The herald., 1893-12-24

thunder storm was raging. The ele-
vator boy remembered that when the
young man left the house he took the
elevator at the third story; that he was
greatly excited and said something
about forgetting to ring for him to come
up to the fifth story. He also remem-
bered that 1t was raining furiously at
the time, and that the thunder was so
loud and constant that pistol shot
might have been fred almost at any
moment during the storm unnoticed by
persons in an adjoining room. 1t also
appeared that there was an open window
on the stairs on the fourth story, which
window looked out into the court where
the pistol was found.
One other fact remained to be learn
ed and that was at what time the old
man was killed. The nephew had left
the house a few minutes before 9
o'clock. The elevator boy knew it be-
cause he had only been gone very lit
tie while when the janitor came to re-
lieve him for supper hour. Deceased
was accustomed to take his dinner at a
restaurant in the lower story of the
building where he resided at 6:15 and
was the soul of punctuality. IF he had
been alive at 6:15, he would have been
down to dinner" was the verdict of
every attache and regular customer of
the restaurant. No one had entered the
building between the time his nephew
went out and 6:15, and though several
people had come down stairs and gone
into the restaurant they were all ladies
and regular inmates of the house.
All these facts were brought to light
during the morning after the body was
found, with the additional fact that John
Hartlepool, Jr., had disappeared. The
popular verdict was willful murder
against John Hartlepool, Jr., and all
the papers commenting on the case said
that it was perfectly warranted and ex-
pressed hope that the wretched youth
would speedily be brought to justice.
At this stage of the case Nellie FL
than came to me.
l had Just opened an Office as detect
i've, and the seven $40 bills and the one
So bill, which she laid upon my desk
and said were her whole savings, were
my first professional fee. She soon told
me her story, which was hardly neces-
sary, for had already read it in the
papers. When we had gone over the
story, asked her what she knew about
the case beyond what the newspapers
had told.
81 know that Jack didn't do it,, was
the answer. "Why, he would not do
such thing. Why, only yesterday he
said"- and she stopped suddenly in
her rapid speech.
I suspected that she was keeping
something back that ought to know,
SO impressed her with the importance
of telling me everything, whereupon
she repeated the pitiful story about the
dancing and said very reluctantly that
Jack had sworn that If the old man re-
peated the remark to him he would re-
gret it. She confirmed the report that
the uncle and nephew were to meet and
discuss the will and the marriage.
When / told her that she would be q
most damaging witness If called upon
at the young mans trial, as she was
likely to be, she reeled as IL she was 60
ing to faint, but recovered herself and
said that no matter what might happen
she would never repeat what she had
just told me. ~ will die in prioen
when l asked her where Jack was, she
replied that she had not the least idea.
told her that there did not seem to
be anything could do for her and that
l would only retain $40 of her money to
pay me for attending the inquest. 1t
seemed like robbery to take that, for
was sure that her lover was guilty.
She said she would go to her work as
usual as she must save every dollar to
prove Jacks innocence. That night
went to the opera and saw her as she
stood before the footlights in all her radi-
ant beauty and grace. 1t happened that
at the climax of the opera the prima
donna proclaimed the innocence of the
stage hero, and as the words, "He is in
nocent," rang out, the look of triumph
in Nellie's face spoke so much of faith,
courage and hope, that found myself,
much against my will, beginning to be-
heve that Jack was innocent after all.
But could do nothing to help her.
The inquest was short, and nothing new
was developed, and the verdict was one
of willful murder against John Hartle-
pool, the younger.
Three days had passed since the in
quest and nothing had been heard of
the accused, although the officers were
securing the country for him, when
Nellie came to me and in her quick,
curt way said:
1t was not suicide. Jack did not
kill him. No one else could. 1t must
have been an accident.
Accident, / exclaimed.
Eyes, accident, was the positive an
swer. There is no other explanation.
and l am going to rent the room where
the old man died to try and think out
how it happened.
tried to convince her that the idea
was absurd, but she was firm in her
determination. So l agreed to follow
her directions, which were that was
to engage the old man 8 apartments for
my cousin, a lady who had come to the
city to study elocution, and Nellie was
to occupy them forthwith. This ar
was carried out that same
afternoon.
The second night after she had taken
possession the people Of the same fiat
were startled by a pistol shot and
scream. Running to the room whence
The sounds came they found Nellie ly-
ing upon the floor in her night dress and