Telegram-herald., 1889-07-18
an ALIBL.
Being False It Gould Not With.
stand Investigation

Tho man who sits down % deliberately
plan crime works every poin. and detail
70 one common ccnter-sn slitL The law
has common sense enough IN this one par
scuisr 70 presume that q man who is IN
Boston. for instance, when a murder Is
committed IN Cinsianati could net have
cred the shot or struck the blow. There
fore. let ons accused sf crime prove 20 the
Jury that be vas 81 some other point at
certain critical hour, and ho must be de-
clared innocent This knowledge makes
TIE aiibi fsvorite dessnss. II not clearly
proved, 10 always raises doubts and affords
opportunity for argument On the other
hand. however. when sn olibi is fairly
beaten By tho prosecution, then circum-
stans.L evidence becomes tho death trap OF
the accused, and he has no show.
One of tho best laid Riibis / ever ran UP
against in my career cs detective, and one
Of tae easiest 20 work out after / got theend
OF the thrc,d IN hs1d, was put forward in a
case in Iowa about twenty years ago. Tho
situation was this; N n small village In
the western part 5f the State hved Miss
Clarinda Moore, = spinster about forty FIVE
years of age. Sac was worth fifty thou
sand dollars, and shs had -dOpted boy
named Byron Fergus At the date os
which I am vri,in Z this boy was no longer
a boy. but a youag man Of tventy-thres.
Hs was employed as clerk in = dry goois
house. aud boarded AMI lod gel st home. Hs
wns adopted a. The SO % twelve, and on
ths day he reached his majority Mss
Moore made . viii lesvinS hirn every thing
This Fac. WA known 20 all ir The village.
Fergus was a model young man. No one
could point out = sia yie bad habit. RE was
trusted and respected By al, and had he
been accused sf th. slightest dishone>ty no
ere would have believed tbs charge.
Ina smaller village six niles away Fergus
had an aunt who was n widow snd lived
alone. with the exception Of Eaving the
company II q servant girL He was IN the
habit Of going ever tners about once in two
mouths and remaining ever Sunday. On
these trips be drove horse and buggy Be-
longing - tbs village COOPER. The horse
had pec-lEar hshlt vaich ~ill be described
later sn. Ons Saturday evening Il July
day Fergus drove away On enc q these
trips. There v-rs Two or tSrss women ss
the gate fs company with Mss Moore whan
be d-sve a-sT The onlv thin z o1t q ~
rzusi run was ~ remark thar Byron locked
rsfhsr pasc sat seemed a 81 nervous. hus
-rnnably this wouia never hs~a been
fss-,Yxh. q but f,r wat cane 70 pass
4. -i-wen o'ciccx thss Night tbare was
thunder storm. sad ar Insurance sxent
-~ro -rax ca The rad between ne trv8
villages. With horse sn1 huzxT, drove iasa
a ssara corner sad sheltered hiruse.f -
vel a. pcssfs.s VIA ne vsserr-.of, IN
a. uisat q ssa stcrH. horss saf haxgY
-s~eas.r - trsvsr was - ea~elop@1
~ ~@s-~-rcoSs 49, 80 sreat eos'd nos tell
wssfher he wss IS or Tcan 2. larTe -
s-aaH. ~htn er haea As thst 500 80
rad hsA se@n las-J ersdes - saa 80
verv safA Ths sfraarr- ~as arTtng -
hsrss - fr~s. bat ~ b~s-s f-anf DE nnfi
80 terp sd -eslf sar pr1r~~d - rsiE.
A. ne -t~snz~ $500 csr~ rFreE.ta th~r=
"a. q iaas rfvd ssss ~ .shte1s. s-d tee
arent 49, fhst Nls 81 "a asd a. hee'
r-rasa 81 a.s fses al hss teeEas sat
Is wrs tss aefa ~ hssis - tss cseyss :
ssrss ~ars 90 st.x. r4en Hs.1ss -