The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-23
THE MYSTERIES OF CRIME.
That Remarkable Eammersmith Case
Which Had Such a Queer Ending.
From the London Truth.

Mr. Martin Stuckey had been a prosper
GUS colonial merchant in his day. but at the
age Of IS he encountered a succession Of
misfortunes which ultimately landed him in
the Bankruptcy Court. When that crisis
was past he went to live in a small house at
Hammersnlith with his wife. his younger
son. Ephraim, and one servant. Not long
after his wife died, and this last blow re
duced the cid man to a complete wreck.
He became childish, and lost his memory so
completely that he had no recollection of
ordinary events from day to day, which
was, perhaps, merciful dispensation of
Providence after all.
Ephraim Stuckey was nowthe master of
the house, though the house itself belonged
TO the father, having been purchased with
some money of Mrs. Stuckey's. Ephraim
was a stock broker in small way of bust
ness, which might have been larger if
Fphraim himself had been fonder of work
and had combined little more greediness
for the commissions of clients with a little
less faith in grand speculative coups on his
own account. He was addicted to grumb-
ling at the hardships of his lot. and more
particularly at the burden of keeping 1.-THE
Old man" as he called his father. This,
however, was as unreasonable as it was I'M
dutiful, for not only was Ephrain living
rent free in his fathers house, but old
Mr.. Stuckey's maintenance was fully
provided for by his elder son, Alfred. AL
fred in his fathers palmy days, had been
put into the church. He was now a curate
in a Midland county parish on princely
stipend of 9200 a year, out of which he con-
tributed ESQ a year to his fathers support
quite enough to leave a margin of profit
for Ephraim If anyone therefore had rea-
sou to grumble at the prolongation of the
fathers life it was Alfred. 1t must be men
toned, however, that there was one small
expectation for both the SOILS upon their
fathers death. Martin Stuckey's life had
been insured in better days for $4,000 and
the premiums upon the policy had been
kept up by the joint contributions of the
two young men. But Mr.. Stuckey showed
no immediate likelihood OF enabling his
sons to realize this investment. Since
the breakdown of his mind his
bodily health had much improved, as
not infrequentlv happens in such cases,
and his mental incapacity was
not Of kind to cause anxiety. There had
been at one time a question between the
brothers about providing him with an at
tendant, but Ephriam was opposed to I'M
necessary expense, and pointed out that the
old gentleman never left the house except
by invitation, and that, while within doors,
he was perfectly under the control of those
about him, including even the one maid
servant of the establiShment--a trustwor-
thy young woman who had been with the
family for some years. The truth was that
the old gentleman was so submissive that,
if so ordered, be would remain in the room
for hours together, and under these circum-
stances it really seemed that Ephriam and
the maid were quite capable of looking
after him. This idea, however, turned QUO
to be erroneous
The Rev. Alfred Stuckey, did not often
visit london, but when he did so he always
endeavored to spend day with his father.
On such occasions he would generally take
the old gentleman out with him for the dav,
protesting to think that he was too much
confined to the house. One day, about the
middle of October, Ephraim Stucky in
formed the maid servant that his brother
was coming to town, and added that if
Alfred should take his father out, as he
sometimes did, she had better take days
holiday.
IN due course the Rev. Alfred arrived,
and after spending a night at the house he
said that he would take his father by steam
boat to Richmond for a day. The maid
was accordingly informed that she could
have her promised holiday. Then, how
ever, difficulty arose. The girl wished to
go some distance, and could not be back be-
fore O'Clock in the evening. Alfred, on
the other hand, hid no intention of keeping
his father out until that hour, and besides
this, he had to return that night to his
parish, for which purpose he must leave st.
Pancras station at about O'Clock. Who,
then, was to take charge of Old q +. Stuckey
in the interval2
Il dare say | can get home,n said
Ephraim. what time will you returnr'
THAT depends on father Not later than
5 o'clock in any case. As have TO be at
st. Pancras by Z, shall leave here before
$780,
81 think can manage to be back by that
time said Ephraim, land there is no harm
in leaving the Governor for half an hour
by himself. If l am not here when you re-
turn put him into that armchair, give him
his pipe, and tell him in your most impress
I've voice that he is not to stir on any &C
count till | come in
Are you sure that be will be all rightln
Perfectly. He would not move if the
house were on fire."
With this understanding the parties sepa-
rated.
1t was between $50 and Q p. m. on the
same day when Mr. Ephraim Stuckey pre-
Sented himself at HammerSmith police sta
ton and asked for assistance. He made at
the same time a statement from which, in
10 consequence of business unexpectedly de-
tanning him in town, be had not reached
nome until close upon Z O'Clock. He then
found no trace of his father or of his brother,
and, ter waiting for the return of the
servant and making inquiries about the
nelghborhood, he had come to the co 7cu-
sion that on being left alone his father had,
Tor the first time on record, taken it in his
head to go out by himself, and had either
lost himself or met with some worse mis-
chance.
Subsequent events confirmed the latter
theory. The Rev Alfred Stuckey, on being
communicated with by telegram next day,
replied that he had left his father at home
IN his chair at quarter past five on the
previous evening. On the same day Mr..
Stuckey's hat was found in the oserbeds at
Cnlswlck. A day or two later a walking
SUCK, which had certainly belonged to him,
was picked up in the river at Chelsea. The
ponce continued the hue and cry with un-
aoated vigor, but after these discoveries
only one theory of the old gentleman's dis
appearance seemed tenabe There was no
motive to suggest his having met with foul
pay. he had neither the means nor the
SIS,rength to have Travelled to any distance.
me conclusion seemed inevitable that he
Had strayed out for some purpoSe-perbaps
Tor no other reason than that his days out
ing had unduly excited hm-and had
somehow fallen into the river. 1t was a
90 siderable time, however, before the dis
SSoVery Of the body put the old mans fate
1Ts(ond question. During the interval
hphraim Stuckey was more than once sum-