The herald., 1893-11-23
THE NOVEL DID ITS WORK.
Supposed Murder of a Minister
Investigated.
The Police Succeed in Unravelling
the Story.
Peculiar Features of tho Narrative
Which Illustrated Variety OF
Points in Regard to Police
Work.

The sensational story OF the alleged
murder of minister, in the heart OF thu
city, has at last been unravelled by the
police.
Two detectives, Benson and Marsh
have been working on the case day
and night, and have solved the mystry
to their entire satisfaction. The eeque
to the story is as ludicrous as it is in
teresting.
1t was with very disappointed all
that the detectives invaded the prem
ises where the murder was said to have
been committed. The expression on
their faces told that they knew it was Q
mistake, yet they must 20 where duty
called them.
They searched long and patiently but
could gain no clue to any crime until
they again interviewed the girl who first
told the story. Then the cat was let
out OF the bag and it was hard to tell
who the joke was on.
All hands finally agreed that the old
miner who reported the story to the
police was the victim.
The girl is addicted to the morphine
habit, while the miner. who is her
friend, is OF convivial temperament.
Between the two, it is wonder the
story was not more sensational in it's
details.
The girl had been reading a dime
novel, the plot of which caused the
sensation. While in q semi-comatose
state she told her friend, the miner,
the story, and he was inclined to believe
it.
Lighted up to fever heat by the girls
wierd description Of the crime, the
old miners imagination rose equal to
the occasion and he thought it was the
truth. He Immediately poured the
poured the story into the ear of the
chief of police.
When the novel was thrown upon the
desk of Secretary Motfatt yesterday he
could not suppress his emotion. There
was the picture of villain numbering
a minister. A scene was given to show
how the poor exhorter was being stab
bed and how he WAS buried in the eel
lar. In lurid coloring the story was
made compete-an already published
the minutest detail being given.
But startling feature of the case was
that while the story was being explained
at police headquarters another woman
rushed in and declared that she knew
the story was true; that she knew of q
minister missing from Santa Ana. She
wanted the case investigated. 1t has
not been decided whether she is addict
ed to dime novels or not.
Tie corroborative features of the story
made it appear very plausible. but the
detectives will never forgive the author
of that dime novel, nor was the maker
of the patent medicine which the girl
took before she told the story to her
miner friend. The patent medicine con-
tains morphine, and the girl says she
uses bottle of it each day.
The story created no little talk, even
the classic precincts of Santa Ana being
touched by its sensational qualities.
The HERALD correspondent at Santa
Ana writes as follows concerning it,
The story that appeared in the Los
Angeles HERALD, which alleged that
Methodist minister who formerly lived
in this city, while visiting a former
acquaintance, young girl that at one
time lived in Santa Ana but who is now
leading a reckless life in Los Angeles,
created quite little excitement in this
place this morning, but after it vas
thoroughly Investigated and no minister
was found to be missing who filed the
description of the one said to have been
murdered, it was seeded that there
was nothing in it.
Thus another sensation ie spoiled.