The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-15

from hearing one of the soldiers say:
"And SO the beggar's shot at last.
always thought some one would brai
him.
Another voice murrnursd something lik
''Serve him right" But that was not tn
time to maze inquiries, nor the place.
| We entered the spacious hall OF the off
GERS quarters, and the sounds OF womel
screaming and weeping could be heard OI
every hand. At the door OF the mes
room an elderly gentleman in mass COS
tune stopped the way.
"Ah. policeman at last" he said.
This gentleman, said the police ser
geant, lis Inspector Poynter, from Scot
land Yard-fortunately here on othel
| business
This way, sir" cried the Major-for thai
| was this gentleman's rank. Thank Heaver
you are on the spot" and he led the way
into the great room, aronnd which a fe"
men in uniform and private dress were
| standing, pale-faced and hushed, in the
presence of death. Two army doctor:
were leaning over the chair of the mur
! dared man, and they had already pro
| noanced life to be extinct.
As l advanced announced, the medical
men stood aside, and l saw a stout man
| lying back inaHimate in the circular chair
which he had occupied at the feast. He
was in all likelihood forty years of age
| hooked-nose1, aud | should i'm tgine that
| fierce and commanding. His eyebrows were
| bushy and heavy, aud met over the nose
while his large mustache joined short
whiskers at the ends. Ghast!y pale, a
| blush tinge remained upon the nose and
cheeks, and this seemed to indicate that
has countenaGce was not only weather
beaten, bat marked by tokens only to be
seen on the faces of those VINO are fond OF
wine and similar beverages, and who use
them unSparingly.
''Wll you see that nothing is moved"
| asked the police sergeant; and having
explained the necessity OF this precaution
to the Hajor examined the surroundings.
The white damask cloth in front of the
chair was crimson and wet with his heart )
blood There were four very large and
wide windows looking toward the moor
land, and the decca >ed man had been sit
ting rlght opposite the one at the extreme
end Of the roOm-the cad where the head
Of the table was. IL was explained that
Captain MerTyn-that was his name-waS
in the act of rising TO reply to the toast of
the brides health, when the fatal bullet
came crashing through tae win low TO PEN
citrate his heart. Standing as nearly in his
then position as pO O5slble, | saw the hole i'll
the glass with the numberleSS cracks radi-
ating from the round center. In the
gloomy light Of the space betwe zen the Win
dow aud tle mOOr.aud. | discerned some
thing like the ruins of a house. When |
had noted every thing. | informed the doc
tors that the body might be removed ID
the Captains bed room, if they wished it,
and that gentlemen might take away
whatever possessions they hal on the ia
bles. Meantime. l left the room in charge
OF :: constable who had just arrived, and
with the sergeant proc e6ded to examine
the outside of the building
Upon entering the building | noticed
that flight Of six steps led up tO the hall
and a side flight Of similar number led
down to the area and the Kitchens. From
this it will be understood that although the
mess room might be said to be on the
ground floor it was still high enough to be
class ed u first floor. Going out a. tns back
door, we descended the same number of
StnnS and here found number of young
officers, servants, soldiers and militiamen--
the latter Iil-clad, just as they had run
from their dOrmitOries, the canteen or the
recreation rooms. The Colonel was there
IN state OF great eXcitem ent and distress
He had notwithstanding this fact, taken
The precautiOn to put an extra guard of
sergeant and two men on the gate. and no |
one was permitted to enter or pass out ex-
capt a lew officers who had rushed out !
bareheaded in pursuit of the assassin. | |
noticed to my diSmay number of people |
from the street had gathered outside the |
walls. Passing through the gateway. after |
being introduced to the Colonel, | saw that |
the ground to the mOOrland rose slightly. !
and that the roofleSS ruins of a hut stood |
upon the very edge of the rise, and directly |
opposite the broken window, and this win
dow was opposite the gateway. Little |
mora than glance Sufticed to show me |
that a tirearm, resting horizontally upon
the sill of what once was window in the
hut, would convey bullet to the heart
this fatal one had found.
The shot has baen fired from this hut
[ intimr+ad. Viii you see that no one
enters itl"
As spoke two young officers, clad in
mess jackets, advanced from the ruins, and
one of them said:
I'VE have been there''-but before | |
could answer heard other words spoken
IN the close vicinity which commanded my
attention. although / took care not to ap-
pear TO be listening. The words were the Sc
somebody has been killed-who is it.''
and before | could interfere the second
1fficer replied to the speaker:
Miss Brooks
Miss Brooks! Great heavens! Not
Captain Mervyn-"
The rain was coming down again, but in
1 dense, misty kind of way. Some men
came out with lanterns, and a guard was
put on the ruins at my request. / then
noticed that the two young officers who
lad come from them, and the civilian who
lad spoken so strangely and SuSDiciously, |
we're not only wet. but stained and splashed
rom head to foot. The officer who had
Uttered the words ''MiSs Brooks hal evil
ientlY fallen more than once, for his fine
carlet mess jacket was bedau5el all up
)ne side.
Taking the first young officer and the
police sergeant aside, asked the former if
10 was acquainted with the young gentle
nan to whom his companion WAS now
peaking.
80, yes; he is friend OF most of u.s.
His name!'
sidney Deryl"
"Any profesSion!"
No" Then with a sudden Suspicion: |
Surely you don't suspect him"
Il can't say vet" l replied.
Then turning to the sergeant, asked him
o disperse the crowd, if possible, while [
'roce ede1 with nv examination.
What is your friends name!' 1 asked
he officer l was talking to-'the gentle
nan speaking to Beryl."
His name is Bromley-Lieutenant
"And yours?'
"Claytou-Captain CLAYTON"
ASK Mr.. Bromley AMI NJ. Beryl to step |
his way" l said to tIe polce sergeant. |
and then request the people to diSperSe'' -
Now, Captain Clayton" d" | began will | {
ou kindly tell me al you know-briefy-
efore your friend approaches and before {
Te retire within thu buildiug!''
"If you will oblige m by ASK lg soma one
D send our servants out with our caps and
raaG coats" he returned
Tnen be went on after the message was
ant:
When the shot was fired it caused the
reatest CONSERVATION, l need not say.
romley and were nearest the door, aud
istinctly saw the fash through the lower
IindowS. Upon one impulse we both 6
lShed out. Ny first thought was that the ;
entry was the murderer, bI5 WHEN We ,
cached the back door We sdw th1 MAJ i
oming hurriedly from the box ten yarls {
/ tue other direction. wLare he mad :
aturally tak1n refuge from tn rain. 4
Il hurried out st the back gi5evav, :
loseiy followed by Bromley Leaping up !
ssids the ruins va both at one moment +
NV Some ona run nniuC 10 n - tn mo ~ - .