Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-07-20

Thomas Thonce was square,
built, clean-shaven man of about
forty, with gray hair and no whisk-
ers, and with nothing remarkable
about him except a deep cut over
his right eyebrow.
When he first came into the
neighborhood the gossips of Brad
town had speculated a great deal as
to who and what he was, but with
out any basis for their conjectures.
About the time our story COM
mences the Captain had got into
some trouble. His landlord, an
easy-going, well-to-do tradesman,
began to think that, as he said. he
should like to see the color of the
Captains money.
The patience of his creditors was
nearly exhausted, when one day a
circular letter was sent to them, APP
pointing a meeting at IL o'clock on
the following Monday, when" the
Captain wrote, 'he would satisfy all
claims, as legacy left by distant
relation had been paid into his ac-
count at the Balston bank"
On Saturday the Captain hired a
gig at the Kings Arms to take him
to Balston. Johnny Wilson, the
landlords son, drove him to the
bank at Balston, where he stayed
about ten minutes, and came out at
the end of that time buttoning into
the breast pocket Of his coat fat
looking pocket-book. Johnny wait
ed for him while he made a few pur-
chases in the town, and then drove
him straight home to the build
ing"
At 8 o'clock on Sunday morning
the inhabitants of quiet High street
were aroused by a violent knocking
at the door of the police station.
The policeman who was on night
duty opened the door and Mary Will
comb, the Captains servant, white
with terror and painting with exer-
ton, nearly fell into his arms, gasp
ing out that her master, the Cap
tain, bad 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 Wilcomb, who seemed utter
ly FRUSTRATED, remained under the
care Of the Inspectors wife.
On reaching the building" the
Inspector found the front undis-
turbed, 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 to
the river, was found to be open, and
on entering the sitting-room, drops
of blood were seen along the carpet,
between the staircase and the gar
den door.
On the staircase itself the drops
Of blood were more frequent.
The bedroom, however, was clear
ly the place where the murder had
been committed. The table by the
window had been pushed out of it's
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 il was deep indenta-
ton as if 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
glance as he entered. He took the
pocket-book and looked carefully |
through IL.
II was empty, but lying near it,
and behind the door, was a piece Of
neatly folded paper. IL had evident
ly fallen from the pocket-book
while the murderer was emptying
the contents.
II was q half-sheet Of note paper
folded in three, and written OH it
were the numbers and value of the
bank notes, the total of which was
R27O.