St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-13

II
stfoS continued; there they ceased
On the soft mud and leaves was -
impression as il heavy body had been
iaid there; near the impression. lying
on the ground, was = spade, and ct I
distance Of few feet the ground had
been dug up, as If it had been intended
to bury the body there
On the river bank the FOOTPRINTS
were again found This time they
pointed forward, and not backward.
and the impression was clear and
sharp
The body must have been carried
The river at this point was deep and
sluggish; there would be no little diff
Guilty in dragging it
Drags were sent for. and the in.
spector went home to breakfast, lcav-
ing . policeman in charge of the prem
ises, with orders to admit no one ex-
cept on business "
The inspector had hardly finished his
breakfast when Policeman Jones re
turned from Balston.
He had been eminently successful.
Thesbank manager had identified the
numbers on the paper rs those of the
bank notes paid the day before to the
captain.
The money. it appeared. had been
paid to him In pursuance of an order
contained in . letter received that Sat
urday morning from their London cor
respondents, Cowie. Nabob & Co, the
great China and Indian bankera
Jones had then made inquiries in the
town and At the railway station.
At the station he found that man
in . greatcoat and wide-awake hat,
who was mufYied up in . comforter,
and who seemed to avoid observation.
had left that morning for London by
the $50 train.
He had offered IS note in payment
l for his ticket sss
The clerk remembered this from the
difficulty he had in getting change so
| early on the Sunday morning. The
note was produced. and found to bo
one OF those stolen from the captain.
The drags had now been at work
some time, but without success The
river had been dragged up and down,
and side ways and across, and at every
ceeceivable angle, huk no body had
been found.
The inspector was getting impatient.
when gig drove up to the building"
and dapper little man in . frock coat
buttoned to his chin, and with heavy
black mustache, jumped out
The crowd which had collected by
this time made way respectfully, Tor it
was whispered that the stranger was
no other that Detective Perkins from
London.
In few minutes the detective had
heard all that the inspector had to tell,
They entered the "building" The
crowd outside was getting more ex-
cited.
They thought that. now the London
detective had come, the murderer
would soon be dragged from his hiding
place and handed over to justice.
Time. however, went on, and Per
kins was still inspecting the premises,
while his character was rapidly falling
in the opinion of the crowd outside.
''Hc's no conjuror. I told We 50
afore," said one sturdy countryman.
who had been . skeptic from the first.
And this time his assertion did not
meet with the disapprobation It had
called when pronounced half an hour
before. The crowd was tired Of wait
Ing.
Perkins. meanwhile, unconscious Of |
hottie criticism, had looked over the |
kitchen and Mary's bedroom. but with |
out making and discovery. When he
came to the captains bedroom he stood |
in tho middle of Il and took q general /
survey.
He then proceeded to the details. He
raised the chairs and then put them
down again in their original position,
repeating this operation two or three
times, watching with great interest
how they fell.
Then he came to the bed He looked
at it from all points-first at full view,
and then = three-quarters. then one side
view, and then the other side view, till
he had exhausted it and the patience
of the inspector.
He then stood, and mentally threw
himself upon it in such . position rs to
make the impression which still re-
manned on it.
There was some hitch, for he shook
his head. He pulled out the drawers
and examined the wardrobe of the de-
ceased man.
A pair of boots lying In the corner
Of the room next attracted his atten-
ton.
He examined them carefully. Some
thing in the lining Of one of them
seemed to interest him, for he brought
out his pocketbook and referred to
written in it He then ex-
amined the boot again, and scanned
for he pocketed it
At last Perkins finished his examin-
alton of the bedroom, and went down.
stairs, inspecting each stair as he
went
These We re apparently more satisfac-
tory, for his face frightened consider
ably. and after he had been shown the
traces Of blood along the floor of the
it had expanded 10 broad
grin. |,
"You see how it was done?'' asked
the inspector, whose opinion Of Pesk-
ms had by this time reached the lowest
ebb Ii
Perkins smiled; he was not the man
10 commit himself
He walked to the table, and turned
over the books and papers till he found
some sheets of plotting paper.
These he examined attentively, hold
ing them in every possible direction.
The result seemed 10 be very satisfac-
Tory, for he pockes.d them tft /,
The footprints IN the garden, the
half dug grave under the trees, and the ,
impression in the vet leaves seemed to ,
interest him little. II
He examined them. 6ut only like one |
with his own thoughts ,
They cane to the river bank.
''We'ns dragging the river" said the I
inspector, pointing to the two boats
which had now been working unsuc- l
,esfully for some hours I,
..Ah! yes" said Perkins, rs II the ne {
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