The Penn's Grove record., 1893-06-30
A STRANGE COMPRESSOR.

A STRANGE COMPRESSOR.
L
A great mystery surrounded the
sudden death of Alexander Dale. Ger
tain metropolitan newspapers claimed
that he had committed suicide, while
sthers contended that a murder had
been perpetrated. The detectives
we're all at sea In the matter and re-
fused to express an opinion.
So far as the public knew, the fact,
Of the case were these: Alexander
Dale, President Of the Western Lane
improvement Company, with offices
In the Hollis building, New York
City, had been for years a prominent
and respected business man Of the
metropolis, He had been a member
Of several exclusive clubs, and had
kept bachelors hall in handsome style.
One morning he was found dead In
bed, q dagger through his heart The
weapon was so situated that two
theories regarding bis demise were
tenable. Either his own hand or that
Of a murderer had welded the fatal
| blow.
The weakness of the position held
Oy those who considered him a sui.
eide lay in the fact that no motive
FOR self.destruction seemed to exist.
His financial affairs appeared to be
4 a fourishing condition, and no com.
plications with the gentler sex were
known to cloud his record. His fol.
low clubmen testified unanimously
that he had been a consistent woman
hater; that he was not prone to mel.
anchol,a, and that on the night pre-,
:edlng his death he had left theiI
company In unusually high spirits.
On the other hand there was no,
the slightest clew To a murderer. His
apartments were on the second fool
81 a large building on Fifth avenue,
md he was In the habit of remaining
put so late at night that his incom.
'ngs were never noted by the, janitor,
who usually retired long before Dale
eft his club.
The mystery caused much GOSSIP
ind discussion for a few days, and
'gas then practically forgotten. Some
lew sensation had turned the atten.
lion of the metropolis away from the
Dale case.
There was only one man In the
world who knew how Alexander Dale
iied-that was the murderer. Eu,.
Eene Scranton, secretary and treasurer
u the Western Land Improvement
Company, had killed the president.
Why? Because Dale and Scranton
we're scoundrels Of a strictly modern
type. They both knew that the W.
L. l. @ was q gigantic fraud. Nc
one else did. So Scranton murdered
Dale 10 order that he might alone
reap the profits of a great swindle
and retain In his own keeping q dan.
yerous secret Greed and fear were
the monsters that urged him to com.
nit the worst of all crimes,
III.
Eugene Scranton sat at his break,
fast table, slipping his coffee and
Slancing over the morning news
papers. He was a tall, spare man,
about 40 years Of age. His gray hail
and black mustache formed q comb.
nation pleasing to the eye. To the
close observer, however, there was
something about the mans face that
chilled the heart and awakened sus.
ptcion. Was it in the mouth or in
the eyes that this father of distrust
was born? 1t was hard to tell.
Nevertheless, his was a bad face
though a handsome one.
Alexander Dale had been dead IA
month. Eugene Scranton smiled as
be realized that the newspapers made
no reference TO the mystery that had
caused such a Juror some weeks be,
fore. He laid down the Morning
Wasp and applied himself with con.
siderable enthusiasm to an omelette
spiced with chopped ham. He had
been made president OF the Western
Land Improvement Company, and
had placed the affairs Of that ofganza.
tion In such shape that he would rear
most OF the profits and stand In no
peril from any mans knowledge that
he was a heightened crook"
The study OF this mans life had
been to make s~elashness a science.
He perceived that the modern world
pays adulatioA to him who holds the
golden keys of power. Cold remorsc,
less as an iceberg, he had aimed at
the target OF wealth. He had found
that between him and the bulls eye
Of his ambition stood the form OF
Alexander Dale. A well-directed
dagger had removed this obstacle
and Eugene Scranton found himself
/ millionaire.
".
We'll, what do you want?"
Scranton threw down his news.
paper testify and turned toward his
valet, who had Inst entered the
breakfaSt-foom.
'Beg pardon. sir" said John, 'but
4 man is outside with a queer-lookinA
machine. He says you ordered 0
funnygraph sent here. don't know
what it is but he's very positive,
sir
TEL him to put 1t In the draw.
'ng-room," commanded the master,
Place 1t near the piano, do You
.nar?"
"Yes, sir"
The valet left the room and Eugcn.
Scranton seapplied himself tn his
breakfast his newspapers and his
self-congratulatlons
v.
1t was midnight and Eugene Scran
Ron lay aWaka tnssino rastIosslv go,