Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-14
A FALSE ALIBI.

uiou se0So eliOuS,u In tli ono particular 70
| presume that a man who is in Boston, for In
stance, when murder is committed IN Gin
cinnad could not have fired shot or struck
the blow. Therefore, let one accused of crime
prove to the jury that he was at some other
point at a certain critical hour, and he must
he declared innocent. This knowledge makes
the abb favorite defense. Ii not clearly
proved it always raises doubts and affords
opportunity for argument On the other
hand, however, when IN abb IS fairly beaten
by the prosecution, then circumstantial evil
dence becomes the death trap of the accused,
and he has no show
One of the best laid ahbis ever ran I'D
against in my career as q detective, and one
of the easiest 10 work out after got the end
Of the thread in hand. was put forward in a
case in Iowa about twenty years ago. The
ESuatiou was this: In q small village in the
western part Of the state lived Miss Clarin-
da Moore, a spnster about Is years Of age
She was worth $50, 600, and she had adopted
boy named Byron Fergus AT the date of
which am writing this boy was no longer a
boy, but young man of IS He was en-
ployed as a clerk in a dry goods house, and
boarded and lodged at home He was adopt
ed at the age Of t. and on the day be reached
his majority Miss Moore made will leaving
him everything. This fact was known to all
in the village. Fergus was a model young
man No one could point out single bad
habit. he was trusted and respected by all,
and had he been accused of tho slightest dis
honesty no one would have believed the
charge
In smaller village six miles away Fergus
had an aunt who was a widow and lived
alone, with the exception of having the COM
pany of a servant girl He was In the habit
Of going over there about once in two months
and remaining over Sunday On these trips
he drove horse and buggy belonging to the
village cooper. The horse had a peculiar
habit, which will be- described later on One
Saturday evening of July day Fergus drove
away on ono of thess trips There were two
or three women ct the gate in company with
Miss Moore when he drove away. The only
thing out Of the usual run was the remark
that Byron looked rather pale and seemed a
bit nervous but probably this would never
have been thought OF but for what came to
pass.
At II o'clock that night there was thun.
der storm, and an insurance agent who was
on the road between the two villages, with
y, -
and sheltered himself as well as possible with
the waterproofs. In the midst of the storm
horse and buggy came along. The
driver was SO enveloped by waterproofs that
the agent could not tell whether he was old OF
young, large or small, white or black. At
that spot the road had been lately graded up,
and was very soft. The stranger was urging
the horse TO trot, but the beast found the mud
too deep and could only proceed at a walk AS
the strange horse came opposite there was a
long, vivid flash of lightning, and the agent
saw that the animal had his head turned TO
the right and his tongue out This was the
peculiar habit of the cooper's horse when ON
q walk. When trosting he held up his heid
and kepr this tongue back. The agent ibeBti-
fed the horse TO his perfect satisfaction, and
called out to tho driver, asking who he was
Instead of battling or replying tbeman struck
the horse sharply with tho whip and was out
OF sight In moment
That's old Shepherd THE cooper and
he's afraid am a highwayInanl" laughed
the agent, and, the rain now beginning 70
cease, he made ready to resume his Journey
Miss Moore was an early riser, and, more
over, never missed church services as the
day was fine and she WAS not seen at church,
two Tor three Of her friends called at the
house ON their way to ascertain her excuse
They found the curtains down and tho doors
locked. AS they knew Of young Fergus go
ing to hrs aunt's the evening previous, thoy
reasoned it out that he must have returned
during tho night for Miss Moore, she perhaps
being wanted for an emergency. This theory
satisfied them until about O'Clock IN the az
tsrnoon, when one of them returned 70 gather
bouquet Of flowers She then noticed
bloody finger marks on the back door, and,
trying the door, found It unlocked She
dared net enter the ho.re. but two or three
men were summoned % nlase an invcstiga-
ton, and in few ninutrs it was discovered
that murder had been comuitted The
dead body Of Miss Moore was found in the
sitting room, at tho door Of her bedroom
She had been struck three terrible blows with
club or other blunt weapon, each one break
ing the skull
was visiting the sheriff at this tirne, and
we were driving through tho village when
the first alarm was sounded | was. there
fore, at the house among the first, and being
placed in charge By the sheriff, / KEEP. the
people out until / could make an inyestiga-
ton. The murderer had not obtained forci-
y
Of value had been renewed, nor hid any ran
sacking been doDa Tho woman had been
struck down where the body lay, bot her
hands were cienched as If she bad gTaSpei
the weapon Of death and it had been pulled
away from her. Inc palm Of ono hand was
torn and bleeding. / did not know either the
dead woman or Fergus, bat | wanted a1-
thoriey 70 aSres. tho latsr When Tits fact
becaroe known WIS rsigrrdei as gu SsIot OF
q lunatsc. i general crT went UP that Fergus
could 10 rDors b. suspected than en- axgv3 % /
beaTen, but while tho G1e-i4 was Rfs % -
cure the necesary paper-, drove out 20 In !
.erview the young r.an and b~eak the n<rrz !
20 hin II Fergus was guilty. his ds9soss |
wo1E % al aEbi, and BE had carefully az /
ranged the detaila BE would ts er,ecttn<, !
the nsFs. and Re would be bTzcsd up % plaT 1
q part
/ found hin making rea6y 20 hitch W % |
drive back BE had nsveT se-n ne b=<ore, .
azd he id not know ny profession As I
entered the barn hs boxed ,tar.Isi aod 4
turnsd pale, bu, recoTersd hirnssh after . I
uin1:e, and asked il-s naszrs o. ny business. 4
You know, ot eozrse, tsat Alz More is 4
3sedF / carelezAy repllsd
~EC~-h-o~ s5cci9 Know it, be exriair-l- /
ID, turning very white
wei ste ~ dad. poor thing
@And 90 they ces-gs M With i.T'
"Wi,h WHAT
"Ec< raur5e-T
81 hacaat sad SOC was r1r--,r-~zi .cii 4
yco szrsTsy thai SO Sas deszd dow ca yoa
know see bad beea rErdeTsaF
He saw the trap De lad faIlzr ito. and hs
yaEped md ssxnnserst and CO hts b~<. &c
szzaoctk ]. ovxY I rxs-er,se.i "a % ar !. %