Smyrna times., 1892-12-07
The RICHARDS MURDER;
or, A CECIL COUNTY MYSTERY.
A Detective Story, by G. W. McLain.
CHAPTER l.
SMYRNA. DEL April. 81. 1892.
AN ENGAGEMENT.

AN ENGAG EMENT.
SMYRNA, DEL, APRIL, 27, 1892.
Jingle.jingle! Ting-a.ling! o, Sis,
that is the APO hack; wish you would
go down and bring up my mail, please.
Is that all, and only the Smyrna TIMES
at that Well, let's see what it con-
tains new. Oh By Gum What's all
this mean? $1,000. Phew that's =
lot Of Doodle; more than 1 have made
since l came to Smyrna last New
Years. Yes; for photograph gallery
here pays about as we'll as a peanut
stand on a graveyard.
Increased reward-ah! well, re.
wards and wants are what am after,
so | will just re-read it again.
The reward for the apprehension of the muir
derer of Mrs Jennie Richards, Cecil county, has
been increased from 81 200 to $1,000
Well, nov, that is news, and new
news to me. never before saw any
account of Mrs. Richards being MUIR
dered in Cecil county or in any other
county. However it sounds little
like business, and as l have but little
business here at present, guess l may
as we'll investigate little. Therefore
| Immediately wrote to tho county
commissioners short letter Offering
my assistance, etc, and received the
following reply:
Office Of County Commissioners
Of Cecil County.
ELKTON, MD, APRIL %, 1892.
MIR. G. w. MCLAIN, Smyrna, Del
Dear Sir:-YOur favor of the 9th to
hand, and in reply beg to say that the
reward of So 600 in the Richards MUIR
der case is open to the world, and we
would be pleased to have you try your
hand at bringing the guilty party or
parties to justice.
Very Truly,
G. H. SMITH Clerk.
Very good, as l am lone of the boys
who don't fear noise, and had Just as
leave tackle a $1,000 murder case as
$500 case that wasn't murder. But as
am altogether in the dark, | must
first have the particulars of the crime,
or at least part Ofthem, such as when,
where, how, etc, before can proceed.
Therefore, again wrote Mr.. Smith,
Gnd might add that / asked him
three thousand and one questions. or
course it was not quite that many, but
l did think, just after posting my ler-
ter. that if had asked him who killed
the woman, my list Of questions per-
tanning to the case and and cause
thereof would have been as complete
as Webster's dictionary On-bridges Tor
under them either).
Did Mr.. Smith answer my questions
Well, should cay not; perhaps no NOR
tal man could, but he wrote me like a
man, saying the same had been refer
red to Mr.. A. L. CrOthers. States At
torney, who had charge of the case.
WhereupOn ! received the following !.
ELKTON, MAY 2, 1892.
Mr.. G. W. MCLAIN.-Dear Sir =
Mr.. G. II. Smith handed me two letters
he had received from you in reference
to the Richards murder. If you will
call at my office | will give you such
information as | possess in relation to
the facts of the case. You had better
come at once as l may be out of town
in few days.
Respectfully,
AUSTIN l.. CROTHERs. States Atty.
What next? Go! why of course 1
must; business is business, and when
business calls, / must attend to busi-
ness in business hours; also in q busi-
ness way, and remembering, the more
haste, the less speed, l set myself to
work trying to figure out a way to 60,
so as to make, if possible, the trip
profitable as we'll as instructive. 1t
was then realized the fact of being
a good bit like the man with an elO-
phant on his hands, as l was tied down
as it were, with Photographic gallery
| II being photographer as we'll as a
detective). II is true the gallery did
not pay great deal, besides, | had
other help, but not sufficient to take
charge and run it to suit me, being
very particular and hard to suit in my
work, and l hated the idea of locking
my door.
very well knew from the increased
reward, that had no light job before
me, aud III hoped to succeed, l must
use caution and look before / leaped.
So, as it was nearing spring, l made
all possible haste to fit out and equip q
canvas tent iatO a travelling gallery,
30 l would be able, as hoped, to work
Cecil county, or wherever the case
might call me, without arousing sus.
piciOn.
And in a few days l was en- route
for ElktOn in company with one Of
my very best boys as assistant. Or
arrival my drst work was to size nT
the town, to end a suitable locality tC
erect our trap, or man-catcher. Not
finding one just to my ideal fancy,
turned my steps toward the Attorneys
office.
TALK WITH MY EMPLOYER.
beg leave here to say a word OF
detective stories in general, especially
in novel form, which always carry th,
detective through thick places and
through trying difficulties. Yes, he il
a sharper, very strong, never gets left
comes out ahead and on top, and i
necessary, can kill more men in q sin
gle round than GAtling gun dis
charged at MONDAY, down Broadway
New York. Aud of course he himself
gets killed several times, but always
comes to life in due time, none th,
worse for his encounter. Now, while
all that and more too, is true in story
| "a 4. -