The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-18


BESIDE THE WINDOW LAY THE BODY OF A
living there, they at once answered me
in the affirmative.
mo doubt you are the gentleman
he was expecting they said. He has
been waiting for a gentleman for two
days
"'Where is he now? | asked.
"'He is upstairs in bed. He wished
to be called at nine
ut seemed to me that my sudden
appearance might shake his nerves and
lead him to say something unguarded.
The Boots volunteered to show me the
room; it was on the second floor, and
there was a small corridor leading up
to it. The Boots pointed out the door
to me, and was about to go downstairs
again, when | saw something that
made me feel sicl1ish, in spite of my
twenty years experience. From under
the door there curled a little red rib
bon of blood, which had meandered
across the passage and formed a
little pool along the skirting at
the other side. | gave a cry, which
brought the Boots back. lie nearly
tainted when he saw it. The door was
locked on the inside, but we put our
shoulders to it, and knocked it in. The
window of the room was open, and be-
side the window, all huddled up, lay
the body of man in his night-dress.
He was quite dead, and had been for
some time, for his limbs were rigid
and cold. When we turned him o-er
the Boots recognized him at once as
being the same gentleman who had en-
gagged the room under the name of JOS
eph Stangerson. The cause of death
was deep stab in the left side, which
must have penetrated the heart. And
now comes the strangest part of the
affair. What do you suppose was above
the murdered man?"
felt creeping of flesh, and a pre-
sentiment of coming horror, even be-
fore Sherlock Holmes answered.:
The word 'rache,' written in letters
of blood" he said.
THAT was it." said Lestrade, in an
awe-struck voice; and we were all 81
lent for awhile.
There was something SO methoiical
and so incomprehensible about the
deeds of this unknown assassin, that
it impaired fresh ghastliness to his
crimes. My nerves, which were steady
enough on the field of battle, tingled
as thought of it.
THE man was SEEM" continued Les
trade. "A milk-boy, passing on his
way to the dairy, happened to walk
down the lane which leads from
the news at the back of the hotel.
ally lay there, was raised against one
of the windows of the second floor,
which was wide open. After passing,
he looked back and saw a man de-
scend the ladder. He came down so
quietly and openly that the boy i'm
agined him to be some carpenter or
Joiner at work in the hotel. He took
no particular notice of him. beyond
thinking in his mind that it was
early for him to be at work. He has
an impression that the man was tall.
had a reddish face, and was dressed
in long, brownish coat. He must
have stayed in the room some little
time after the murder, for we found
blood-stained water in the basin,
where he had washed his hands and
marks on the sheet where he had de-
liberately wiped his knife"
l glanced at Holmes on hearing the
description of the murderer, which tai
lied so exactly with his own. There
was. however. no trace of eXultation or
satisfaction upon his face.
did you find nothing in the room
which could furnish a clew to the
murderer" he asked.
Nothing. Stangerson had Dreb-
ber's purse in his pocket, but it seems
that this was usual, as he did all the
paying. There was eighty-odd pounds
in it. but nothing had beer taken.
Whatever the motives of these eXtraor-
binary crimes, robbery is certainly not
one of them. There were no papers or
memoranda in the murdered mans
pocket. except single telegram. dated
from Cleveland about month ago,
and crctaining the words: y IT, Is IN
Europe There was no name appended
to this message"
And there was nothing else?"
Holmes asked.
Nothing of any Importance. The
mans novel, with which he had read
himself to sleep, was lying upon the
bed, and his pipe was on chair beside
him. There was glass of water on
the table, and on the window-sill a
small chip ointment-box containing a
couple of pills"
Sherlock Holmes sprang from his
chair with an exclamation of delight.
1.-THE last link" he cried, exultantly.
my case is complete"
The two detectives stared at him in
amazement.
Il have now in my hands," my COM