Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-09
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II.

All murders may be traced to one of six
passions: momentary anger, love, jealousy,
hatred, revenge, or greed. If the crime can
not be traced distinctly and beyond contro-
versy to one or the other OF the first five mo-
tives, then ascertain the individual who has
a beneficiary interest in the death of the
victim, and you will spot the real criminal
at once"
This is Mr.. Doggett's dictum, and is
quoted here not by way of subscribing to its
strict accuracy, but as explaining the prin-
ciple which that astute officer, Mr.. Superin-
tendent Jorkins, went on, in his endeavors
to bring the murderer Of Mr.. Kenneth
Frazer to Justice.
When Mrs. Deborah Bint, Mrs. Fraser's
housekeeper, informed the Superintendent
of Police at Rissborough, in answer to his
inquiries, that on the day when, as alleged,
Mr.. Fraser met his death, he had gone to
RissborOugh and made will in Cameron's
favor, after twice threatening to disinherit
him, Mr.. Jorkins decided that the murderer
of Mr.. Fraser could be none other than
this graceless nephew, who had twice had
the misfortune to incur his uncle's dis
pleasure. Who else was likely to benefit by
the old mans death?
Mr.. Jorkins argued, and not altogether
unreasonably, when he discovered Fred in
possession of his uncle's will, that the temp
tation had proved too strong for him. Mo-
tive? ''There was no need to look far for
motive" Jorkins said to himself with a
chuckle. Hadn't the young 'un and the
al 1r,D bol 10 l-s&
the old 'un disinherited his nephew on both
occasions? What more likely than that
this young artist-fellow having got the will
in his possession leaving everything to
him, after being twice the victim of his
uncle's vaciliation, had suddenly de-
termined to put it out of his uncle's power to
change his mind again. He had plenty of
opportunities, on the occasion of that walk
out to Clump Cottage, after which Mr..
Fraser was never seen alive again. The
road out from Rissborough, seldom used
since King Steam had replaced the stage
coaches, was the loneliest in the neighbor-
hood, and it offered abundant facilities both
for the perpetration of a wicked deed and
the disposal of the body afterward.''
Thus reasoned Mr.. Jorkins, and to his
thinking the chain of evidence was complete
L
his visit TO Mazda Vale, the case had pre-
sented itself to his mind as only one of
strong suspicion. But when he discovered
that the viii (Which in his judgment formed
an important link in the chain of evidence
that be was engaged in weaving), was found
in Fred Cameron's possession the suspicion
that was working in his mind began to as
sumo the form of certainty, that only needed
the dire agitation displayed by Fred, and
which Jorkins set down to fear, to render
complete.
There was one circumstance. however
that sorel V troubled Mr.. Jorkins on his re-
turn to Rissborough, after lodging Cameron
in Jail. Though he had satisfied himself
before taking journey TO town that a muir
der had undoubtedly been committed. the
body of Mr.. Fraser had not then been dis
covered. He would not have adventured
on such a journey if he had not felt con-
vinced that the instructions given to his
men must result in the recovery of the body
of the murdered man before he returned.
He had carefully sifted the testimony of
Deborah Blnt, the housekeeper, Mary
Shadwell, the housemaid, and John For
bury, groom and gardener, and had abun-
dantly satisfied himself that Mr.. Fraser had
notreturned to Clump Cottage. He had insti-
tuted strict examination of the premises
inside and out without discovering the
slightest sign of his presence, or evidence of
crime. He had witnesses galore to prove that
Mr. Fraser had been seen setting out for his
home in company with his nephew, about 3
o'clock in the afternoon, after which no
trace of Mr.. Fraser could be found: nor was
there any evidence of the whereabouts ana
occupations of Cameron, until he rushed
breathless into the Phoenix, Just in time to
pay for the dinner he had not eaten, and to
s,,An h. Sloa u
start to catch the last train to town, which
left at $50.
The station-master and porters were ready
to swear that Mr.. Fraser had not been seen
at the station that day, and were prepared
TO testify to the excited state which Cameron
was in when he took his ticket and seated
himself in the train. The road from Riss-
borough to Clump Cottage had no tortuous
turnings; aud there was no reason why Mr..
Fraser should quit the highway, where, if
any accident had befallen him, he must
long since have been found.
Where, then, was Mr.. Fraser? Mr.. Jor-
klns saw no help to the conclusion that at
some point on the journey home he had been
beguiled on some fanciful errand to quit the
highway, and there had been done to death
and buried from sight Where his remains
were hidden it would not be long before his
men discovered.
Notwithstanding the confidence in this
reasoning, Mr.. Jorkins would have hesitat-
ed to take the extreme measure of arrestinp
Cameron on suspicion of the murder of his
uncle, If. he had not felt that his visit to
MAZDA Vale was false step, seeing that if
Cameron was guilty of his uncle's murder
and on that point Jorkins had no doubt-he
would take to flight now that he saw sus-
picion was directed against him. If iuuo-
cent, he argued, Cameron had no right to
object to suffer Inconvenience in order to
aid in the unraveling of dreadful crime,
But Mr.. Jorkins was confident that bv the
time he returned to Rissborough the BODY
would be found, and be determined. as we
have seen, to risk the arrest of Cameron
and the displeasure of his superiors. if he
should prove to be mistaken. Either way.
he considered that he stood to win or lose
He would lose credit If he suffered the real
criminal to escape by excess of timiditv
whereas, if matters turned out as he antici.
pated, he would cover himself with renowp.
as a shrewd and active officer to be depend
ed upon in emergencies. On the other hand,
if he were wrong, the worst would be
"wigging" from his superiors. and possibly
an action at law for false imprisonment.
MIR. Jorkins certainly considered himself
safe for the "wigging" when he learned,
after his return, that the body of Mr.. Fraser
had not been found. But he was too tena-
clous of mis- opinions lightly to withdraw
from the course on which he had embarked, \
and when his subordinate, Inspector Ellis,
suggested that it might be well to release
the prisoner on his own recognizances, and
have him watched to see thar he did not
leave the town-especially as the court met
at ~ O'Clock on the following day-he curtly
refused
Me won't do that, Ellis We shall find