Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-24

shirt sleeves, bareheaded, sitting at the
far end, with his feet on the railing.
He gave an involuntary start at my
approa ch:
''Ah!'' he9said. with something like
sigh, tout for a breath of fresh air, Ell?
1t was so plagued hot in the house, >
thought I'd try it out here myseaf."
do not know t1at the mans manner
would have Impressed me if l haS5 not
seen him in his shirt sleeves; but put
ting this and that together-the way he
started at my approach-his nervous,
jerky manner of speaking, and then
his being in his shirt sleeves-but
pshaw! I wore no coat myself. Who
could on such burning July night?
do not know whether fate or prov
idence led me to this man, but l do
Esaow that half hours conversation
witho him made me- suspect that he
knew something about the murder of
that poor woman whose body had seer.
on that memorable morning by enc
roadside.
naturally led the conversation to
the murder. He did not seem inclined
to talk of it, and soon changed tho sub
ject.
But brought him back to it by easy
stages, until at last, with a gesture of
Impotence, he said: 'S4 don't care to
talk about it; the authorities are at
work on the case and D guess ehey'E
ferret out the murderer in time"
The best detectives som etimes blunder
in their work. l was an amateur ii the
| business; hence my great confidence in
my theories. "a tall man. the woman
had said. Here was tall man. g tuft
tOf hoir nj, Us no
dead womap's palm. My friend in his
shirt sleeves had just such hair. Ehese
| were the mental notes 1 made @hile ~
| was talking with him Shere On the
balcony.
care you stranger here?" asked.
''Not exactly" he replieG5 "r9a been
in business here q little moI@ thsp
| three months. I'm Surveyor
We parted for the night. and BEFORE iA
returned 1 decided to dismiss my Dol
! ish impression of the man and tarn Gny
!, ate ntion to other matters.
But could not quite rid Rny llin6 %
| the idea that in some way or other A@
| was connected with that murde4
In the morning, after Breakfast, -
walked across the street to the post
Office in his shirt-s1eeves aA& got Ola
mail.
saw him dozen times thaE daT-&l9
| ways in his shirNS,eeves All Ghat
week, whenever l met the man, he @as
coatless. It seemed to be his lsabit GO
| go that way.
was strangely attracte6eo hiaa, aa@
the more 1 thought of him, the more 9
felt convinced that he knew something
about the murder.
He said he was a surveyor. Perhaps
that was the reason he took long walks
every afternoon? = had seen him in
| the park dozen times; but h09eldom
wore his coat
Isought the colored woman G8ho had
| testified at the inquest. If she saw thet
man in the park again, woula she be
able to recognize him?
She thought she would, if she could
see him standing in the same position.
l slipped five-dollar bill in her hand,
enjoined her to secrecy and obtained
her promise to be in the park every
evening after that until she met the
man.
The next day, at twilight, . saw a
man standing in the park with his coat
on his arm. In his hand he held heavy
cane, and seemed to be contemplating
some object in the distance. Q
| While he was in this position the
woman, true to her promise, passed hur.
riedly by, keeping her eyes fixed on him
as she went.
l followed her, and when we were
we'll out OF hearing she stopped and
said:
Before God, / think it's the man
saw with Mars Huntley. I k1sow him
by his shape-'
was wild with excitement. s'Do not
breathe word of this to any one" was
my caution to the women 8 I hurried
to the mayors Office.
"Impossibler' he exclaimed, when
laid the story before him. THAT is
Captain Carlton, a surveyor, whose
character is beyond reproach. 1t is
true he paid the dead woman some at.
tentiOn, but"
interrupted him with an impatien,
gesture. You are bound to take this
woman's testimony" said, land place
this captain under arrest. 1t matters
not what his character may be. The
woman says he is the manf''
The marshal was called in. ssFind
Captain Carlton" said the mayor, land
tell him wish to see him Immediately
on business" "a
| AZ w 49, PCIaopSs q 1uA1 NAH uOuE O0
, fore the captain put in an appearance
, and when he did. the mayor did no,
know what to say to him.
WELL" he said, with an inquiring
look. ''what can do for you?"
The mayor said nothing. but looked
appealingly at me.
I'VE should send for the woman"
said.
'.What woman?" asked Carlton, ex
; citedly.
sWhy. captain, said the mayor, in
nervous voice, there is a woman here
who says that she saw you with Mrs
Huntley-"
The man started at the name, and
faint pallor overspread his face. which
l soon changed to an indignant red. 81.
did not wait for the mayor to finish tn,
, sentence. but stamping his foot furious
|. ~, exclaimed:
t 1T is LEA black lie; and II
1 strike the man or woman dead who saw