The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-16
MY FIRST CASE.
BY o. Il. LUGR1N.
,coryRIeHr, 1871

fcoPYRIGHT, te9B-l
Old John Hartlepool was dead.
That much was certain. 1t was evil
dent that he had died from pistol
shot, for there was bullet wound in
his temple and the doctors found the
bullet in his brain. A revolver with
one empty chamber. which the bullet
would have fitted before its shape had
been fiattened by contact with the old
mans skull, was picked up in the court
directly under window of the room
where the chambermaid had found the
old gentleman lying dead, when sheen
tered the room with pass key at $50
in the morning. She also found that
the window was closed and fastened
and this effectually disposed of the
suggestion that the old man had shot
himself and thrown the pistol ont of
the window, for while there was an in
fnitesinal chance that he might have
thrown the pistol out after firing the
shot into his brain, it was absolutely
impossible that he could then have
closed the window and fastened it.
Moreover the position of the body and
the pool of blood beside it showed that
he had fallen when shot and never
moved again. The most careful search
of the room disclosed no weapon of
any kind. Suicide was therefore clear
~ out of the question. It was case
of murder. So at least the police
argued. and 1t must be admitted with
a good deal of reason.
No one could suggest that the old
man had any enemies. His habit OF
life was exceedingly simple. The
worst that could be said of him was
that though very rich he was very
penurious. He was not a hard cred,
itor, but on the contrary was inclined
to be lenient in his collections. He
was somewhat proud of the fact that
his mother was the daughter Of an
earl's daughter, but the only one who
used to consider himself aggrieved by
this was his handsome and high-spir-
tied nephew and namesake. So muir
der for revenge seemed out of the;
question.
Had anyone An interest in his death?
On this point there was NO doubt, for
John Hartlepoel, Jr., was known to ell
the community as his sole heir-at-law.
1t was also soon learned that ON tho,
very morning before his death the old
man had instructed his solicitor to
make will cutting of his nephew
with q pittance. which was to be exc
cuted the next day, if that young gen..
tleman would not in the meantime re-.
nounce his intention Of marrying Q
young lady, who was a member of q
popular opera troupe and took a role
which was more conspicuous because
of the elegance of her figure than of
the quality of her vocal powers or the
degree of her histrionic ability.
Not cent of my money shall 60 to
a brat of girl who makes a living by
showing her legs to TIE public" said
the old man to more than q score of
people, for his nephew's infatuation for
the pretty chorus girl was the one sore
spot in his life. s,r
1t was known that uncle and nephew
had had an interview between five and
six o'clock, during which time ter
rife thunderstorm was raging. Tho
elevator boy remembered that when
the young man left the house he took
the elevator at the third story. that he
was greatly excited and said some
thing about forgetting to ring for him
to come up to the fifth story. He also
remembered that it was raining furi-
ously at the time and that the thunder
was so loud and constant that pistol
shot might have been fred almost at any
moment during the storm unnoticed by
persons in an adjoining room. 1t also
appeared that there was an open win
dow on the stairs on the fourth story,
which window looked out into the
court where the pistol was found.
All these facts were brought to light
during the morning after the body was
found, with the additional fact that
j ohn Hartlepool, Jr., had disappeared.
The popular verdict was willfM muir
der against IAA- Hartlepool. Jr., and