Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-13
A PIECE OF TOBACCO.
The Strange Story That Was Told by an
Old Georgia Detective.

A life sentence in the penitentiary.
Not a very striking analogy, surely, but
thereby hangs a tale.
II followed the business Of detective for
a long time, said an old hand at the bust
ness as be pulled his cigar in a snug corner
Of the station house. "but one Of the most
peculiar cases ever struck was in a Georgia
town not more than hundred miles from
Atlanta.
''One day ! received a telegram from a
prominent young man Of the place, notify
ing me that his father had been murdered
and robbed in the streets, and asking me 70
come and work up the case. The next train
bore me 10 the town, and as l stepped of the
cars met the town marshal He had
badge and a sort Of club stick, and l asked
him If he was the marshal
"'Yes, and am looking for an Atlanta
detective
&c 4 guess I'm your man.
"'All right Let's get into the bus and
drive up town
"'No Ia rather walk up and talk about
she -sse'
"'Well, I'm in hurry. The coroner's in
quest is going on, and am the first witness
THAT remark struck me at once, and put
me on my guard.
"'WhO do you think did itP
"'Well, have no idea have not heard
any guesses made yet, but think you had
just as well turn your attention to the ne
groes. No white man did that deed
"'Why do you think sor
. 'Because no white man would have taken
everything from a mans pockets, as the muir
derers did from his
"'What did they takeT
" Everything. They even took little
piece Of tobacco, about that long--measuring
on his tinger-and you know no white man
would have cleaned him out like that.
"'Did you search the bodyf
" No; his son told me about it, is how !
came to know
"By this time we had reached the place
where they were holding the inquest, and
cautioning him not to reveal my identity, |
left him.
"On the next day met the murdered mans
son. Heidi not know that was a detective,
and / began TO ask about the murder, and
among other things casually asked what the
robbers had taken.
why, they took his watch, his knife, the
buttons out Of his shirt and his pocketboolz
just cleaned out his pockets.
THAT allf
so far as know. They just took every
thing they could find, it seems
Did he have much money!
He must have had considerable sum,
as it was Saturday night
What did you say just now about that
piece of tobaccoF
i didn't shy anything about it, but since
you have mentioned il remember, now, that
he must have carried a small piece Of plug to-
bacco. lie was a very economical man, and
he always kept the crumbs cleared out Of his
boxes in the store during the week, but on
Saturday night he would cut of a little piece
and put it in his pocket to chew ON Sundays
That was bis practice, invariably, and be
must have had a piece with him, but none
was found when we searched his pockets
That Is little strange, and maybe the
murderer or murderers took that also
They must have done so, for it was such
a rule with him that know he did not leave
the store without his Sunday piece Of plug
tobacco
81 left the young man and set to work in
good earnest then. The marshal came 70 my
assistance, and was very solcitous about
catching the criminals Wescoured the town
and community for some clew, but the more
we sought the more the mystery deepened.
'For two days we worked like beavers, and
at the end Of the second day | became fully
satisfied in my mind that l had the thing
dead. Going down town found the marshal
and placed him under arrest Then / arrest
barkeeper as his accomplish. The news
spread like wildfre, and the citizens were al
most ready TO mob me, but / had the two
men committed TO jail.
"When the trial came on the twelve Jurors
were not out twenty minutes before they
brought in a verdict of guilty Of murder
with a Recommendation for mercy The rec
ommendation was urged and carried by the
twelfth man, who would not agree to render
a verdict OF murder pure and simple on cir
cumstantial evidence.
"ln delivering sentence the Judge told tho
marshal that were it not for the reconmen-
dation, which left him no discretion, he
would put the extreme penalty Of the law
upon him, 50 well satisfied was be Of the guilt
Of the prisoner at the bar"
"And he went up for hfeln
YES, and spent six years in the peniten-
tiary. But Governor Stephens pardoned
him out as soon as he was elected. You see
he believed in the innocence Of his client, 50
he used the pardoning power to set him at
liberty
and the piece OF tobacco was the first
clewr
YES, as soon as the marshal mentioned It,,
the idea occurred to me that he must have
known a great deal about it TO have been able
TO describe even tho size Of it, although he
did not search the pocket, and had no reason
for knowing that the murdered man carried
such piece unless be took it from his pocket
after the murder. Atlanta Constitution.