Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-07-05

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3 solitary walking tour down the valley
\ of the Weser. from the quaint little town
of Buckeburg to the old-time city of
Hamelin, known to all men as the home
of the famous piper who took the chill.
dren with him to fairy land over the Klut-
Berg.
1t was good month before the regular
tourist season began, and so had the
Z" Guest Houses TO use the good old
German word-to myself at the different
villages at which / stopped on my way
through the hill country of the Deister.
had just settled myself down to sup,
per in the guest chamber of the best
looking inn in one of these places, when
the door opened, and a well built, fair
young fellow, clad in gray tweeds, and
with knapsack on back, and stick in
hand walked in and glanced round the
room.
He was followed moment after by
the host. and at once proceeded, with an
Englishman's usual Disregard of the con-
fusion of tongues. to order his supper in
excellent, undtluted English, the host
replying in German.
1, of course, took the liberty of in
Producing myself, and disentangling the
verbal muddle.
This done. 1 invited the newcomer to
sup with me, and so began companions
ship which lasted till the end of my trip.
My new acquaintance was young
barrister who had started out on walk.
ing tour with friend who had under
taken to act as interpreter, but who had
been called back to England the day be-
fore on urgent business
When we started on our way the next
morning, having exchanged personal par
ticulars overnight, turned the conver-
saion ON to law and crime in the not rln-
pardonable hope of getting something
out of lawyer for nothing.
What wanted was story by the
wayside, and so proposed that we
should exchange yarns, he leading off
with the story of his most curious legal
experience. gre
He agreed, and this is how he kept his
part of the contract.
My own practice, such as it is, Is
confined to the common law, but l have
had one criminal case, and that was
about as singular an affair as any Old
Bailey counsel could well have come
across.
1T was about four years ago, now,
and briefs were few and far between
with me then. had had no case for
nearly month, and was sitting one af-
ternoon in my chambers wondering when
the next brief was going to turn up,
when telegram came in and sent me
flying off home as fast as hanson could
carry me. The wire was from my old
schoolfellow, and one of the few real
friends that had so far crossed my path.
The words of the message were:-
"'I have been arrested for murder Come
at once.'
The address was Exeter jail / Just
caught the 3 o'clock express from Pad
dington, and by half past seven 1 was
listening to my friends story in the cell
The crime of which he was accused was
even worse than murder, for his own
father was the victim.
The particulars he gave me were ter
ribly bald. and to anyone but an old
friend they would have been anything
but conducive to belief in his inno-
cence.
The night before he had gone out for
long walk. according to a habit of his,
with which / was we'll acquainted, and
had got home between eleven and twelve.
Not feeling inclined to go to bed, he
went upstairs to the library to get a
book. and on his way passed the open
door of his fathers study. The old
gentleman was sitting at his table as he
passed, and wished him Goodnight, >
thinking he was going to bed.
He remained for about an hour in
the library; and, as he passed the study
door on his way to bed, he noticed that
it was shut, and the light was out. He
had heard nothing unusual during the
time he was In the library
The next morning the housekeeper
reused him about seven, and Mortified
him by telling him that his father had
been found dead in his library chair. a
doctor was at once sent for, and very
brief examination of the body convinced
him that there had been foul play and
that the old gentleman had been
strangied from behind as he sat at his
table writing. The strangling had been
done with silk handkerchief which Law
beside the body when the crime was dis
covered, and that handkerchief bore my
friend Fred s initial in the corner.
He at once said that he remembered
leaving it in the study the day before
and to him it was clear that the assassin
had found it, and used it as the most
silent and effective weapon at hand. The
police, however, had told him to keen
that story, with the other one about his
nocturnal walk. for the magistrates, and
arrested him on the circu1nstantial evil
dence. He had been before the magis-
trate that day, and the case had been
adjourned for my attendance.
ought to add that robbery had evi-
IDENTIFY been the motive for the crime,
whoever had committed it, for the mur-
dered mans writing table drawers had
all been forced, and a small safe In the
library had been opened with the key,
and altogether nearly 81 500 IN notes and
gold were missing.
Z. The following day my friend was
committed for trial reserving his de-
fence AS a matter of fact the poor
fellow had no defence to reserve. There
was no clue to any other solution of the
mystery than his guilt, and, worse than
all, It was well known that he had lately
incurred debts which his father had re-
fused to pay. The only link lacking in
the fatally short chain of circumstantiaI
evidence, was the failure of the police to
trace any of the stolen money to him.
It had apparently vanished into thin air.
This, however. was but small consola-
tion, either to him or to me-
The sessions came on IN about ten
days. and during that time / hardly
slept, so incessantly was my brain work.
ing to discover some clue that would