The Opelousas courier., 1889-01-05
The simple preparations that. had to

else. Occasionally at mid light the In
ventor had tested it on q lonely country
road, and more than once Dale had
stolen off with it for d solitary ride.
1t was eleven o'clock by the time
piece overthc bar at the Red Lion, in the
hamlet of Medburg when John Dale
walked in and called for a drink Of
brandy. Every man in the jolly crowd
knew him, and he received q hearty
greeting.
"What is the hour?" asked Dale, care
lessly.
Gust elevepe Shouted a dozen
voices.
"Well, I'll stay awhile" said the
newcomer, and he took a seat at one of
the tables. For an hour or so the bottle
was passed around in a lively way, but
| after awhile the rcvelersf found that their
generous visitor had taken his depar-
ture.
"When did he go?" several asked.
Nobody could answer the question,
and after another round of drinks the
men dispersed.
At two o'clock in the morning John
Dale locked up Master Stephenson's
steam monster in the workshop, and
sought his bed in the loft overhead.
He had made good time. As the crow
flies, Mcdburg was just fifty miles from
Killingworth colliery."
The coroner's inquest v the MUIR
dered peddler lasted three days. It was
the most exciting event that had ever
occurred in the annals of Killingworth.
Circumstantial evidence was strongly
against John Dale. He had left the tay-
ern and crossed the common at seven
o'clock. A few moments later the ped
dler had gone in the same direction. A
few minutes before eight the peddler was
found dead with his throat cut and pack
rifed. Between seven and eight all the
men in the village could be satisfactory
ly accounted for except Dale. Unless
he could prove an alibi he was in al ug-
ly fix.
The suspected man was arrested, but
he stoutly asserted his innocence, and
even declared that he was at Medburg
at eleven O'Clock on the night of the
murder.
This was denied by the Killingworth
ta~vern-kecper, who declared that he
had put Dale out of his house at seven
o'clock. He furthermore said that the
prisoner had spent most of the day
boozing in q private room, but as it
CHANGED, he had not been seen by any
visitor except the peddler.
On the second day men began to come
in from MI dburg, and by the third day
of the inquest more than a dozen relia-
Die witnesses had testified that Dale had
been in the tap room of the Red Lion
at Medburg at eleven o'clock on the
night in question.
In those days.it was nonsense to sup
pose that a man could be at Killingg-
worth between seven and eight Id turn
up fifty miles away at eleven. Hose
flesh was not equal to such a trip. The
MedLurg alibi was held to be amply
sufficient to warrant Nc discharge Of
the prisoner, but the KiIlingworth tav-
ern-keeper rushed away from the in
quest declaring that he was either crazy
or Satan had taken q hand in the bust
Dale had a harl time pushing through
the crowd, as nearly every man present
wanted to shake him by the hand and
congratulate him upon his success in es-
tablishing his innocence. 0
Throughout these demonstrations Dale
preserved a stolid face. He had but
little to say, and as soon as possible
started for Stephenson's workshop.
He had gone about half way when he
met Stephenson himself. The inventors
usually mild countenancc Q an ex-
preston OF stern rcproof.
ssWhere low, Johni' asked Stephen
son in a strident tone.
TO tho shop, ii, replied the work
man.
"You will never darken my door
again. said Stephenson. "See here,
John, / don't know that you killed the
peddler, but Iknow how you made out
your alibi."
Dale started, and his face blanched.
Il passed the tavern late in the after
noon and saw you at a window, !" said
Stephenson, so it IS useless to pretend
that the landlord lied about your pres
ence. He told the truth. The other
fellows told the truth, too, about your
arrival at Medburg at eleven o'clock.
Now, you villain, we two are the only
living persons that understand the
mystery of this thing. know what my
machine can do, and you know.
Whether you committed the murder or
not, you rode on my steam machine to
Medburg that night. / KNOW It; I have
seen the marks of rough usage and the
fuel that I had has all been used
aEVclI,n said Dale, sulkily, "whai
nre vnn roing to dor