Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-11-12
MY FIRST CASE.
BY o. H. LUGRIN.


Old John Hartlepool was dead.
That much was certain. 1t was evil
dent that he had died from a pistol shot,
for there was a bullet wound In his
temple and the doctors found the bullet
in his brain. A revolver with one empty
chamber, which the bullet would have
fitted before its shape had been tiattened
by contact with the old mans skull,
was picked up in the court directly
under a window Of the room where the
chambermaid had found the old gentle
man lying dead, when she entered the
room with a pass key at $3.50 in the
morning. She also found that the win
dow was closed and fastened and this
effectually disposed Of the sugges-
ton that the old man had shot him
self and thrown the pistol out Of
the'window, for while there was an In
finitesimal chance that he might have
thrown the pistol out after firing the
shot into his brain, it was absolutely
impossible that he could then have
closed the window and fastened 1t.
Moreover the position Of the body and
the pool Of blood beside 1t showed that
he had fallen when shot and never
moved again. The most careful search
Of the room disclosed no weapon OF any
kind. Suicide was therefore clearly out
Of the question. 1t was a case Of muir
der. So at least the police argued, and
1t must be admitted with a good deal Of
reason.
No one could suggest that the old
man had any enemies. His habit of
life was exceedingly simple. The worst
that could be said Of him was that
though very rich be was very penurious.
He was not O hard creditor, but on the
| contrary was inclined to be lenient in
his collections. He was somewhat
proud of the fact that his mother was
! the daughter of an earl's daughter, but
the only one who used to consider him
self aggrieved by this was his hand
some and high-spirited nephew and
namesake. So a murder for revenge
seemed out Of the question.
Had anyone an interest in his death?
On this point there was no doubt, for
John Hartlepool, Jr., was known to all
the community as his sole heir-at-law.
1t was also soon learned that on the
very morning before his death the old
man had instructed his solicitor to make
q will cutting of his nephew with a pit
tance, which was to be executed the
next day, IL that young gentleman
would not in the meantime %renounce his
intention Of marrying a young lady who
was a member Of a popular opera troupe
| and took a role which was more con-
spicuous because Of the elegance Of her
figure than OF the quality of her vocal
powers or the degree OF her histrionic
ability.
mot q cent of my money shall 60 to
a brat o. a girl who makes a living by
showing her legs TO the public" said
the old man to more than a score Of
people, for his nephew's i%nfatuation for
the pretty chorus girl was the one sore
spot in his life.
1t was known that uncle and nephew
had had an interview between five and
six o'clock, during which time a ter
rife thunderstorm was raIing. The
elevator boy remembered that when
the Young man left the house be took
the elevator at the third story, that he
was greatly excited and said something
about forgetting 10 ring for him TO
come up to the fifth story. He also
remembered that it was raining furi-
ously at the time and that the thunder
was so loud and constant that a pistol
shot might have been fired almost at
any moment during the storm unnotic-
ed 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.
All these facts were brought to light
during the morning after the body was
found, with the additional fact that
John H%artlepool, Jr., had disappeared.
The popular verdict was willful MUIR
der against John Hartlepool, Jr., and
all the papers commenting on the case
said that it was perfectly warranted
and expressed q hope that the wretched
youth would speedily be brought to
justice.
AT this stage of the case Nellie
Ethan, Jacks fsncee, came to me.
| had just opened an Office as q de-
teetive and the seven ten-dollar bills
and the one %fve-dollar bill which she
laid upon my desk and said were her
whole savings was my first professional
fee. She soon told me her story, which
was hardly necessary, for l had already
read It in the papers, which had not
only enlarged upon the old mans OBJ
jections TO Nellie's lower limbs, but had
contained pictures supposed to repre-
sent those objectionable members.
When we had gone over the story l
asked her what she knew about the
case beyond what the newspapers had
told.
II know that Jack didn't do it." was
the answer. "Why, be would not do
such a thing"
But l could do nothing to help her.
The INQUEST was short and nothing new
was developed, and the verdict was u
OF willful murder against. John Hartle-
pool the younger.
Three days had passed since the in
quest and no tidings had been heard Of
the accused. although the officers were
scouring the country for him. when
Nellie came to ME and In her quick,
II. was not suicide. Jack did 20