Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-02-15
kerchief, tied up. and given to the coro-

1er.
"The body may be removed, sergeant"
said the coroner. "Have the clothes
taken to the station house. Have you
the names and addresses of the wit
nesses?"
Eyes; also the names Of those who
were last with the deceased"
"That is we'll"
Except the address of this man."
turning to Wessing, who had never left
the side Of the sergeant.
81 am a stranger in the CITY," he re-
piled. II live in Philadelphia; came
from there this evening""
"You came last night"
"Yes, since this is the morning, new
day."
"Where are you stopping?'
Wessing hesitated.
This made the sergeant suspicious.
"The truth is, sergeant" said Messing,
II have not taken lodgings yet. My va
lise is over there at that hotel" pointing
to Fourteenth street. 81 was about to
take turn in the park, smoke my cigar
and then go back to take ROOM"
"Um. Well, l will accommodate you
with lodgings for the rest of the night. !"
"Why," said Holbrook, she saw no
more than did"
"That may be-" replied the sergeant,
grimly, "but he may know more than
you do. At all events, he must give a
better account of himself than be has
yet DONE"
This made Wessing smile.
"That will do, but prefer doing it
at the station house rather than in this
crowd"
"Well, let us CO."
81 will go, too" said Holbrook, who
was strongly attracted by Messing.
GAS you please" rejoined the SER
geant; then turning to an officer he said:
"Watch the body; will send a litter to
you as soon as l can."
Arriving at the station house, after all
had been excluded except the coroner
and Holbrook, Messing gave straight
forward account of his coming into the
city from Philadelphia the night previ-
Gus, and his determination not to regis
ter himself at any hotel until after he
had taken something to eat; that having
eaten at an eating house on Fourteenth
street and lit a cigar, he thought he
would smoke it in the park and cool off
before he returned to the hotel.
He gave names and addresses in Phil
adelphia whereby his statements could
be verified by telegraph.
The sergeant, however, determined
to hold him until verifcation could be
made.
To this Messing acquiesced so readily
that Holbrook was convinced he had
nothing to fear from investigation.
So expressing himself, he remarked to
the sergeant: "Be careful you do not
have suit for false imprisonment on
your hands,"
This made the sergeant uneasy.
The coroner laughed, but would say
nothing to relieve the officer.
"Have no fear" said Wessing, "you
are only doing your duty"
This complaisance secured for Messing
the captains room for the night rather
than cell
Holbrook, having nothing to detain
him, went away.
When he reached the square he went
over to the spot where the murder had
been done. He had no purpose in going
there; an irresistible impulse-a strong
fascination-drew him thither.
The square was deserted again and
quiet reigned. The jewellers had gone
back to their haunts, the tramps to their
benches in the park, the "night hawks"
slept again on their boxes, while they
awaited the belated ones who might re-
quire their services. The moon shone
brightly. The silence was oppressive; un-
broken only at intervals by the snatches
of drunken song in the distance and the
occasional rumble of the trains on Third
avenue.
Holbrook meditated on the uncertainty
of life. The man Templeton was young,
strong, in health, and in a moment he
had been struck down and was dead. He
walked the streets late at night himself
at times, and the same fate might as
easily have been his. But this manifestly
was not murder for the purpose of rob-
berry. And was it wanton blow struck
in sheer wickedness through lust for
blood? Hardly such things do not occur
in our civilization. There was a motive
for the act, strong one doubtless. The
discovery of the motive would lead to the
discovery of the murderer. The first
effort of the police would doubtless be to
discover that motive.
AS he stood something sparkled, under
the sudden flaring of distant electric
light, at his feet.
He picked up the shining object.
1t was q cuff button-a round, gold
button with diamond imbedded in its
top.
Holbrook looked about him. The
murdered man must have lain upon it.
"When was that lost?" he muttered
to himself. "Does it have any connec-
ton with this murder?"