The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-04-19
A STRANGE CONFESSION.

a great mystery surrounded the SUD-
den death of Alexander Dale Certain
metropolitan newspapers claimed that
he had committed suicide, while others
contended that murder had been per-
petrated. 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 I'm
provement company, with Offices In the
Hollis building, New York city, had
been for years a prominent and re-
spected business man of the metropolis.
He had been a member of several ex-
elusive clubs, and had kept bachelors
hall in handsome style. One morning
he was found dead in bed, dagger
through his heart. The weapon was
so situated that two theories regarding
bis demise were tenable-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 f1nan-
cial affairs appeared to be in flourish
ing condition, and no complications
with the gentler sex were known to
cloud his record. His fellow clubmen
testified unanimously that he had been
a consistent 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 clew to q murderer. His
apartments were on the second floor of
a large building on Fifth avenue, and
he was In the habit of remaining out so
late at night that his incomings were
never noted 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
metropolis 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
Western Land Improvement company,
had killed the president. Why2 Be-
cause Dale and Scranton were scoun-
drels of strictly modern type. They
both knew that the W. L. 1. G. was a
gigantic fraud. No one else did. So
Scranton murdered Dale in order that
he might alone reap the profits of a
great swindle and retain in his own
keeping dangerous secret. Greed and
fear were the monsters that urged him
to commit the worst of all crimes.
Eugene Scranton sat at the 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 mus
tache formed combination pleasing to
the eye. To the close observer, how
ever, 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 o.
distrust was borne 1t was hard to tell
Nevertheless, bis was a bad face
though handsome one.
Alexander Dale had been dead &
month. Eugene Scranton smiled as ht
realized that the newspapers made, NJ
reference to the mystery that had caused
such Juror some weeks before. III
laid down The Morning Wasp and ap
piled himself with considerable enthu
siasm to an omelette spiced will
chopped ham. He had been made
president of the Western Land I'm
provement company, and had placed
the affairs of that organization in sucl
shape that he would reap most of tn
profits and stand in no peril from an,
mans knowledge that he was higl
toned Crook
The study of the mans life ha
been to make selfshness a science. II
perceived that the modern world pay
adulation to him who holds the golde
keys of power. Cold, remorseless as a
iceberg, he had aimed at the target c
wealth. He had found that betwee
him and the bulls eye of his ambitio
stood the form of Alexander Dale. .
well directed dagger had removed tn
obstacle, and Eugene Scranton was
millionaire
''Well, what do you want2"
Scranton threw down his newspape
testify and turned toward his vale
who had just entered the breakfa!
room.
BEG pardon, sir" said John, 'but
man is outside with a queer lookin
machine. He says you ordered funn,
graph sent here. don't know what
is, but he's very positive, SIR"
''ren him to put 1t in the DRAWN
room, commanded the master. "Plac
it near the piano, do you hear2"
Eyes, sir"
The valet left the room and Eugen
Scranton reapplied himself to his breal
fast, his newspaper and his self COZ
gratulations.
1t was midnight and Eugene ScraI
ton lay awake, tossing restlessly upo
his bed. The world was treating hi1
well, but his conscience, that mo:
obnoxious organ of the human max
up, had become so aggressive that slee
had deserted his feYered couch.