Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-06-18
A STRANGE COMPRESSOR.
From st. Louis Republic.

A great mystery surrounded the sud-
den death of Alexander Dale. Certain
metropolitan newspapers claimed that
he had committed suicide, while others
commended that a murder had been perpe-
trated. The detectives were all at sea in
the matter and refused to express an
opinion.
So far as the public knew, the facts
of the case were these: Alexander Dale,
president of the Western Land Improve
ment company, with offices in the Hollis
building, New York city, had been for
years prominent and respected bust
ness man of the metropolis. He had
been member of several exclusive clubs.
and had kept bachelors hall in hand
some style. One morning he was found
dead in bed, dagger through his heart.
The weapon was so situated that two
theories regarding his demise were ten
able. Either his own hand or that of
murderer might have struck the fatal
blow.
The weakness of the position held by
those who considered him suicide lay
in the fact that no motive for self de-
struction seemed to exist. His financial
affairs appeared to be in a f1ourishing
condition, and no complications with the
gentler sex were known to cloud his
record. His fellow-clubmen testified
unanimously that he had been con-
sistent woman hater, that he was not
prone to melancholia, and that on the
night preceding his death he had left
their company in unusually high spirits.
On the other hand, there was not the
slightest clue to a murderer. His apart
ments were on the second floor of large
building on Fifth avenue, and he was in
the habit of remaining out so late at
night that his incomings were never not
ed by the janitor, who usually retired
long before Dale left his club.
The mystery caused much gossip and
discussion for few days. and was then
practically forgotten. Some new sensa-
ton had turned the attention of the me-
tropolis away from the Dale case.
There was only one man in the world
who knew how Alexander Dale died
that was the murderer. Eugene Scran-
ton, secretary and treasurer of the West
ern Land Improvement company, had
killed the president. Why? Because
Dale and Scranton were scoundrels of a
strictly modern type. They both knew
that the w. l.. l. c.. was gigantic
fraud No one else did. So Scranton
murdered Dale in order that he might
alone reap the profits of great swindle
and retain in his own keeping a danger
GUS secret. Greed and fear were the
monsters that urged him to commit the
worst of all crimes.
| Eugene Scranton sat at his breakfast
table, slipping his coffee and glancing
over the morning newspapers. He was
tall, spare man, about forty years of
age. His gray hair and black mustache
formed a combination pleasing to the
eye. To the close observer, however,
there was something about the mans
face that chilled the heart and awakened
suspicion. Was it in the mouth or in the
eyes that this father of distrust was
born? 1t was hard to tell. Neverthe-
less. his was bad face, thouge a hand
some one.
Alexander Dale had been dead a
month. Eugene Scranton smiled as he
realized that the newspapers made nc
reference to the mystery that had caused
such furOre some weeks before. He
laid down the Morning Wasp and ap-
piled himself with considerable enthusi.
asm to an omelet spiced with chopped
ham. He had been made president OF
the Western Land Improvemen com
paDy, and had placed the affairs of that
organization in such shape that he would
reap most of the profits and stand in nc
peril from any mans knowledge that he
was high toned "crook."