San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-29

lOICC.
| put down his exact words Under
stand, if you please. that | am not re-
sponsible for Detective Gates opinion of
me. | made my report at the office, re-
ceived my formal instructions and went
away with Mr.. Gates. At his office door
he asked me an abrupt question:
Can you prepare for long journey
and months absence from the city in
two hours"
| could prepare myself for both in less
time than that, and / told him So
Then make your arrangements az
7 h @ lyilIa Murhar
once" he said, and come here in two
bOurs time for your Instructions"
had served on the city force with
Mr.. Gates, and | knew his ways. l
wasted no time il asking questions. In
one hoUr and forty minutes was back
III his o!Ece prepared for years absence
or Il ioUrn Y to the end Of the earth.
You are - leave the city in half an
hour. he>1.i when We were alone, land
proceed .a' >,:.,. .. Maine on diff
cult #n3 delicate mission. \ Mrs. Mag
=" Winters. q, '",-+'..; Il resilient Of New
York ci," ag.,.ow.. .jgcs the state of
Maine 4, her birthplace. She receives
lTt2t5 bearing the Clifton postmark.
want yUU to - the expect you to
r'turn with comn.r'y history Of the
lie Of Ars. Maggie Winters from the
time she cut her first tooth until the mo-
merit of, her arrival in New York.
Mrs. Maggie Winters in New York
may be Mr.. Maggie Jones or Miss Anas-
t.,Ia Smith at Clifton. Go at the mat
ter in your own way Clifton is small
place. Il won't take you long to ascer-
tain the whereabouts of every person
who has left there during the past ten
years, SO the name doesn't matter. If
you get in a pinch go 10 some out-of-t the
way telegraph station and ask for in
structiOns."
He concluded by handing me roll of
money and Il photograph of Mrs. Maggie
Winters
Now you know how came to take a
hand in the celebrated Melville murder
case At that time was entirely ignorant
of the Importance Of my mission. The
man under whose orders | was acting de-
sired accurate information regardin; the
| previous life of one of the inmates of Mrs.
Clark Melville'S house. That was suffi-
cient. My place was to do my work and
ask 10 questions, and that is exactly
what | tried to do.
The first man spoke with at Clifton
| looked me in the eye for an instant and
reached for my hand. No wonder. We
| had slept together many a night in the
Army Of the Cumberland, with only a
ragged blanket between us and the sky.
found him with pension, Il postoffice
and-a pair of crutches. The brave fell
| low had deposited one of his legs as Il
guarantee of his devotion to his country
at Lookout Mountain.
AS a soldier my friend was a man to
be trusted. As Il postmaster he was a
man to lie studied. spent three days
in his company and found him true as
steel When | told him what wanted
he laughed at NE for not telling him be-
fore.
We'll, | know how it is with you New
York detectives" he said; "you all have
cipher trademark. Study it out and
YOU discover these words, Never trust
| any one"
He said it in 4 laughing, offhand way,
but he hit the nail square on the head.
That night he put me in possession of
| important information. Only two persons
in the village knew Mrs Maggie Win
ters. Every man, woman and child in
| the place knew Mrs Caroline Green.
They not only knew her, they pitied
her. The persons who knew Mrs. Mag
gle Winters were Mrs. Caroline Green's
sister and my friend, the postmaster.
| Mrs. Caroline Green had not been alb
sent from her native place six weeks
when her sister opened Il correspondence
| with Mrs. Maggie Winters in New York.
| The letters were addressed to the street
| and number where Mrs. Clark Melville
lived. Mr.. Gates was right when he said
| that the name did not matter in place
the size Of Clifton. He did not reckon,
however, on my finding an old cOmrade
in the Clifton postmaster-the only per-
son in the village of whom the desired
information could have been procured
| without great trouble and delay.
When ! had located Mrs. Maggie
Winters in Mrs. Caroline Green l went
to the postmaster's wife for advice. l
found her to be an intelligent woman,
in every way worthy of the noble man
who had done her the honor to make her
his wife. She readily promised me all
the assistance in her power, and asked
me to tell her where and how to begin.
First" explained, 'go among the
gossips and turn their tongues in the
direction of Mrs. Caroline Green. 1t