The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-04-09

and some valuable heIrlooms, and
every thing had been taken. The
search had bccn 50 thorough that L
was likely the murderer had spent ssv-
cral hours IN the house after his horpl-
BILE deed. He had even taken the old
woman's spectacles. snuffbox. thimblc
and other tribes Of the sort: but he had
come and departed without leaving
trace.
"Well. the frst inference was that
he had come and gone In the night.
The next inference got me into trouble
at once. The sheriff and constablcs
and all the townspeoplc had made up
their minds that the murderer was q
young man named John Winthrop. the
old woman's nephew. who hung out
around Cincinnati. II was known that
he often appealed 70 her for money
when hard up. and that only two or
three weeks before the murder she had
refused 70 advance him another dollar.
and that he had gone away cursing
her.
1T was fair clue to work on. and
l went 70 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 70 borrow money. The
day after the murder he had plenty Of
money. and offered 70 lend some. He
was a gambler. = rake. and all that
was bad, and no one would be sur
priscd 10 hear that he had committed
murder. To still further strengthen
the case, ! discovered that he had been
seen on the train running from Cincin-
natl to Blankvillc 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 would,
could not turn him up. He seemed 70
have dropped right 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
dcrer packed up and carried away the
trifling articles have mentioned A
tramp wouldn't have done IL; and
what the nephew could want Of them
| was more than could understand.
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 ths
case was practically abandoned. One
day / was at the Air Line junction, {
couple Of miles north Of Toledo. and
among other people there, waiting fol
the train, was q lone woman about
fifty years Of age. As she sat reading
her spectacles fell of and one glass
rolled out Of the frame. At was my
fortune 10 sit near her and to pick VI
the glasses. As did 50 she said:
..'There they 90 again! never saw
such pair Of glasses in my life'
The optician did not give you
good tit. observed.
oh. didn't get 'em Of an optician
] bought 'em Of stranger while wa
travelling. but was never 20 chcates
ia my life.
WAS it very long agor
"sAbout three weeks
".HereP'
...Oh, NO. II was while was wait
ing ut Monrocvillc. / had lost m,
glasses and was frettin0 about IL. whel
the man asked me 10 try these. The
seemed 10 fit me nicely. and gav
him half dollar for them
Il was breathing hard about tina
time. and Il required strong effort /
control nv voice as said:
~ th;nk ~ "a cousin az mine
Can von remember HE description2'
!. = srt.;riv TIA was : small;s
man having hlack hair and eyes An,
he walked lame. On the back Of hi
right hand was an initial in India ink.
!. He's the one. madam. and In
sorry he cheated Won. Let me Civ
You fhis two dollar bill IL exchange 10
he glasses.'
".Oh. thanks! thanksr
..Well. | got away by myself 3
think. I had seen that man some
where. Where was in l began an
followed nv work ali over in nv mind
but | could not locate him. 1t wa
midnight. and I was fifty miles ava
when suddenly placed him. He wa
one ~ the Jurors a the coroners Ia
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