New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-19

weanon cmpIovcd was not far to seek A
heavy black ruler rested upon chair hedr
instead of occupying It's usuai place on .ng
desk Poor Hope had evidently been bonnd
means had been taken to restore to conscious
ness, for the clothes about his neck were
saturated with water But why ! Why had
lac not been dispatched otf-hand was II
that The murderer wished TO parlcy win ms
victim. to extort from him some confession Of
or promise 7 or was it simply for the hateful
purpose Of torturing him with the knowledee
Of his impcnding fate These were among
the many questions which flashed through
Owens brain az he pursued his hurried IN,
vestigation. But what struck nun most osn ol an al
was the singular simplicity OF the cfime-or
rather Of the means employed IN l's accom-
pIishment II was murder OF so unusual
and startling nature that IN lew hours inc
whole Of the United Kingdom would oc ring
ing with it. And yet it had been done, SIM
Div and deliberately. in the very heart of hu-
man life, 10y the most commonplace means;
The life Of which we Me so tenacious, and
which bears the assaults OF time and disease
so stubbomly. is not only. thln-spun but brll-
tic. child may snap the strongest Unread
The man who had killed Hope Moffctt had
taken no weapons with him. or if he, carried
them they were not used. The broad details
of the tragedy were made apparent under the
brcfcSt inspection. First the tIeachcrous blow
with the ruler from the desk then the binding
TO the hgh-back chair with strong oandS o.
folded lincn-n,adc bv tearing sheet, which
was taken from the bed IN the inner room
into three pieces, one of which passing across
the mouth served the double purpose OF HIN
dcring movement or speech wafer from INC
toilet iug, to restore consciousness and, last
the poultry-knfc, taken from drawer IN the
sdcbonrd which still remained open; and Sc
lcc'cd no doubt on account of the sharpness
and point of IFS short firm blade, plunged to
the handle in the helpless mans breast, from
which the thick outer garments hal iIiSt hcch
drawn aside. Owen lost no time. a very lew
moments examination sulccl 10 enable hun
10 grasp the above details The blanks in the
story must TIC filed in later That task he
rrsoutcly set himself. Tho police must hc
called in, Of course, at once, but Owen was
far from giving them credit for nfallIbiliv.
Too many terrible mysteries OF criminal nat
nc which still remained msOlYcd, were IN
Guided in his own experience to admit oil iha'
sublime confidence. He WIS inclined TO Re
love that Of muIdcrcrs, those who fell under
he far-rcqchiro arm If the law are III M
nority. and hat the truth Of the wcl-worn adagc
hat murder VIII ont is only proved by the
many exceptions 10 the rule. He would aNcngr
Hope himS,lf--thc police probably would a.
ford him some assistance.
only once he fingered * il would have an
reared Ia IN onloolcr-- unnecessarily. II WIS
in locking al his dead friends eyes. Was ~
hat having made OphihalmDtO'ogN special
study. professional instinct imPlcd HIM to
waste several precious moments IN examining
and admring those owes. which even with the
film Of death upon them were so splendid, 80
clear aud large. and Of such rich, deep, brown
color ? Or was il feeling with him Was 4
he Overwhelming thought that he would never
see them light up again. that the language oil
which they had lEcn ST full was now silent
forever that the bright soul they bad rel, c'c1
was lead 70 li"ing men
Whatever were tho thoughts which DrompicH
H. certain If was that after that look into lhc
hfccSS eyes Ovens manner changed. lis
own ewes lit MP strangely, faint color stole
over his pale features. and. if his movements
had been rapid before. they now became an
mated with fcycrsh. almost desperate haste
Leaving the candle alight. he hurried from
,hc room. locked the outer door-not failing g.
remark that he found The Key on the mSldcI
ran down The Stairs. and out of the lonely
precincts Of the Tcml c. Arrived in Fleet
st he sprang into an empty hanson.
"To Row Street Station! Drive as If for
yow hfci'
On The way he spoke hit two words to him
self. and those he repeated several times
" How fortunate! How fortunate Hls
light hand. inside the breast Of his ovcrcoat,
was gratefully clu ching The small pockct-casc
Of instruments which with characteristic care
lcs>ncSS. be had omitted 20 put aside when he
returned from his morning visit TO MooIiiclds
Hospital.
A young banistcr murdered in his cham
lers in thc Tcmplc'" Inspector Hodges rare
IL permitted himself the luxury Of surprise
AMI even on Ibis extraordinary OCCASION. after
his BETRAYAL into an amazed repetition of thc
information given bin. he recovered himself
viii extraordinary promptnc,s. and beat 2
rapid moral retreat lchnd glance full #
profess onal ncrcdulity and suspicion, at Owen
He lost no time however.
Tel Amncr 20 follow at once to-wha'
house, Sr2 p with another searching glance
at Owen.
go - Lane, Temple Third door"
$50 - Lane, Temple. Third floor. And
| telephone the Yard for Pritchard.'
| As they sal together in the cab, Owen pro
cccded 10 give the mSpcc OF bIici but lucid
| account Of he circumstances. as far as he knew
lem. Suddenly ne paused; and calculated
MY Goa l had forgotten to HIM., IIam an:o,
"Mv poor fncpd's servant"
"WcHY"
A blacI, he picked up in South Africa
"A faithful fclow-as devoted to Hope
might be-
"You say you had FORGOTTEN him"
ain the excitement Of The terrible affair
| had now remember that have not seen
| him today This was said with troubled
/ hesitation.
The Inspector then scrawlcd a few hurried
words in his notebook, and tore ont the leaf
Seeing policeman standing outside the Strand
| Theatre, he stopped the cab and called him
:" axe this note 20 thc station at once
Don't lose a moment"
"In less than an hour" he resumed as
| hey drove on, lit will Ike impossible for q
| South African man Of color to leave London
| Ivy rail or steamer, tomorrow it will he we'll
nigh impossible for one to leave Great Brit
ain unqucs'ioncd"
Owen scarcely listened He had no dou,i
| that the ordinary precautionary measures taken
by the police in such cases were wisely con
| ccivc1 and promptly and faithfully executed
lie appreciated al lis highest value the terri
bic machinery at the laws disposal But on
hat. as on most subjects. he held original
views, with which il is not necessary to trou-
Die u c reader of this plain statement of facts
We shall probably find Ham at the rooms, y
said Owen presently.
"Humph !" was the doubtful reply.
Not another word was exchanged until they
entered the house. Then, as they assembled
the stairs. Owen, who had been plunged deep
, ~ in thought. remarked with an air Of con-