Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-08-07
A TRAGIC ENDING.
A. II. MoDRIcKER.

happened to drop into the Office one
borning, more by accident than any.
hing else, for l had no particular call
ust then, when / was thus saluted by
by chief
Il say, Heron, I've just received O
telegram which informs me that your
man. Karl Krafton, has been spotted
h Chicago. OF course you will go there
y once, | suppose9"
yes"
"Mind your eye if you go cruising
bround M street by night" my
chief advised. Il was never there but
pnce, and though it may be the most
honest place in the universe, it struck
he as being the reverse. Don't let any
FChicago sharper get the best of you,
foming as you do from the rural dis
Ercts of New York. Shake all the
Rayseed out of your hair before you
HAND
! smiled at his attempt at pleasantly,
hnd then made my preparations for the
Tourney. had little to do, and in due
time l reached the depot, took the
brain, and began my journey by rail.
The reader will here, perhaps, Won
Her why did not notify the authorities
at Chicago. / could have done so had
so desired, but l most desired to have
The satisfaction of arresting him myself
because, nearly five years ago, as |
stood beside the body of poor Burt Bal
-four, as he lay cold in tine icy embrace
Cf death, while beside him knelt his
wife and fair-haired little girl, whom
Karl Krafton had made widow and an
orphan, registered in my own mind a
solemn oath to avenge my comrades
death by bringing his slayer to the gal
lows cost what it might.
Burt Balfour was brother detective
here in the city of New York, and years
hi fellowship and association in the de-
|tectiye business had begot a firm
between us.
Burt and / had been for some time
lon the trail of Karl Krafton, a most
skillful counterfeiter, and at one time
confederate of the notorious firm of
'Dunfee & McGraw." the counterfeit
ers of United States bonds, of whom
Everybody knows, before l finally ran
him down.
Burt Balfour in the year 'S3 had at
tempted, single-handed and alone, the
capture Of Krafton, the counterfeiter, in
a. all-night dive here in the city, but
Krafton, who was remarkably quick on
the draw" and, getting the drop" on
Balfour, he sent leaden messenger OF
death through his heart, instantly kill
ing one of the bravest and truest men |
ever knew.
Karl Krafton made ~ood his escape,
snd, although l devoted every effort to
the task of tracing him, up to the time
Of which 1 write he still baffied me and
bis trail was hidden one.
Firm in my purpose, and true to the
oath / had taken, I made it the one
grand and ever present object Of my life
% strike Karl Krafton's track, and when
received the information from my
thief that he had been spotted at Chi
ago, / sincerity hoped that | would
have him in custody ere long.
Ny task was perhaps less difficult
han it would have been, had l not
Inown my man / knew him to be un-
lsually sharp, and realized that he must
De in disguise, and under an assumed
lame, however, and my task would
rove by no means an easy one.
/ spent four weeks in search OF
chicago, but without any apparent sue
less, until one day, at noon, as l sat be-
ieath large tree in the Avenue Park
-one of those small GASES in the desert
I the watching the moving
hrong on the street beyond, when two
hen who we're approaching from oppo-
ite directions. met at little distance
rom me, and as the trunk of the tree
oncealed me from them, | obtained a
,Ood view of their faces, while was
nseen. 1 could scarcely repress
~ of exultation, for one OF the men
Fas the assassin, Karl Krafton.
Fate had thrown him in my way.
Dur paths had crossed once more.
l could, perhaps have arrested hum
hen and there had been so disposed,
,ut there would have been a certain
lsk to run; 1 would undertake no
ask whatever
hrafton, the assassin, and the man
shom he had met were both powerful
allows. Had 1 rushed upon them,
.heir united efforts might have defeated
ne