Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-11


The cab drew up at last before st.
James Workhouse, and in few moments
Osborne stood in large ward occupied
by number Of old men, with Doggett al
his side.
Look round carefully" said the detec-
tive, land see if there is any one here that
you know
Osborne commenced tour of the room,
whose bare, whitewashed walls gave him an
uncomfortable chill Suddenly he paused
and was observed to be closely scanning the
face of one old man, who with bent head
was engaged in knitting.
"Good morning." Doggett cried, and the
old man looked up at the sound Of the
strange voice.
'Fatherl' cried Osborne, throwing his
arm round the old mans neck, whilst . sob
escaped him.
The old man laughed with childish glee,
but the next moment his brow became over
clouded.
Father he repeated, ''no, that name is
not for me. had children-seven Of them
but the Lord took them-took them all
and then my poor wife, and then. But
I forget everything now"
rs this not my father?" asked Osborne.
'Surely cannot be mistaken. His face
his voIce-eyerything is like
The detective shook his head
"Who then, is this?" asked Osborne.
This is Mr.. Christopher Englefeld," the
detective said gravely.
Christopher Englefeld-yes, Christopher
Englefeld-that's me-" the old man piped.
"Who wants me? I have not time to stop.
| The banks credit must be savedl must
travel, night and day. Night and day-do
| you hear, Madeline? There is not moment
to lose. Madeline? Where is Madeline?
How slow she is comingP'
But the ftful CLEANS Of memory vanished
with this outbursf, and the old man resumed
his knitting. laughing and cooling to him
self like little child.
"My Godl is this a dream?" asked the
doctor. ''It this is Mr.. Englefeld, where
then is my father?"
"I have promised to conduct you to'his
grave" the detective replied, ''and will do
so. He lies buried in Chelderton church in
the vault containing the dead and gone
Englefelds."
1t was even so. By what means Tom
Leyton found his way to Madeline Engle-
fields ear remains secret lodged in their
own breasts. That he did so win her over
to his plans goes without saying. The senile
decay into which Mr.. Englefeld fell after
the shock to his reason, from the temporary
suspension of the operations of the bank
with which his name had been so long and
so honorably connected, rendered him an
easy prey to the schemers.
Advantage was taken of his removal for
change OF scene to effect his disposal Once
that was effected the rapidly sinking health
of old Mr.. Osborne and the singular like
ness he bore to Mr.. Englefeld, which had
long baf1ed Mr.. Tom Leyton, but which,
when recalled, formed the germ idea out Of
which his vengeance grew, rendered the rest
easy.
How Mr.. Englefeld was disposed of is
best told in the explanation that Doggett
subsequently gave to George Osborne.
81 was thinking over this case" !" he said,
when suddenly the idea presented itself to
me, Now, il were wanting to dispose of
man, like Leyton did, how many ways
could / set about it?' It was a question
that took good deal of answering, for
when once began to think it is surprising
what number Of expedients came trooping
before nv mind. Then / put another ques-
tion, What would be the best way to do it
that would involve least risk to myself?' I
conld only think of one answer to that. I
would lose him in some crowded thorough
fare and watch the result. What would be-
come of him? A thousand accidents might
befall an old man who, with his wits
gone, was unable to take care of
himself. Who would be likely to take
care of him? The police are the guardians
of the poor. There is no place like London
for trick of that kind. I put man on at
once to search the newspapers to see if any
lunatie had been found wandering at large
while went round the warehouses;. Your
description of your father was so vivid that
/ knew should recognize face like. his,
and it was impossible that Mr. Osborne
could have been taken down to Chelderton
unless he had borne very striking resem-
blance to Mr.. Englefeld. You know the rest"
We had clear evidence that your father
was brought from Sonning to the boarding
house in Charges street, and thence conveyed
to Chelderton, in a dying state, to personate
Mr.. Englefeld. I had only to find Mr..
Englefeld in order to complete the case,
and he is here as you see. That you could
be taken in only shows how easy it must
have been to practice the deception at
How do you mean to proceed next?"
asked Osborne.
"A warrant putt into the hands of the local
police on my sworn information for blgamy
will be the simplest. There will be no diff
Guilty in producing Mr.. Englefeld, and all
Chelderton will swear to him. After they
are in custody it will be for our own people
to say whether that will content them. The
Universal wants its money back, and that
they will get A charge of conspiracy to
defraud US might be difficult to establish;
but with Mr. Englefeld alive and plenty
to swear to him we can sail straight ahead"
The next evening there was roaring trade
done at the Golden Lion, for had not the
news got wind that Mr. Englefeld had come
home again, and that Mr.. and Mrs Leyton
were lodged in the town Jail. and were to be |
brought before the magistrates the following
morning? DR.. Radcliffe, who came in to |
smoke his pipe and have his glass as usual, |
was mercilessly chafed for his blunder in |
mistaking a stranger for Mr.. Englefeld; and |
the merriment was kept up till late.
But scene of more touching order was |
going on in a room upstairs, where the |
cheerful light shone on two happy faces. as |
George Osborne nursed his little Emily. who |
answered his looks of love with shy butgIad |
trust. He felt that he had taken a new hold |
on life now that his daughter was restored to |
him.
The extraordinary news soon got abroad, |
and witnesses were forthcoming who abso- |
lutely confirmed the truth of Doggett's hy- |
pothesis in every point. A hotel keeper |
came forward and gave evidence showing
that Mr.. and Mrs. Englefeld, who were |
strangers to him hitherto, had stayed in his
house for some days and had then left the /
hotel in company with Tom Leyton; return
ing, it was supposed, to their destination. |
The cabman who drove them came forward |
to prove that when on his way to the station |
Leyton stopped the cab, and, saying that the
old gentleman wanted to walk. the two got
out together, and were soon lost to sight in
the midst of crowded thoroughfare. The
railway porters and the guard Of the train
were called TO show that Leyton, accom-
panied by Mrs Englefeld, went down to
Twyford on the evening of the same day. |
with what results the reader already knows.
Evidence was not found wanting to sus-
tain the charge OF conspiracy which the di-
rectors of the Universal decided to insti-
tute, and no sympathy was felt in Chelder-
ton for Tom Leyton and the beautiful girl |
once known as Madeline Robson, of the
Red House farm, when 1t was understood
that these two, in pursuit of their own hap
piness, had not shrunk from casting help
less and half-witted old man on the streets
of London to gravitate to the lunatic ward