The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-25

the room was Is yet only lighted from the
door; but when those in front were
opened, and food of sunlight poured in.
there were no evidences apparent that
there had been any struggle between the
slayer and his victim, nor were there at
once visible any indications that robbery,
the only cause readily conceivable for the
brutal murder OF such an inotfensive old
man, had been the purpose instigating the
crime. The contents of the bureau draw
ers were much tumbed and disordered,
but it was presumable that they were so
usually, through the careless habits of the
occupant of the apartment. There were
no marks OF blood upon anything they
contained, but it was evident that the
murderer had made some attempt at least
TO wipe his crimsoned hands upon the
old mans shirt after killing him, and that
was probably before he searched the bu-
reau, If inCeed he had troubled himself to
rsnsack it at all. On one pillow OF the
bed they found the mark OF e bloody
hand. Perhaps the assassin was in such
haste for D under that he CROPPED where
the old mans head had lain before think
ind oil his bloody hand. Beyond that
nothing appeared to them to show that
robbery had been done.
But when Peter Van Deust had suffi-
GENTLY recovered to be able to speak CO.
herentiy, he said that his brother habit
uaily kept. somewhere in mis- -ooIn. a wal
let containing something over 70. 900, and
a bag OF coin; how much he did not know
These were nowhere to be found.
Lem Pawlett was hastily dispatched bv
the squire, soon after the discovery OF the
crime, to summon some near neighbors,
and as ne drove rapidly along the road,
shouting 10 every person he saw-"Jacob
Van Deust has been murdered PIT wac
but very little while be ore a dozen or
more men were assembled at the scene Of
the crime. They were all innocent, sim
ple-minded folks, who had never seen a
murdered man before, had even been a
little skeptcal that such an awful thing
as murder was ever really done, except 10
the big cities where extreme wickedness
was naturally to be ex .ected, and were
actually stunned by the shock OF finding
themselves in the presence OF the evil
dences of the preparation of such a deed
From them, of course. no aid In finding q
cue TO the perpetrator of the crime, or
divining its real motive, could have been
expected. Yet every man Of them was
wise IN his own conceit, and among them
were turtIvely exchanged whispers of such
hideous significance that the squire, when
PEELED to take notice of and reply to them
The old men have been all the time
quarreling for two months past" said one
TO another.
Yes" replied he who was addressed,
"Tve heard 'em myself. cussing each
other over the fortune that was lett them. Z"
''Sam Folsom" added third, told me
that he'd heard that Peter had threatened
to knock Jalxe's head od more than once. q"
On. I've heard that myself" chimed
in another. And l old hear that they'd
hal a regular fight and. Jake got the best
OF it."
It's awful that two old men like them,
on the edge OF the grave, as you may say,
and brothers at that, should quarrel about
money"
And one for to 60 and kill the other"
AT this point the squire, who had over
heard much of the preceding conversation,
interposed: How do you know" he de-
handed abruptly. turning Oh the last
speaker. who killed him?"
Well, L dunno exactly. of course"
whined the fellow, hesitstIngly, but it
looks mighty like il.
An! And that pimpled nose of yours.
Rufe Stevens, looks nightly like you
Were hard drinker, but you are ready to
take your bible oath its nothing but bad
humors in your blood"
There were lew suppressed chuck es
at the squire's retort from those in the
vicinity-for men will laugh even at the
smallest things, and in the very presence
OF the King of Terrors-sn6 Rufe moved
away. muttering indistinctIy. But the
squIre's interference and we.l-intended
reproOf had only = mOmentRry effect in
diverIing the attention of the neghbors
from the evil bent of suspicion their
minds had taken and they continued ex-
changing. and possibly Eugmentiag. the
rumors they had heard of differences be.
tween the Van Deust brothers, until the
sentiment was general among them that
Peter Van Deust should be at once ar
rested for the murder of his brother.