The Globe-republican., 1892-03-24

| ne c8sned the check into compartment
OF the money drawer where I found II
after business hours. just twenty-five
thousand dollars of the marked money
| remained, so I knew that the money
paid to John Oakburn was all marked,
as have said, and that no one else re-
| ceived any Of the notes thus marked"
This Is most fortunate" said the
| police sergeant as the banker concluded.
The most lucky of condolences. We
are much obliged to your cashier for be-
| ing the indirect cause Of this clue, Pax
ton remarked.
Meanwhile when Paxton and the
police sergeant were called into the in
terror compartment of the Office by the
coroner the handsome old gentleman
whose appearance we have noted had
quite by accident gained position close
to the door between the two apartments.
Without any intention Of becoming an
eavesdropper he overheard enough Of
the bank presidents remarks to compre-
hend the truth, and at the same moment
he saw Levi Kredge close beside him,
and the expression on the janitor's face
! told him the fellow had also overheard
the bank president.
The magnificent eyes of the handsome
old gentleman were fixed upon the face
Of Levi Kredge for in instant in a
searching glance, but the fellow was not
aware of the scrutiny to which he was
subjected.
A look of recognition appeared upon
the old gentleman's face and his eyes
flashed Ominously as though the sight Of
the janitOr awakened angry thoughts
in his mind, and he moved toward the
outer door while Levi Kredge was yet
intently listening and did not observe
his movement.
When presently the banker and the
others came out Of the rear Office the
stately old gentleman was gone.
During the interview between the
gentlemen in the interior office the
jurors and the others present had been
cOnversing among themselves, and no
one except the aged stranger and Levi
Kredge heard aught Of what had passed
between them there.
When the strange old gentleman first
entered the office Marion Oakburn
seemed attracted irresistibly by his face,
and she gazed at him like one fascinated,
until he withdrew. Beyond one swift,
passing glance as he came in, the aged
stranger had not seemed to notice her.
A few moments after the departure Of
the magnificent old man, Levi Kredge
also left the brokers' office, and II any
one had followed him they would have
seen him make his way swiftly to the
private entrance of the Office of Messrs.
Pratt and Weeks, and enter unceremoni-
Ously, as though perfectly certain Of his
reception.
Before Paxton and the Coroner came
out Of the Office in which they had heard
the bankers statement, the detective
took the latter aside and asked him to
grant him the opportunity to give his
version of the investigation which he
had conducted the preceding night.
Immediately upon his return to the
main office the Coroner called Paxton as
the next witness.
The detectives statement, until he
came to speak Of the discovery of the
broken fastenings on the window shut
ters, did not differ in substance from the
testimony given by the police sergeant.
Thereafter, however, he continued:
But, gentlemen, the fastenings of the
window blinds were not broken from the
inside. On the contrary they were
forced by means Of an iron bar inserted
under the shutters from without and on
the ground beneath the window are the
tracks of the assassin. There are also
marks on the side of the building which
were made by his shoes when he clam
bered into the office through the rear
window It seems clear, therefore, that
the assassin and thief could not have
been a resident of this house, and 1 also
assume that he had no positive knowl-
edge Of the money in the safe. I have
made q careful study of this case and
have arrived at the following conclusions:
When the assassin entered the office,
John Oakburn was not in 1t. He came
soon after. The assassin was in the
outer Office and he concealed himself
beside the desk near the door. Oak
burn did not discover the intruder,
and opened the safe to assure him
self that the large sum of money
which he had placed there was
secure. The assassin saw the money.
The sight determined him. He meant
to leap upon the old man then, but
before he did so the latter locked the
safe and turned away. At that moment,
while his back was turned, the assassin
leveled his pistol at the old mans head
and discharged the fatal shot. But no
one heard the report of a pistol. 1 ex-
plain that point by assuming that the
weapon used was an air pistol, which is
discharged without detOnatiOn. After
Oakburn fell the assassin secured the
safe key, committed the robbery, and
then let himself out through the street
door. He selected that route for his
departure because he knew there was
less danger in it than by going through
the window. He reasoned that even if
he was seen leaving the house boldly, by
the front entrance, he would not be
questioned, while, on the other hand, if
he chanced to be discovered getting out
of the window he was lost
Il am satisfied that it Is erroneous to
suspect Stuart Harland, and regard the
fact of his departure on the night of the
crime rather as evidence in his favor
than otherwise.
Suppose any person of ordinary in
telligence planned and executed the
crime, he certainly would have cOmpre-
hended that flight would be tantamOunt
to a confession OF guilt, and he would
not for q moment think Of taking such
suicidal course. On the contrary, his
natural proceeding would have been to