Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-04-19
A MYSTERY SOLVED.

Mr.. Joseph Tonce was spare built
clean-Shaycn man OF about forty,
with gray hair and no whiskerS, and
with nothing remarkable about him
except deep cut over his right eye
brow.
When ne first came into the neigh.
bOrhoOd the gosSips of Bradtown had
speculatcd Il great deal as to who and
what lie WAS. but without any basis
COR their conicctures.
About the time our story COM
menccs the Captain had got into
some trouble. His landlord, an easy
going, well-to-do tradesman, began
to think that, as he said, he should
like see the color Of the Captains g
money.
The patience of his creditors was
nearly exhausted, when one day a
circular letter was sent to them ap-
pointing a meeting for u o'clock on
the following Monday, "when," the
Captain wrote. ''hc would satisfy all
claims. as Il legacy left by distant
relation had been paid into his &C.
count at the BalstOn Bank"
On Saturday the Captain hired a
gig at the Kings Arms to take him
to Balston. Johnny Wilson, the land
lords son, drove him to the bank at
Balston, where he staid about ten
minutes, and came ont at the end
of that time buttoning into the breast
pocket of his coat a fat-lOOking
pocket-book. Johnny waited for him
while he made few purchases in the
town, and then drove him straight
home to the "building."
At o'clock on Sunday morning
the inhabitants of quiet High street
were aroused by n violent knocking
at the door of the police station.
The policeman who was or night
duty opened the door and Mary Will
combe, the Captains servant, white
with terror and painting with eXer-
tion, nearly fell into his arms, gasp
ing out that her master, the Captain
had been robbed and murdered in tho
night.
The Inspector was Immediately
called and the whole available police
force of the village, consisting of two
policemen, set off with him for the
"building."
Mary Wilcombe, who seemed ut.
terly prostrated, remained under the
eare of the Inspectors wife.
On reaching the "Duilding" the In.
spector found the front undisturbed,
the windows closed and the doors
locked.
On going round to the back the
door leading from the dining-room to
the garden, which sloped down t. the
river, was found to be open, and on
entering the sitting-room drops OF
blood were seen along the carpet be.
tween the staircase and the garder
door.
On the staircase itself the drops OF
blood were more frequent.
The bedroom, however, was clearly
the place where the murder had
been committed. The table by the
window had been pushed out of its
place; the only two chairs in the
-oom were found lying on the floor.
The bed, which had not been slept
in, was deluged with blood, and in
the middle of it was deep indenta.
tion as il a heavy body had beer
pressed down upon it.
A large clasp-knlfe, stained with
blood, was lying on the pillow, and
by the door on the floor was an oper
pocket-book.
So much the inspector saw at q
glance as he entered. He took the
pocket book and looked carefully
through it.
1t was empty; but lying near it and
behind the door was piece of neatly
folded paper. 1t had evidently fallen
from the pocket book while the mur
ierer was emptying the contents.
1t was a half-sheet Of note paper
folded In three, and written on il
were the numbers and value of the
bank notes, the total OF which
amounted to s270.
Policeman Jones was immediately
sent of to Balstnn with the paper tC
inquire Of the bank manager whether
those were the numbers of the note;
which had been paid to the Captain
the day before, and if so to take
measures to stop them.
He also received orders to telegraph
Immediately to Scotland Yard an ac.
count of the murder and any facts he
might ascertain at Balston.
After locking the bedroom door the
inspector proceeded to the garden.
Outside the door, on the grass, were
the footprints of a man, the toes
pointing toward the house and the
heels deeply indented in the soft
Garth.
The rest of the footprints were
| partially obliterated, as if something
heavy had been dragged over them.
The murderer must have gone ou,
Of the sitting-room backward, drag
cing the body of his victim after him.
Across the small grass plot and
| halfway through the belt Of trees
the footsteps continued. There they
ceased.
On the soft mud and leaves was an
impression as if heavy body had
been laid there. Near the impression,
lying on the ground, was spade, and
| at a distance of few feet the ground
had been dug up as if it had been in
tended to bury the body there.
| On the river bank the footprints
| were again found. This time they
pointed forward and not backward,
aud the impression was clear and
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