Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-16

nat the depot
"Well, shan't lock him up. Let's SEQ Ito
the mani, but your face IL familiar TO me"
~ am Charley Short, bartender in Harri-
gan's saloon"
"Ahi so you are. Well, what story is thii
about a murderf
Gan nonsense, sir, replied Short, who saw
how things were drifting and sought to take
advantage. II was on a spree last night, and
this bloke saw me at the depot and wanted to
play smart"
"well, you can mako it cost him dear If
you will"
81 propose to. Here, take these irons of
my wrists"
The sachel was on the floor at my feet
Lifting it up l said to the captain:
can old couple living about forty miles from
the city were murdered by this man after
midnight last night. Examine this sachel
If you want proofs"
"Theres nothing in there but laundry
work, boldly replied Short. 81 set out with
it in my hand last night, and didn't get
drunk enough to lose it. Open her up and
let the captain see"
take the irons of this manIn commanded
the captain as he waved the sachel down.
''lf he doesn't capias you before dinner he's
not the man L take him TO be-"
on to me. Why don't you take 'em OFF,
Was dreamingl Had nade a fool of my
self Had this man confessed murder TO
met was staggered for the moment. Then
l tore at the sdchel and burst of the poor
old lock, and as the receptacle flew open I
emptied its contents on the floor Gold green
backs, silver, bonds and jewelry!
Course your growled the prisoner, as no
turned away.
The captain turned as pale as death. There
were the proofs, and he stared at them for a
full minute before he could say:
"Well, this is a gol l shall lock you up,
Short
The man was registered and taken down
stairs, and then we counted up the contents
Of the sachel and made out IA value of over
$4,000. When this had been completed
went out after Rider and inside of an hour
he was behind the bars. He went all to pieces
as soon as charged him with having put up
the job for Short to carry out, but denied it
in the most vigorous manner.
"Short has been telling for a year" he
said, "what his uncle out in the country was
going to do for him. A few weeks ago the
old man found out what bad pill his nephew
was, and since then Short has been up a tree
He told me week ago that he'd have some
of their money one way or the other, and
when he talked about killing and robbing,
did my best to put the idea out of his head.
He softened up bit, and 1 supposed he had
given over. If Charley Short says 1 ever
advised him to murder and rob, or that
have had my eyes on him for week past,
he's the biggest liar on earth.n
Well, curiously enough, we had murderer
on hand without a murder. That is, no crime
had yet been reported. l had secured the
murderer without hunt. 1t was not so easy
to find the murder. A telegram was sent to
the agent at the station where Short had
boarded the train, and he replied that he had
heard of no crime. 1t was 4 o'clock in the
afternoon before he sent dispatch, saying
that an old couple, living about three miles
away, had been found in their house with
their heads chopped to pieces with an AK.
That was the crime of which Short was
guilty and for which he was tried. When he
knew that he was in for it he turned boaster,
and felt himself hero. He was delighted
To give me all the particulars. He said:
IL lived with Uncle and Aunt Deshro upt:l
was Of age. Indeed, L was an adopted son,
both my own parents being dead l came
into the city nine years ago as a dry goods
clerk. After time got in with some bad
felloVya. lost my place and rather went to the
dogs For tne Lost three years have been u
gambler, boxer, bartender anu confidence
man. Uncle went back on me u good while
ago, refusing to give me dollar. He had in
his hands money which honestly belonged to
me, for / had worked hard for him for thir-
teen years | went out there the other day
to SEQ if he would not give Inc $500 to buy an
interest in the saloon. Aunt Mary vas for
giving it to Inc, but the old man was as ugly
as Turk. We got into a wrangle at the
supper table, and he ordered me out of the
house.
~ went" said Short after pause, "and it
was only after that that got the idea of rob-
bling the house. The old man never banked
dollar, but kept everything in bureau in
his bedroom. | sat down in fence corner
on the highway and thought it all over
made up my mind that l would enter the
house after they got to sleep and steal what 1
could lay hands on. L did go in about II
o'clock, gaining access by kitchen window.
took the ak in with me to intimidate them
in case | was discovered. While my uncle
was TO years old, lie was vigorous, hearty
man, and capable Of making strong fight.
don't know whether he suspected l might
come back, but | had not yet reached the
bedroom when some slight noise l made
reused him out of bed, and he struck light
and discovered me.
81 want it to stand in court that he was the
know what was doing there | told him
was bound and determined to have $500, and
that If he would count it out would go away
and never trouble him for another dollar.
He had big club at the head of his bed, and
instead of stopping to argue with me, he
seized the weapon and rushed at me. l had
to use the AK He would have killed me if
hadn't struck him down. Then my aunt
came out, screaming for help, and she was
about to escape from the house when hit her.
1fter had made sure they were both dead
went at it to rob the house, and the plumber
got you found in the sachel. That's the
whole story, sir, and if the lawyers can mako
anything else out of it let EN-"
Short engaged two lawyers, recanted all
he had said, and when put on trial pleaded in.
sanity. Before the case was finished he died
in his prison bed of heart disease.-New York
Sun.