Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-09-09
TALE OF A BULLET.

"That's curious piece Of Workmanship"
said /, closely exam ing remarkable
looking revolver, which more nearly re-
tembled a derrlnger thsn any other known
form of weapon 1T must have a strange
history"
had espied the pistol on the detectives
sesk and had picked it up.
Not much OF u history" the detective
answered oarelessly. I'm fact, i can't even
say that / remember just how 1t came into
by possession"
glanced up just in time to perceive the
kink which the detective gave me behind
Ihe back of his superior, the inspector.
The inspector presently shuffled out of
he room, and then returned to the charge.
surely this odd pistol must have some
very peculiar history" persisted.
"Not in the least, my dear fellow. You
ere utterly mistaken. 1t is an utterly
prosaic thing ON which even my recollec-
tion fails me-"
The detective remained silent for some
moments, apparently musing Then he
said in a low tone:
~ guess the old fellow (the inspector) is
out of hearing by this time, but / was afraid
he might have his ear to the keyhole, so L
didn't want to speak too soon. The pistol
has q pretty remarkable history, but
didn't want to say anything about it be-
fore the old man, for it brings up matter
which is pretty sore topic for him, as you
shall soon learn"
The detective leaned back and crossed
his legs. My experience with him taught
me that a story was coming 1t came in
this wise:
"It was five years ago. In those days the
old fellow was plain, ordinary captain,
and was often assigned to cases of which
his precinct had jurisdiction.
"Old Richard Grantley was murdered
one night In his library. He was rich old
fellow, but as far as was known had no en-
emies. ! was sent from headquarters to
work up the case. The inspector, who was
then captain, had charge of the case, and /
was bound to defer more or less to him.
ETHEL Grantley was the handsomest girl
ever saw. She was betrothed to a poor
devil named Percy Ellerton. Old Grantley,
while he did not dislike Ellerton, did not
want him for a son-in-law. Now, the cap
tain took 1t into his head. from a narrow
chain of circumstantial evidence, that Ell
lerton was the murderer. Motive-to get
rid Of the old man and thus gain his daugh-
ter and fortune. / Investigated Ellerton
and felt satisfied that he was not the chap
to commit murder through any such mo-
tives. told the captain SO, and he and l
were at swords points in consequence all
through the case.
"Ellerton was arrested and the captain,
disdaining my help, wound such chain of
circumstances about the prisoner that the
lad was in serious danger of being hanged.
Old Grantley was killed with 8S caliber
1xxxII lat 80 v1tck- olA AL.k
caliber and often carried Il. This was one
Of the links Of the chain.
"The trial came on. The case, as the cap
tain made it up, was really an ingenious
one. 1t looked black for the prisoner.
meanwhile / had been working hard
The bullet which had been produced at the
inquest was of rather peculiar shape. l
tried to convince the captain that before
being fired it was of cylindrical shape. He
poohpoohed me.
"Well, sir, had been going on the the
ory that some relative of Grantley's had
murdered the old man. found that he
had had a nephew, Clarence Vance, who
had expected to come In for q good share
of the old mans wealth. A month before
the murder the old man had threatened to
change his will so as to leave his whole
fortune to his daughter.
II came to the conclusion that Vance
had murdered the old man in order to pre-
vent him from carrying out the threat. On
the day that the case against Ellerton was
going to the jury found among Vance's
effects this revolver. 1t took a peculiar
cartridge, with long, cylindrical bullet,
just like the one found in the murdered
man.
"Vance was in the courtroom. So was
Ethel Grantley, weeping as if her heart
would break as she saw the circumstantial
evidence piling up against her lover, whom
she had all along persisted was innocent.
II took Vance into an anteroom and
showed him the pistol aud the bullet
Never mind how did it, but forced him
to confess. / took the trembling wretch
back into the courtroom and made him tell
his story to the judge.
"Vance was hanged. Ellerton and Ethel
are now well known in the American col
ony at Paris. The police captain, now in
spector, hated me for long time He'd
never forgive me If he knew I'd told you
what fool he made OF himself as detect
ive."--New York Journal.