Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-23


he made full statement of his connec-
ton with two mysteries. After | had
verified enough Of it to be satisfied of
its general accuracy | sent for MIR. Saun-
| ders and Mr.. Fairlcgh and submitted it
| to them for inspection. Subsequently
verified the entire story, SO far as it
could possibly he verified.
As to the truth of his story of Mrs.
Gregorys death there must of course
always be doubt.
ROBERT LENINSoNs STORY.
Ny mother always told me she was Il
widow. / do not know whether that
was true or not. After her death |
found a letter addressed to me in which
she said that Lcyinson was her maiden
name; that She had qualreled with her
only brother, Henry Levinson, when She
married and had never been reconcied
TO him: that her husband had forsaken
her before my birth, whcreupon She had
renowned his name, and that he had
Gfterward died.
repeat that do not know whether
that was true or not. am inclined to
think that my father was such y man as
tim. | care pothing about it one way or
the other, as my mother never displayed
any affection for Inc that | remember
and never inspired me with any for her.
/ was interested in only one clause in
her letter. and that was the mention Of
by uncle, Henry Levinson, Of whom |
had never heard before, That interested
Inc because / thought ! could get money
from him.
did not. On the contrary. discov-
cred that he had long been dead and
had LETT all Iii, fortune by will to his
only son. Arthur. VINO was then travel
ing on the continent somewhere. con-
suited Il lawyer rs TO the possibility of
breaking the will, and on his advice
abandoned the idea.
Twas then working the Cardrooms on
some of the crack ocean steamers, anil
early in the following October | took
passage from Queenstown to New York.
The vessel had not been an hour under
way when one Of the under stewards
whom | had tipped very literally on q
previous trip and who was u very saga
cious fellow. came to me and said:
Mr. Levjnson, did Won know that
Your brother was on board"
MY bro.hcr:' said carclcSsly. "No,
didn't know had a brother"
"Well. sir said the steward, "his
name is LevinsOn. and he looks exactly
like YOU"
The thought struck me at once that it
WAS my cousin Arthur whom l had
never seen. I gave the fellow sover-
egn and toll him to find ont all he could
about the ether Mr.. Levinson, and then
shut and locked my door and sat down
to think it over.
revolved probably fifty plans in my
head and was satisfied with none Of
them. Still more was l inclined to be
cautious after had heard the steward 5
report. He said that my cousin seemed
to be very reserved, quiet man, who
apparently had no acquaintance on
board, and he declared over again that
the resemblance between us was Won
ucrful
This set me thinking harder, and
fnally decided 10 study my cousin care
fully before letting linn know Of my
existence. and then trust to the chapter
, l
orally had for some chance Of putting
MIN out OF tire way and imperSonating
linn. III could do that stood to win 4
fortune, whereas ! couldn't hope foI
more than few hundreds or possibly
thousands III any other way.
| therefore kept my room through The
voyage, excepting when with the aid of
my pal, the steward, vcnturcd out tc
watch Arthur surreptltiOusly. did
more than that. paid the rascal IN
unrighteously large sum TO search Ar.
thurs room and TO bring me some spec
linens of his handwriting. And | got
him to have an error il the ships LIST
corrected so that it showed that Mr.
Robert Lewis occupied the Statcroon
that had been supposed to be occupied
by Mr.. Robert Leviuson. | argued that
if my cousin should not know of my ex
istence ! would have so much the better
chance.
Ny pal served me well. He brought
me Arthurs writing desk, and ! ex
amined it carefully, taking ont two un
important scraps which happened tl
show his signature and sending the rest
back, It might prove important to mc
= to be able to initiate that signature.
revolved the notion Of getting him
overheard in some way during the voy
age and stepping into his staoroom Il,
Arthur Leviuson, but dismissed that
H. was too dangerous Ocean steamship,
are too wei policed tomake such thing
very feasible, and besides the steward
! although he served me we'll in small mat
tiers, was not the kind OF man TO trust il
! large ones, and he would know what hal
happened even if 10 one else did.
Arriving at New York | looked up
man who lad been useful to me more
than once Lefore and told him to t.nt
out all he could about Mr.. arthur Lev
, inson. He succeeded admirably, and il
, ii day or two | knew where my cousin
kept his bank account, as well as where
!, he was living.
> My next plan was TO forge his name t.
a check for some large amount and pre-
sent and cash it myself. | practiced OF
- his signature until could initiate il very