Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-11-15

"You came last night"
Eyes, since this is the morning, new
day"
"Where are you stopping"
Messing hesitated.
This made the sergeant suspicious.
1.-The truth is, sergeant" said Messing,
81 have not taken lodgings yet. My va
lise is over there at that hotel" pointing
to Fourteenth street. 81 was about to
take turn in the park, smoke my cigar
and then go back to take a ROOM"
"Um. Well. will accommodate you
with lodgings for the rest of the night"
why" said Holbrook, che saw no
more than l did"
That may be- replied the sergeant,
grimly, but he may know more than
you do. AT all events, he must give a
better account of himself than he has
yet done
This made Messing smile.
THAT will do, but l prefer doing it
at the station house rather than in this
crowd
"Well, let us 60"
81 will go, too" said Holbrook, who
was strongly attracted by Messing.
AS you please" reioncd the SER
gcant; then turning 60 an officer he said:
"Watch the body; will send litter to
you as soon as | can"
Arriving at the station house. after all
had been excluded except the coroner
and Holbrook, Messing gave straight
forward account of his coming into the
city from Philadelphia the night previ-
Gus, and his determination not to regis
ter himself at any hotel until after he
had taken something to eat; that having
eaten at an eating house on Fourteenth
street and lit Il cigar, he thought he
would smoke it in the park and cool off
before he returned to the hotel.
lie gave names and addresses in Phil
adelpha whereby his statements could
be verified by telegraph.
The sergeant, however, determined
to hold him until veri6cation could be
made.
To this Messing acquiesced so readily
that iIolbrook was convinced he had
nothing to fear from investigation.
So expressing himself, he remarked to
the sergeant; BE careful you do not
have a suit for false imprisonment on
your hands"
This made the sergeant uneasy.
The coroner laughed, but would say
nothing to relieve the officer.
"Have no fear" said Messing, you
are only doing your duty"
This complaisance secured for Messing
il,r,.4 .t.,f,, =, r
than a cell.
Holbrooi, having nothing to detain
him, went away.
When he reached the square he went
over to the spot where the murder had
been done. He had no purpose in going
there; an irresistible impulse--a strong
fascination-drew him thither.
The square was deserted again and
quiet reigned. The jewellers had gone
back to their haunts, the tramps to their
benches in the park, the might hawks"
slept again on their boxes, while they
awaited the belated ones who might re-
quire their services. The moon shone
brightly. The silence was oppressive; I'M
broken only at intervals by the snatches
Of drunken song in the distance and the
occasional rumble of the trains on Third
avenue.
lIolbrOok meditated on the uncertainty
of life The man Templeton was Young,
strong, i'll health, and in moment he
had been struck down and was dead. He
walked the streets late at night himself
at times, and the same fate might as
easily have been his, But this manifestlv
was not murder for the purpose of rob-
berry. And was ii wanton blow struck
in sheer wickedness through lust for
blood: Hardly such things do not occur
in our civilization. There was a motive
for the act, strong one doubtless. The
discovery Of the motive would lead to the
discovery of the murderer. The first
effort of the police would doubtless be to
discover that motive.
As he stood something sparkled. under
the sudden flaring Of distant electric
light. at his feet.
He picked up the shining object.
1t was cuff button-a round, gold
button with diamond Embedded in its
top.
Holbrook looked about him. The
murdered man must have lain upon it.
"When was that LOST" he muttered
to himself. Does it have any connec-
ton with this MURDER"
"Pshaw," he added, lit may have lain
there all night. But stop The street
sweeping machine passed over this spot
twenty minutes or less before the two
met and would have swept it away"
He examined il closely.
"The button belongs to man who
commands money and is particular in
his dress. Good! Bar keepers and DO
licemen do not wear diamond buttons of
this kind, nor Cables, nor tramps Sleep
ing in the park, nor indeed many law
yers, 1t belonged either to the muir
dered man or his murderer"
He felt pleased with himself and
thought he would make a shrewd de-
tective
perhaps it belongs to the coroner" he
said aloud. Not probable" he added.
on another thought. a coroner awals.
ened in the middle Of the night to view