Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-06
A PIECE OF CLOTH.

When was on the detective force by the way, my name is Jack Hindson, at your service-I had a case on my hands that baffled me. I wanted to get Kitty Pease, and she had said that though she was very fond of me she did not mean to marry me until I had enough to marry on, which 1 should have as soon as 1 had found out the party who committed certain murder.
 Mrs. Jeffries, rich, miserly sort of old lady, had been found dead in her bed, murdered by some one. No one knew who it was
 Everybody was under suspiciOn-a manservant who had been dismissed weeks before: dissipated nephew, who had quarreled with her; a peddler; man who had mended the roof. But it seemed likely that no one would be ac- tuallv roved guilty. To be sure, the nephew would come in for her property, being her only relative, but though he had been to the door that evening he had been seen to go away again, and no doors were found unlocked, and the servant had to call for help before the bedroom door could be broken in.
 The only clew I had was bit of black cloth clutched tight ill the dead woman's hand-a fine bit of old black broadclOth torn i'll quite a singular shape. We hid the fact that this had been found from the newspaper men. and I was looking for the coat it had been pulled out of. That would be my chance
 The dismissed servant was a waiter, but 1 bribed myself into q chance of seeing his black coat of duty, and it had not been torn or patched. hunted up the ncphew's boarding house and got into his room under pretense of having been sent from the telegraph office to see the wires but his clothes were all of thick. coarse cloth. 1 talked these things all over to Kitty, and she set her wits to work to help me She asked me to let her go to the old lady's home and show her the room she slept in, and she went out on the roof. as I had done many time. and went along first in one direction and then in another, look ing at all the scuttle doors, until 1 thought she would go off into the street, but she stopped at the last of the TOW and bcckon,d He. hurried up.
 Close tu the Scuttle door lay a little black button.
 This belongs to the garment the bit of cloth camv from she said. There are blacks and blacks This is a button that matches that black Not blu, black. nor q brownish black, nor a foxy l,1art- I,YVr I,1..l- rb al, ble green. Do you know No. lOO:''
 'It'S a WHY respectable first class boarding house, said l.
 Will they take ladies'" sho asked.
 If they are we'll introduced.
 ''I shall % there to board
 Next day I got card from hcr-she hadn't been ill the habit of having cardS-with that address on it. I call ed She came down to see me i'll her best black silk. with her bonnet and mantilla OH.
 There was an old lady in the room. She introduced me to her and then said she was ready. l took the hint Wt went out together.
 ''Of course you know why I came here. she said. I'm spending all my salary and wearing my best clothes, but I've found something out already. AIrS. Jcffries' nephew calls here some times He calls on young widow, who has the upper front room. He has been engac,1i to her for some time.
 She paused q long time and then said:
 He was here the night of the mur- der.
 ''Wcll.' I said Has she let him out upon the rOof:''
 Il wish you wouldn't ask me any questions. - said Kitty. II shall know before long. When I send for you, come at once. Will you let me have that bit of c!oth:''
 Its more precious than diamonds. '' I said.
 Her answer was:
 ''Yes, know it.'' She put it into her pOcketbOok- II have changed my rOom.'' she remarked. II am next to her. There is locked door between us That is all. And have made a peep hole.'
 ''You are born detective. but as this widow is respectable you can't watch young Jeffries that way" ''Yesterday, she said without an swering me, ''Jeffries called. saw him coming up the street and hid behind Q screen ill the parlor. I should have pre- tended to be asleep in a chair there had I been seen, but no one found me out She came to him, and he talked like an l innocent man.
 '' The poor old woman has done me another injury by getting herself mur- dered, he said. I believe r. m suspected, because I shall profit by her death. Why. what do they take me for? won- der who killed her? They say nothing was gone
 Whoever II was, you ought to be thankful that the crabbed creature is dead, she said. Some common burglar, of course. She'd scream and shriek if she saw one at her jewel case and get herself killed.
 | q. Well, poor old woman, I'd have been his death if I had been near, Jef- fries said. She wasn't half bad. She never made a will and left things away from me, as she might, after told her I'd never cringe to her for her favor. Hang it, l wish I wasn't her heir! Peo. pie will suspect me secretly perhaps can prove I wasn't inside the housC that night, but you know how the pa pers talked Poor Bitzner, the roofer. came to me and cried over what they said about him. Kill Aunt Jessyl Why, good Lordr-
 You used to call her Aunt Jeze bel, said the widow. Mrs Null is her name.
 Yes, I'm sorry did, but she had a temper said Mir. Jeffries. I've ( mind not to take the money
 Then I shan't take you, said Mrs. Null Such an idiotI I should bs