Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-05-15

~ so easily Inc rap
S&Mi 1J idly trapped.
~lM -I He marveled
kE~@ that the police |
WEN authorities had!
S\#S~ not seen that the |
~ obvious thing to
do was to discover at once where the
clothes worn by the murderer were pur.
chased.
It was true, he admitted, that he had
had an advantage in determining who
the purchaser was, through Holbrook's
acquaintance with Flora Ashgrove, but
why had not the detectives Of the regu-
lar force found out, as he had done,
where the clothes had been bought?
He was in high glee over his discovery,
and much pleased with himself. The
facts were indisputable, and were to be
recognized at a glance.
There was the conversation between
Flora and Fountain Oh the veranda at
Newport, and there was the identified
ton Of Fountain with the man who had
purchased the one suit which had not
been bought by the U. s. Us. While
these were not conclusive, still they were
sufficient to justify the immediate arrest
Of Fountain, when the facts necessary
for proofs before the jury could be easily
brought out by judicious inquiry.
To construct the chain Of evidence
which would convict Fountain in court
was work for the authorities, not for
him. He had detected the criminal, and
that was all that could DO demanded of
him, and all that he had set out to do.
1t vas thus filled with triumph that
he sought Holbrook to consult with him
as to the next step-the placing Of all
the facts before the district attorney. To
his surprise no less than to his inaigna-
ton, he found the lawyer loath to 60
further in the matter.
So long as there was a question of
doubt involved in the investigation, Hol-
brook had been earnest and energetic,
but now, when all question of doubt had
vanished-when the Identification was
complete, he hesitated, "baulked," as
Tom said, fright at the finish"
The fact that Flora Ashgrove would be
Inevitably drawn into the matter dis
turbed Holbrook greatly. While all the
tenderness with which he had formerly
regarded her was wholly dissipated, still
it seemed a horrible thing to him, that
she should be dragged to the witness
stand and compelled to give the evidence
which would send to the gallows the man
she had shown she so deeply, and even
wildly, loved. He shrank from the idea
that he should be instrumental in putting
her In such a position
With these sentiments Tom could not,
or at least would not, sympathize. 1t
might be hard for her, but 1t was hard
also for Annie Templeton that her brother
should be struck down and killed, and it
wa n Of the inevitable consequences
OF crime that the innocent suffered no
less than the guilty, and while it was un-
fortunate that Miss Ashgre've was in the
position in which she was, yet Justice
must be done.
To all Of this argument Holbrook had
no reply, and he realized he could make
none. In the end, however, he gave a
reluctant consent that everything should
be laid before the district attorney, but
he positively refused to go with Tom to
that official II he appeared at all in the
matter, it should only be as an unwilling
witness, to tell how his suspicious Of
Fountain had been aroused, and he sim
cerely hoped that even that much would
not be required Of him. So Tom was
compelled to go alone. On his way he
dismissed Holbrook's scruples as fanciful
to the last degree, and busted himself
with the order Of the narrative which he
was to submit to the prosecuting officer.
On entering the office he saw the door
OF the private o was closed, and he
was about to send in his card, when a
voice called out from IN adjoining room:
"Hallo, Toni Come in. Where have
you been this month Of SundaysT"
Tom passed into the room and saw an
assistant Of the district attorney, in the
center Of a group Of his fellow deputies"
SIS the chief engaged" asked Tom
after s~aIutations
eyes," was the reply. "but only for a
abort time. Come In; I was just telling
the boys some Of my adventures while
yachting. We were out in Teddy Bra
hams yacht-only Q small party. Jack
Hanshaw, Fred Coz, Harry Fountain
and myself"
"Who? Fountain"
eyes, Harry Fountain. Do you know
him? A fine fellow"
"VVhat Fountain asked Tom, some
what interested; Fountain of the Union
and the Lambs-athlete?"
"The same. WhyY
"Oh, nothing particular. When was
this?"
"Oh, let me see. We were out the
18th, 10th, 18th and 18th of last month.
We went on board the 18th at night, and
sailed early the next morning"
"Of August" said Tom, with sudden
alarm. "Hold on; where were you On
the 17th?'
1--WE ran into Greenport bay, about 0
o'clock at night, under the brightest
moon
"You are sure of that dateY" queried
Tom earnestly.
"Why, yes. Certainly. What's the
matter with your
"This is important. You've made no
mistaken"
"Mistake, no. Here's my diary with
the entry. See" and he held it up for
Tom to read.
"For heavens sakeI" cried Tom, 'let
us get this straight. When did that
murder In Union square occur?"
"Ask Jim there; it's his case"
"You mean Templeton'sY" asked the
one referred to. "On the morning Of the
eighteenth, an hour after midnight
"Great heavensw cried Tom.
Thov all rod at him