The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-05-04
JOHN SAUNDERS HIATUS
By DAVID A. CURTIS
CHAPTER v.
THE INSPECTORS STATEMENT.

had always been interested in Mr.
John Saunders from the time that first
met him as reporter Of The Item, be-
cause ! then had reason to believe that
he was trying to reform. watched him
closely for a year or two and took pains
to inform myself thoroughly of his hab-
its Of living, when suddenly changed
my mind about him and concluded that
he was leading double life.
knew him, or thought l did, as
conscientious reporter, q gentleman Of
excellent attainments and irreproach-
able habits, and also knew him as a
gambler and adventurer, against whom
no criminal charge had ever been
brought, but whose associates were GER
tainly less than questionable--a man
whose frequent and prolonged absence
from the city was generally accounted
for on the supposition that he was one
of the gamblers who make business of
travelling across the Atlantic and feec-
ing their fellow travellers on the ocean
steamships and in the European capitals.
This was an interesting study to me,
and took some. pains to cultivate his
acquaintance in his capacity as a news
paper reporter. OF course knew that
he knew me as a gambler, and l was
surprised that he should maintain his
character as gentleman so imperturb-
ably when he met me in the way of
business as reporter.
About three months before the famous
Gregory murder discovered accident
ally that he knew Mrs. Gregory, or at
least that he presumably did, for saw
him step up to her as she was getting
out of her carriage. near midnight. ..a ,
heard her after exchanging few words
say impatiently, "Well, come in the
house, then" And he followed her in.
Again, saw him speak to her at the
Charity ball, and / could see by her face
that she was angry with him. rather
thought she was afraid of him. This
struck me as being remarkable and q
thing to remember. Some complication
was likely to arise.
Then came the murder, and / recalled
what had seen, and all that thought
] knew about Mr.. Saunders, and sus-
pected that he had been Matchmaking
her, and that some violent quarrel or
threat on one side or the other had led
to his killing her, either Intentionally or
accidentally.
l determined to see if / could trap
him into some admission, and l sent
him note at once asking him to call on
me. OF course l sent an officer also to
see that he should come anyhow, wheth-
er willingly or not.
He came; but, as had expected, he
seemed to be on his guard and pretend
ed at least not to understand why sus-
picion should attach to him, denying
that he had more than passing ac-
quaintance with Mrs. Gregory.
had heard of his having "gone
broke" in heavy game in Washington
afew months before, when in his person.
atty of Robert Levinson he had played
against bank and had played the limit.
That strengthened my theory Of black
mail, and referred casually to his hav-
ing lost all his money. To my surprise
he did not even then say word ac-
knowledging his identity with Levinson,
and he also persisted in denying his init
mate acquaintance with the unfortunate
lady.
While all this tended to confirm my
suspicious 1t decided me not to arrest
him at that time, but to let him go and
keep him under surveillance in the hope
that he would do something to betray
himself.
Nothing had occurred either to dispel
or to confirm my suspicious for two or
three days, when Mr.. Saunders called at
my Office in company with his counsel,
Mr.. Fairlegh. do not hesitate to say
that the story they told me surprised me
greatly, although am seldom surprised
at anything any more.
would certainly have regarded the
entire story as preposterous If had not
recognized at once that Mr.. Saunders
and Robert Levinson were two men in
stead Of being one and the same, as
had always believed. That was indis-
putable, as Miss Julia Fairlegh had
clearly demonstrated. That fact ex-
planned great deal, but did not care
to acknowledge my surprise or my belief
In what they said without due consider
alton.
therefore told them that the story
was certainly remarkable and interest
ing, and that it would bear investigation,
and l dismissed them. They were great
ly dissatisfied, as knew they would be,
with my apparent disbelief, and still
more at my positive refusal to disclose
the grounds of the suspicion that rested
on Mr.. Saunders.
As soon as they had left my office,
however, / sent out one of my best men
with instructions to arrest Robert Lev
inson. | had of course been struck
with the fact that that individual bore
the same name which Mr. Saunders
claimed as his own rightful one, but
could not then determine whether this
increased the mystery or tended to clear
it up.
1t was two days before Levinson was
brought in, and when he came he was
very defiant, refusing to acknowledge
anything that l wanted to know, and
denying all knowledge of the existence
Of Mr.. Arthur Levinson. and declaring
at first that the name Robert Levinson
was an alias, which he had assumed
when he became professional gambler.
Newspaper readers in New York are
aware that prisoners at the police head
quarters are sometimes induced to make
confessions after they have at first
strenuously denied their crimes. BY
what process they are SO induced has
never been made public, and very prob
ably it never will be. Officials do not
care to tell how it is done, since il the
process were known it would be likely
to lose its efficacy, And those who have