Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-04-13
THE CAPTAINS MURDER.

Mr.. Joseph Tonce was spare-built
ean-shaven man of about forty,
with gray hair and no whiskers, and
with nothing remarkable about him
except a deep cut over his right eye
brow.
When he first came into the neigh
bOrhOod the gosSips of Bradtown had
;peculated great deal as to who and
what he was, but without any basis
Tor their conjectures.
About the time our story COM
mences the Captain had got into
some trouble His landlord, an easy
Eoing, well-to-do tradesman, began
10 think that, as he said, he should
like see the color of the Captains
money
The patience of his creditors was
nearly exhausted, when one day
circular letter was sent to them ap-
pointing a meeting for II o'clock on
the following Monday, when" the
Captain wrote, ''he would satisfy all
claims, as a legacy left by distant
relation had been paid into his ac-
count at the BalstOn Bank"
On Saturday the Captain hired
zig at the Kings Arms TO take him
to Balston. Johnny Wilson, the land
lords son, drove him to the bank at
balston, where he staid about ten
minutes, and came out at the end
Of that time buttoning into the breast
pocket Of his coat a fat-looking
pocket book. Johnny waited for him
while he made a few purchases in the
town, and then drove him straight
home to the building"
At o'clock on Sunday morning
she inhabitants of quiet High street
we're aroused by a violent knocking
1t the door of the police station.
The policeman who was on night
duty opened the door and Mary Will
eombe, the Captains servant, white
with terror and painting with exer-
ton, nearly fell into his arms, gasp
Ing out that her master, the Captain,
had been robbed and murdered in the
night.
The Inspector was Immediately
called and the whole available police
force of the village, consisting Of two
policemen, set off with him for the
''building."
Mary Wilcombe, who seemed ut.
terly prostrated, remained under the
care of the Inspectors wife.
On reaching the "Ouilding" the In
Ipector found the front undisturbed,
the windows closed and the doors
locked.
On going round to the back the
door leading from the dining-room to
the garden, which sloped down t. the
river, was found to be open, and on
,ntering the sitting room drops Of
blood were seen along the carpet Ee-
tween the staircase and the garden
door
On the staircase itself the drops OF
blood were more frequent.
The bedroom, however, was clearly
the place where the murder had
been committed. The table by the
window had been pushed out OF its
place; the only two chairs in the
room were found lying on the floor.
The bed. which had not been slept
In, was deluged with blood, and in
the middle Of it was deep indenta-
tion as if a heavy body had been
pressed down upon it.
A large clasp-knife, stained with
blood, was lying on the pillow, and
by the door on the floor was an open
pocket-book.
So much the inspector saw at a
glance as he entered. He took the
pocket book and looked carefully
through it.
1t was empty: but lying near it and
behind the door was piece of neatly
folded paper. 1t had evidently fallen
from the pocket-book while the muir
derer was emptying the contents.
1t was a half-sheet Of note paper
folded in three, and written on it
were the numbers and value of the
bank notes, the total of which
amounted to e270.
Policeman Jones was Immediately
sent of to Balston with the paper to
Inquire of the bank manager whether
those were the numbers of the notes
which had been paid to the Captain
the day before, and if so to take
measures to stop them.
He also received orders to telegraph
Immediately to Scotland Yard an ac-
count of the murder and any facts he
night ascertain at Balston.
After locking the bedroom door the
-spectoT proceeded to the garden.