Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-05
A STRANGE CONFESSION.

A great fulF''T9 hnIIounu'h NuH SUI
ssn death Of Alexander Dale Certain
ue,ropolitnn newspapers claimed TINT
hs had committed suicide, while others
eontended that a murder had been per
pstfnied. Tho detectives were all AZ
ga in tho matter and refused to express
an opinion.
\ So far as the public know. the facts Of
ne cnso were these; Alexander Dale,
tr,idcnt Of tho Western Land I'm,
provemcnt company. with offices In tho
Hollis building. Now York city, had
ben for years n prominent and 70
,tscted business man of tho metropolis
Ne had been mombor of several OK.
datye clubs. and had kept bachelors
hall IN handsome style. ono morning
lie was found dead In bed. II dagger
through his heart Tho weapon was
% situated that two thcorlcs regarding
bis demise wcrc tcnablo-cithcr his
own hand or that Of murderer might
have struck tho fatal blow.
The weakness Of the position held by
to.o WHO considered him a suicide lny
n tho fact that no motive Tor solf do
amclion seemed 20 exist His nnan.
ed affairs appeared TO DO In n flourish.
Ing condition. and no complications
With tho gcntlcr sex wofc known TO
cloud hls record. His fellow clubinen
testified unanimously that ho had boon
consistent woman hntur, that he wus
no, prone to melnncholin, and that on
the night preceding his death ho had
sfi their company In unusually high
spirits
On the other hond, there was not tho
slightest Glow 20 murderer His
apartments were on tho second floor Of
largo building on Filth avenue, aud
he was In the habit Of remaining out 40
hte at night that hi. incominrs were
never noted by tho jnnitor, who usually
retired long before Dnlo lult his club.
The mystery caused much gossip and
DISCUSSION Tor few days and was tlcn
uraetgllly forgotten. Some new sonsa-
loo bad turned the attention of tho
uetUpolls away from tho Dale case.
Th'ro was only ono NAN In tho world
who know how Alexander Dale died
that was the murderer Eugene Scrnn.
ion, secretary and treasurer Of tho
Western Land Improvement company,
lad killed tho president Whyi Bo'
cause Dalo aud Scranton wero scoun-
dfeis Of a strictly modern type. They
both knew that the W. L. |. c. was a
gsantic fraud. No ono else did. So
scranton murdered Dale la order that
he might alone reap tho profits OF u
gfeat 1windlo and retain In his own
keeping a dangerous secret Greed and
fear were th. monsters that urged him
ioeommit the wort Of all crimes
Eugene Scranton sat at the breakfast
Table slipping his coifoo and glancing
over the morning newspapers. 10 was
atall, spare man, about forty years of
tge. His gray hair aud black mus.
iachc formed a combination ploaslngto
the eye To the close observer, how.
ever there was something about tho
mans face that chilled tho heart and
Awakened suspicion. Was Il In tho
mouth or In the eyes that this father q!
dalrust was bornl It was hard TO tell.
Nevertheless, his was bad face,
though handsome one.
Alexander Dale had been dead u
month Eugene Scrapton smiled as no
realized that the newspapers made no
relerenco to the mystery that had caused
such a Juror some weeks before. IIo
'aid down Tho Morning Wasp and APP.
Piled himself with considerable onthu.
sla'm TO mn omeletto spicod with
chopped ham. lilo had been mado
PRESIDENT OF the Western Land lm-
lroyemeut company, and had placed
Tue Affairs of that organization IN such
shape that lao would reap most OF tho
Notta and stand In no peril from any
mana knowledge that lo was u high
toned "cfook."
Tho study Of tho uan's iio had
been 10 make solflshness science. lilo
perceived that the modern world pays
siulatlon TO him who holds tho golden
Keys Of power. Cold, romorseless as un
loeoers he had aimed at the target OF
wealth. Ho had found that between
I'm and tho bulls ego OF lis ambition
Nool tho form Of Alexander Dale. A
wen directed dagger had removed this
Oo,laelo, and Eugene Scranton was o
millionaire.
Won. what do you WANT"
eatanton threw down his Newspaper
U"hy md turned toward his valet.
toom.
Beg pardon, slr," aid Iohn. but
man e outside with queer looking
llseh'no lie says you otdered funny
s'e.h cent hero. don't know what il
~ pu' hos very pesitiyo. SIR"
Iell him 10 put ii In the drawing
"o'n' commanded tho mostcr place
U.s." lhe piano do you hearf
les VIZ.
'ne valet leli the room and Eugene
SCRANTON reapplied himself to his bleak
90. u'' newspaper hnd his sell con
CALCULATIONS
II was midnight and Eugene srran
~' Ny AWAKE, tossing restlcssly upon
u'' bed Tue world was uuatins linn