Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-08
A sTRNGE CASE.
The Old Lawyer Talks about his Ecoen-
trio Client.


trio Client.
"Sixty years ago." remarked the old
lawyer, II was twenty-five and had Tor
a year been practcing law, or rather
wishing to practice IL, for up 10 that
date had had very few cases. Then
all at once mad case which puzzled
US all. In June OF that year an eccen-
trio old fellow, supposed TO be rich, dis
appeared, leaving a note to the effect
that he had taken all his wealth, some
1000, and had gone to South Amerl-
ca. never to return. The note was gen.
uine, and beyond the usual comment,
nothing was thought OF 1T until one
day, probably month later, man,
who owned q farm just out OF town,
came into my Office and said he
wanted to talk to me privately.
l was only glad enough to be talked to
in any way, II fee were forthcoming,
and 1 locked the door and told him to
talk away. In about two minutes he
had paralyzed me by confessipg that he
had murdered an eccentric old man and
taken his money. He insisted on hav-
ing me write out confession, and put
$500 in cash in my hands for doing It,.
In that confession ne stated all the
facts Of the killing, even TO the minut-
est details. and how he had concealed
the body and taken the money, but
when I asked him to state where the
body was and where the money
was, he refused absolutely to
divulge the secret. All my
threats and persuasion were In vain and
| reported the case and the man was ar
rested. To the authorities he repeated
the confession he had made to me, aud
there he stopped. Then hunting parties
were sent out and a thorough search
was made, but nothing was found. For
three months this was kept up, but not
q scintilla Of evidence against the prls-
oner could be discovered. or course,
nobody could swear the man was dead,
and no physician could be made to say
the prisoner was crazy, so we were at
last com PEELED TO let him go. lie went
back TO his farm and worked industri-
ously as before, improving the
place gradually until II was one OF the
best in the county, and apparently
never worrying over the murder ne had
committed, though never denying II
and al ways willing 10 talk about u, II
at any time anyone suggested IL. Wen,
for twenty years-yes, for thirtY-thls
went on, everybody believing the man
was a crank on the subject, and humor'
ing him, for in every other respect he
was a most exemplary citizen, though g
bachelor. Finally, at the age OF IS. he
died, leaving all his money and proper
ty. some SIS, 900, 10 charity, and putting
the settlement Of II In my hands. As
soon after the funeral as practicable,
went over bis papers, aud among
them | found a copy OF the confession
he had made to me thirty years before,
and on the back of II, directions where "a
find the body of the dead man. We
laughed over this, saying something
about the ruling passion strong In
death; but one day l followed his d.
rections. which led me to point right
! in the middle of the country road, op-
posite his house, and there, seven feet
below the surface, found nobody, OF
course, but an iron plate and an AK,
rusted almost to nothing, both OF which
he had mentioned in his direc'
lions as having been put there with
the body. 1t was with the Ak
indeed, that he had killed the
old man. He had taken this public
place to conceal the body, as he had
contract for making the road and nc
one thought OF going down under II fol
dead men. Stranger than all, in rus
ted tin box / found the whole OF that
$40, 900, except the $500 be had paid me,
Whether my man had put 1t back there
at a later date, do not know; but sus
pect that he did, as it was 10 green
backs, not greatly injured by time"
The old lawyer STOP Jed moment.
ibid you whack up that $500 to char
TYP" asked an irreverent youth, but the
old lawyer had lapsed into forgetfnl
ness and did not answer.