Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-03

by the news that old Mr.. Thurston had
been found murdered in his room. The
sensation was further magni6ed by the
additional report that the awful crime
was committed by his son Charles, who
robbed the safe and fed. The circum-
stantial evidence against him was over
whelming, and the officers Of the law
looked high and low for him, but with
out success. Meanwhile, as matter of
course the affair possessed terrible in
terest for me. One night after l had
retired my door-bell was rung by
messeDger-boy. who delivered a note to
me worded as follows:
"'Come at once to No. l0l7 Salem
street and you will get important in
| formation
"Now, the number given to me was
of an obscure street in part Of the city
where was entirely unacquainted, but
there was something about the hand
writing which, although evidently dis
guised, was familiar to me, and re-
solved to obey the summons. Calling
a carriage, | was driven to the corner
Of the street mentioned in the note,
and, telling the driver to wait for me,
walked to No. l0l7, which found to
be a somewhat dilapidated building,
which had evidently at one time laid
some claim to responsibility, but was
fast going to decay. knocking at the
door, it was quickly opened by neat
looking old woman, who was, however,
a stranger to me. Holding the door
cautiously and gazing into my face by
the faint light of candle she carried in
her hand, she inquired my business,
and, upon being informed that was the
recipient of the mysterious note, she
said All, yes he is waiting for you
step this way
81 was conducted up one fight of
stairs, and upon knocking at the door
of back room familiar voice said,
Come in In a moment was face to
face with Charles Thurston, but oh /!
how changed. The boyish smile and
happy face Of my young friend had dis
appeared, and in their places were care
worn, haggard features, which had aged
terribly in forty. eight hours.
You do not believe me guilty of
this horrible crime?' said Charles in an
imploring voice the moment / entered
the room.
Looking into his face for moment,
| said Il do not but what does this
awful mystery mean?'
"'The terrible story is soon told, or
as much of it as know said he. '0n
the fatal night ofthe murder had early
in the evening had words with my
father, / being entirely in the wrong,
but answering his chidings somewhat
bitterly, and then went out of his
room, slamming his door, with the re-
mark, You'll be sorry fer this
Everything that occurred that night
came to me with extraordinary vivid
ness after the particulars of the tragedy
became known. and | distinctly re-
member that some one was lurking out
side the door and must have heard my
foolish remark. The quarrel | had
with my father occurred early in the
evening. 1t was perhaps midnight
when / returned to the house. In
going upstairs to my own room | had
to pass my fathers door, and noticed
that it was wide open, but the room
was dark. This was such an unusual
occurrence that | went into the apart
ment and stumbled over something
on the floor. Imagine my horror
and surprise when, upon lighting
the gas. | discovered that it was
the body Of my father weltering
in his gore. lie had been stabbed
number of times, evidently after severe
struggle with the assassin. The mo-
tive Of the crime was on ~ too apparent
in the open safe, which had evidently
been rihed, and the number of papers
scattered over the floor. My first i'm
pulse was to cry out murder; then |
remembered the fact of the party con-
cealed outside the door, who had evil
IDENTIFY heard our quarrel and the fool
ish threat had made, and all at once
a horrible fear possessed me, and, like
the coward | was, fed
Every word of the story impressed
me as being truth, and / believed him;
but what was to be done! In vain |
endeavored to persuade him to accom-
pany me home in the carriage. He
said he was lost !; that suspicion he
could never remove and guilt of which
he could never prove his innocence had
fastened upon him, and he was ire
trievably lost. After vainly reasoning
with him for some time | left him, ar
ranging to visit or communicate with
him the next day. Well, the long
and short of it was that ne
was determined to leave home,
and, as | could not persuade him
otherwise, | assisted him to come to
Colorado, promising to send his wife
and child after him, which | did.
Since that time, and for period Of
several years, have labored indelatiga-
bly, to solve the mystery, employing
the best detective talent in the country,
and it was only about fortnight ago
that criminal serving life-sentence at
the Concord penitentiary died; before
which, however, he confessed in writing.
properly witnessed, the murder of Mr..
ThurstOn, his object being robbery {;
that he had stolen into the room and
awakened the oldgentleman while endea-
voring to open the safe, and that fearful
hand-to-hand encounter in the dark
took place, during which he stabbed his
victim several times.
No sooner was the document pro-
perry authenticated and approved than
| made my arrangements and came here
at once, but alas, too late Miss Lena
here is the heiress Of very large for
tune, which, although it will not re-
store to her her unfortunate parents,
will yet enable her to live in afiluence
for the rest of her life."
The next day, after settling up
Thurston's affairs, Lena and the old
gentleman departed for their eastern
home.
Personal.
Jay Gould is now in Florida.
Pope Leo XIII. has an income Of over