The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-01
A STORM ASHORE.
BY JAMES H. CONNOLLY.


being a match for that tough old tar, Billy
Prangle, in the consumption OF that ssduc-
tive but treacherous fluid. Gradually he
lost his customary caution and finding
himself bafiled in all his attempts TO
pump the old sailor. conceived that 1t
would be n good idea TO offer Billy hun
dred dollars il 10 would conduct him 10
aud point out Dorm Hackett. THAT
sum" he thought 10 himself. would
tempt man ike him 10 do almost any
thing TO gain it." So he made the proifer.
Billy heard the proposition graveiy, and
even feigned to view it fsvorably. but
manifested great deal Of curiosity as TO
why his ex shipmate was in such demand.
The stranger felt that be had gone TOO
far for any reticence TO be OF service now,
and that perhaps confidence might make
him more secure of this valuab ally; so
he replied: "I'll tell you. but mind you're
not to say word about it to any living
soul until we have captured him"
Would ! he likely to- throw away a
chance 10 make a hundred dollars eX-
clained Billy.
That answer, critically considered, could
hardly have been deemed promise, but
tho stranger took it for one, and contin-
ued IN 4 confidential tone:
Hes wanted Tor murder and robbery
Murder and robbery. Dorm Hackett?"
~ es, the murder and robbery OF IN old
man near EasthsmDton. Long Island.
where he has been going 10 see mis- sweet
heart, n girl named Mary Wallace"
And YOU tell me that Dorm Hackett is
SUSPECTED OF a thing like that"
Yes, indeed, he is. lie was in the
neighborho0d on the night OF the murder,
and everything points 70 him; and l bet
my head"
THAT You are a lying. landlubberly-"
broke out Billy Prangie. in torrent OF
quite unreportable explosives, the uure-
generate lingo OF the castle. and before
the stranger recovered from his astonish-
ment the indignant tar had comms nced
TO mako good that threat with reference
20 his nose
Mr.. Turner-tor the stranger, now roll
ing on tie floor with B!lly, was no other
than that experienced professional de-
tectIve-was a sturdy fellow. well acle.
ordinarily, 10 take care Of himself. and
made rs good a SIGHT ne he could: but even
had he been eutiTe,y sober ne would
hardly have been able to cope With this
sinewy son OF the sea who smote him so
suddenly. While they struggled on the
floor Billv's friends looked on with placid
aud seemingly cAserfuly confident of the
result Tie bsrEeeDer -Schoolcraft being
away-seemed to enjoy the excitement.
and lemed over the bar to get better
view while be shouted encgursglngly;
so in. Billy! Vale in. old man 90
And Billy followed the advice go we'll
thet It was not long until the detective
tried enough" and was allowed 10 get
ID, when Billy led him to the door and
dismissed him with a parting kick.
Self-rsp roachfully, and much humbled
in spirit bY his defeat, Richard Turner left
tie Haven. But it was not in his nature
70 give up q chase for one defeat. If he
had not genius he at least had that which
is sometimes almost SIS good-persistence
he did not even waste time in thinking
about the whIp ping and the kicking he
had received, but he did reilec, that il was
something siugu.ar that "A poor old chap
like that sailor should have thrown q
chance away whereby be might have
gained 500 so easiIy-nerely by selling G
friend, perhaps TO the gallows. Would
he. Richard Turner, have been so stupid?
Hardy" he said to himself Bur be had
TO accept facts Is be found them, however
strange they might seem, and the two
most prominent ones claiming his atten-
ton We're: y That he had made a blum
der. ~ That be must work ali the more
rapidly 10 ioresiall the possible chances OF
bis indiacretiOn leading to the escape Of
the man hs hunted. Fortunately, the
whipping had sobered him completely :;
and having re paired, 81 wei az he could,
the damages he had sustained IN person
and rRimsGt, be continued until late ut
night, in other sailors haunts, his pursuit
OF information, but took care 10 give a
wide berth TO the w haler's Haven" Be-
fore daylight ks lett the place in fast
slOOp and with a fair wind, bound for
New Haven. There tickle fortune made
him amends for her unkind humor at
New London, and facts that seemed 10 90
far toward establishing Dorm Hackett's
guilt came readily 20 his knowledge The
most important were these
On the afternoon preceding the murder
of Jacob Van Deust the yoang man went
over 10 long Island on Mr.. Hollis sloop.
Nobody but himself knew VIII he went.
4 The men on the sloOp expected him to re-
turn 70 New Haven with them that night
but he did not 90 80. They left the Long
Island shore about the hour that it was
supposed the murder was perpetrated
and, presumably, before he could have
run from Van Deusts' to the cove where
the slOop laid. When he reappeared in
New Haven the next morning his cloth
ing was dabbled with blood and his
hands, though he had evidently tried 10
wash them. still showed sancuinarv stains.
He said that the blood was his own; that
he had severe fall while running through
the woods on Long Island That he had
fallen seemed probable, slncs he mad a
bad cut on his head and one ankle Yves
lame; but that the blood was ali his own
at least admitted OF question. Why he
had been running through the woods he
| did not say; bat it was natural TO suppose
that he had been trying to reach the
| sloop and get 10 View Haven as quickly as
possible to make ground for claiming an
alibi in case ne should be suspected OF
| the murder.
! The other significant discoveries thar
the detective made, and what he did in
/ New Haven, will be noted in their proper
| place. Suffice II here 20 say that the agent
OF justice felt that he had reason TO con-
/ gratulate himself upon triumph.
I Billy Prangle, when be had kicked ont
/ the tempter, lost no time in fully impart-
| ing TO his comrades the excellent cause
/ he had for his suddenly violent conduct.
and was heartily censured by all for mol
! hammering the stranger twice as much
what? Dorm Hackett guilty of muir.
! der and robbery"
/ They who had known him for wears
/ sailed with him, messed with him, faced
/ death BY his side In the tempest and ths
! peTiiOus chase Of the monsters OF the dee D
/ knew how absurd such q charge must be
| Evarv man Of than had hafopood N fhf