Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-08

ut was another case of "a beggar on
horseback for I found Sharpley in the
last stages of drunkenness.
"He was in a delirium when [ got
there, and it required time and some
skill to open his mouth. Probably l
should not have succeeded at all If he had
not met with an accident For it was
only when he knew that he could not
live that 1 could induce him to talk.
Then [ found that my theory was the right
one.
'This man had witnessed the murder
of Charles Alden, and had been willing
for consideration-to throw the officers
from the scent.
He had been lying under tree on the
opposite side of the street, waiting till
the cool air of evening should sober him
up before he went home. Alden was
standing at his door, bareheaded and
with slippers on his feet when man
came down the sidewalk and spoke to
him.
Sat first they seemed to converse pleas
antly together; then they spoke with
greater excitement, until at last he heard
Alden call the man a brute. Then there
was the flash and the report of pistol,
and young Alden sank to the sidewalk
corpse.
Understanding the situation, Sharpley
had rushed across the street, and so was
found over the body when the crowd gath
cred. At first, it ap pears, he had intended
to denounce the assassin, but second
thoughts showed him how he could turn
the knowledge to profit himself, and so he
kept silent"
This much [ got him to tell me, but no
more. He would not divulge the name of
the assassin. I did not tell him that it
was unnecessary, but I left the house
knowing as we'll as he did the name of
the man who killed Charles Alden"
ut was Morton, of cOurse?" Ihazarded.
eyes," said Jack, slowly, sit was Nor
ton, of course"
'Wel," I said, after slight pause, Ego
on, old man-tell the rest of it,
''There is not much more to tell" re-
piled Jack quietly. "Morton had killed
the boy in fit of unreasonable jealousy"
perhaps he had some cause" said l,
cynically.
NO. replied my friend in the same even
tones. 'He had no cause, the boy was
simply kind to an unhappy woman-that
was ALL"
'How do you know that?" [ demanded.
Jack looked up at me from the other
side of the fireplace and answered simply,
''she told me SOP
Completely stunned by this reply from
my clever friend I remained silent. Is it
possible that this is the usual incredulOus
Jack Wilmarth? thought in a daze.
There was silence for some time. At
last said, almost angrily: ''Well, what
! did you do them"
Nothing much. [ returned to Detroit
and threw up my job
without exposing the murder:" [
demanded,
Jack nodded without looking up.
[ arose and paced the floor impatiently.
This was not like my friend and it hurt
me- why did you do it, jack" I cried
at last. ''Why did you not tell me all you
knew"
''What for?" demanded Jack in return.
''The boy was dead, and there was none of
his family that could profit by the know
ledge. The man who had profited by his
guilty knowledge was dead; his death was
miserable enough. The man who COM
mitted the murder was dead, and his
widow"
swell, his widow" cried impatiently,
as he paused.
back to the fire, and his handsome face
in the full light of the gas.
II am going to marry his widow he
said, quietly. $50 L thought it best to
say nothing to her about it,