The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-19

been employed by the superintendent had
not read in the paper a paragraph mention
ing this among other things.
The alleged incendisries were taken
charge OF by the United States marshal and
removed to Governors Island, the general
charge being one OF reasonable conduct.
1t was with the utmost difficulty that the
local authorities succeeded in doing any
thing at all until the man proved beyond
all doubt that he was not at the hotel at the
time OF the fire. and only got there as it
broke out. The alibi was SO conclusive that
in spite OF all the other suspicious circum-
stances IN bis life and his inability Co give
a rational account of his antecedent actions
he was released. Just as he was stepping
from the boat that conveyed him from the
island TO the city he was met by the detect
i've, who whispered something TO him. To-
gether they went to the restaurant and sat
down at the table where Burton had sat on
that Saturday.
The man was a gaunt and grizzly giant,
eunbrowned Co a tawny hue. His face re-
minded you Of the clay eaters OF the Caro-
linas, and his eye had dull, metallic gilt
ter like that OF a rattlesnake when it had
just shed his skin. Cool desperation shone
out all over him. But he had not only the
cieverest, bat the bravest, man on the force
to deal with. The reptillian and malignant
eye was matched by the cool, gray determi-
nation OF a mssuerful will and a lightning
penetration,
One by one the walters walked past and
looked at him and shook their heads. A
grim witch of his mouth was the only sign
he made of his understanding.
The detective told me afterward that he
never spent ten minutes that were so tight-
ened with concentration. He knew the
kind OF man who sat facing him, with only
the round table between them-one Of the
irrational desperadoes whose impulses are
always on the edge of an insane leap. who
when cornered put a Illuminating cap In
their mouths, or springing 10 sudden action,
welcome death If IL only affords them a mo-
ment's retaliation.
The employees all but one had looked at
him and failed to recognize him. The man
who had just escaped hanging evidently
thought he would escape this other net.
But the last waiter remembered him. He
had seen him at that table on the Saturday
morning He would swear to it.
''It's a mistake. said the fellow. II was
not in the city on that day, / can prove il"
why should your asked the detective.
Because replied the fellow. after mo-
ment's hesitation, II suppose this place was
set afire, too, and you want to make out
did it."
The detective smiled. "You sat here at o
o'clock" ne said, "alone. There were two
men at that table and thre3 over there In
the corner. They will be here in five min
utes. Tell me why you put the glass in the
salt cellarw
The man looked up and down the place
with quick movement. He was measuring
chances. HIS eyes had the red spark Ia
them that is at from hell In another min
ute he had made leap like a conger to-
ward the door, overturning the table and
nearly upsecting the detective. But Chris
Allen. think 1t was, who was appointed
year before and was there in waiting, struck
him with his club and laid him out.
We should never have known anything
about the history of this fellow, for be
killed himself in the Tombs by severing an
artery with a tin plate that he had torn in
two. II a e@rpst-bHg Of his had not been
found at the Sinclair house. It contained
some letters which enabled the officer to
trace his history in the south.
can give you that officers opinion In a
very few words. THAT fellow said he,
was one of those inoomprehensible demons
that public crises seem TO develop He
came up from the south with q dementia
caused by the war and set out to kill as
many northern people as he could. He had
been a glass worker In Fayetteville.
''He it was who conceived the scheme of
sending infected clothing inso New York
from Canada.
II believe, but OF course | never could
prove 1t, that he must have killed over 100
people here with ground glass. for he
stopped at several hotels and l have traced
his work in several directions"