l
| could from one stone to another whenever
they presented thems elves above the water,
| looked on either side of me up the stream,
and | fancied that | had ne Ter seen so
gloomy place The boughs on the oppo-
site banks at either side of the cartway
almost interlaced, and as the sky was
clouded the river appeared like an inky
| pool, stagnant almost, save in the place
| where was crossing. |, of course, bestowed
| little more than hasty glance around me,
| with an affectaton of unconcern, and when
l got to the opposite side of the stream |
wiped my boots in the grass and proceeded
to walk lelsurely along the road, of which
l had another five miles to go before |
should reach st. Rose East This last, it
| may here be explained, is not on railroad
line, the nearest depot to it being at a
small village about four miles further on.
The road Travelled was rather uninterest-
ing; there were no hodges along it save in
the vicinity of farm-houses, and there was
but one store on the way Into this l en-
tered and calling for a glass of beer sat
down on a form to rest myself; that was
my avowed object but it was in reality to
take stock of the place and its owner.
The establishment of Jabez Watkins did
not appear to do roaring trade for during
the half hour | rested near the counter
smoking | perceived that only one Gus
toner came in, negro, who called for and
drank Off glass of lager. The negro and
the proprietor appeared to be acquainted
with each other. Having fallen into chat
with the landlord while the negro was
drinking, l let it ooze out that was COM
mercial traveller bound for st. Rose East.
Both OF them stared rather hard at me,
and Jabez inquired did intend to return
to Mineral Point or was going forward to
| st. Rose West where the railroad depot
was. and both of them shrugged their
shoulders when | stated that | would be
returning to Mineral Point, though not for
a few days yet. | endeavored warily to
draw them into conversation as to matters
| stirring in the neighborhood as ! was a
stranger in these parts, and SO forth, but
| each of them seemed carefully to avoid tho
| subject, and finding that no further good
could be got by my remaining ordered
| another glass of beer, and having drunk it
babe them good day. The proprietor how
ever, inquired in a civil sort OF way would
| | not call at his store on my return, which
promised to do.
In about an hours time l reached st.
| Rose East, which found was a small town
| having less than two thousand of popula-
| ton, and put up for the rest of the day at