Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-03-20

/ VI Xix IL a ol1SCs AS Aoo NSAo oo3
but he hoped the headquarters detectives
would not stir in the matter until later
in the day. when he hoped to have made
much progress.
He had already ~concocted a theory.
but he was anxious to heal what the
coroner, who was a man of great COM
mon sense and no little experience, had
to say.
The trouble was, the coroner had a
theory too, and no idea of giving the SER
geant the benefit of his brains, though
he was anxious to know what the ser
geant thought.
It can be imagined, therefore, that
neither said very significant things, and
that each approached the other diplo-
matically.
"a mysterious case, sergeant"
Every; something different from the
usual drunken brawl."
eyes; likely to give us much trouble"
ga long examination; little to 60 upon
in the beginning, anyhow"
"Unless the examination of the friends
the man was with last develops some
thing"
perhaps it will"
This sort of sparring not having
brought forth anything, they were silent
for a short time, when the sergeant put
in a feeler.
"What could have been the motive?"
The coroner returned the ball.
sit could not have been robbery, evil
IDENTIFY"
"At all events there was no attempt
made"
"Unless after the blow the man was
frightened by the cry Of Messing"
THAT'S one view of it, certainly"
This having brought forth nothing, the
coroner made a lead.
"Still it could not have had robbery
for its purpose. You see both Holbrook
and Messing say the man was about to
pass when he stopped short and said, 1t
is you, is it, that shows he knew the
man Templeton. No, it was not rob
berry,"
"That was what / was thinking; If it
had been robbery, eve If he had known
him he would have said nothing. As a
matter of fact it seems to me that it was
an accidental meering-that is, the man
was not ~waylaying him"
"Oh, do you think so2 That would
make il all the more difficult"
unless Messing was in the job and
gave the signal from the other corner"
81 shouldn't wonder if you had hit it
straight now" This was what the coro-
ner said aloud; what he thought was,
"My friend the sergeant has gone off on
the wrong tack; SO this is his theory,
eh?"
The sergeant thought, eff he won't
talk he can't pump me, and SO I'll give
him that little misleader."
This game Of verbal chess might have
long continued, if it had not been inter
rupted by the arrival of the reporters,
who had been aroused by the receipt Of
the news at the Central Office.
Among them was n reputed to b.
very shrewd, and who was credited with
having tracked more than one crime
home, where the police authorities had
failed.
He was known as Tom Bryan.
When the others hurried off with theil
information he remained, asking permits
sion to write his report at the desk.
He wrote h~urriedly; the coroner, whit
had been detained by the reporters, pro
posed to go home for the night.
As he was about to leave, Bryan
asked:
do you think Messing t be connect
ed with this crime?"
"No," replied the coroner unguard
eddy.
The sergeant said to himself. Han,
it, / didn't give him a stiff after ALL"
The coroner could have bitten off hi
tongue for his carelessness.
why do you hold him them sal.
, Bryan.
+ because he refused to tell his bust
ness in New York city" replied the ser
geant.
"That's hard" commented the repor,
I er. 'It isn't everybody who wants t
make his business public. It would b
? very tough on me If / had t tell M
! business every time l entered a strang
town"
This increased the uneasiness of th
q sergeant, who doubted the wisdom G
r OBTAINING the man, and it was he VIII
y had taken the responsibility. not the col
oner.
: rOh,n said the coroner, I'VE have til
q right to detain him rs a witness"
The sergeant felt better; the respons
a biity now rested on the coroner as vel
Q nevertheless he proposed another visit I
i their prisoner.
az do not know why l should not te
= You" said Messing; 81 do not want I
get into the papers. Why. you viii Al
8 preciate it when ! tell you Here Is Il
g reason Of my visit: A short time ago
gentleman, one Charles Piersoh, a wea
4 thy man, died In this city leaving q lars
' property. but neither children nor viii
: n know the case. said the sergeant
K my mother, for certain reasons, b
lieyes she is the nearest heir. II not Il
= sole one-that ID, she thinks she Ii rel
tive. have come to New York at b,
: request, first, to identity the decease
man with our relative II ! can. and, ha'
4 iax established the idantidcation. 70 d