The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-03
His Own Death Warrant

1T was in a Western city some years
ago." remarked the city editor that was
holding down the city desk on daily fol-
the first time. We had a man on the paper
who was simply era TX on homicides; and
ne was more than mere reporter, fol
he had detective talent of the highest
order. He didn't care much for the com
mon crimes-burglaries, larcenies and such
but give him a good, mysterious murder
and he was splendid. Not only did he havs
the history of all the famous murders al
his fingers ends, but he delighted in ferret
ing out the most mysterious crimes that
came within our province In every case
except the one 1 am telling about-and
there We're a good many killings in that
town-he traced out the murderer before
the detectives even dreamed of his identity
| Il have since thought the secret of his
success was that he put himself mentally
in the place of the murderer and reasoned
1t out from motives rather than from the
clues of the ordinary detectives.
There is seldom much method in muir
der he once said to me, when in rarely
communicative mood. Most men would
commit it in about the same way under the
same circumstances 1t Is only when a
murderer goes about it systemati cally, as
do the thugs of India, that murder be-
| comes truly mysterious
Il once asked him why he did not be-
| come a regular detective.
| was born and bred a newspaper man.
he said, and habit is too strong to break
That was literally true in his case, other
| wise | might not have to tell this story
zone morning the body of fine looking
man was found in an alley adjoining the
electric light works, in the very heart of
the city The afternoon papers had a
chance at it, but didn't make much of it.
| so at once assigned it to .Jones-as we
will call him. Although he did not show I'D
at the usual hour, l had no doubt that he
was already at work on it, it was as
| mysterious case he could desire
The victim was identified as travelling
| man, who had just arrived, and as far as
| KNOWN he had no friends or acuuaintances
| IN the city. 1T was not case of robbery.
| Tor all his money and valuables were left
on the body. There was slight confusion
on the pack of the head and a SMALL needle
| IKE hole directly through the mans heart
| 1t was especially strange that such a crime
| could have been committed in public
| tloiougn1are, while there absolutely
| no clue to the murderer or his motive.
| But these difficulties were only such as
| would ordinarily put Jones on his mettle
SO did not doubt that he would have a
good account of the affair 1 was there
| lore somewhat surprised when he came
| sneaklng in about O'Clock in the evening
| ~ "CC Nidl Ills assignment was. He LOOKED
worn and haggard, but denied that he was
~, SO | gave him the murder assignment
! ! thought saw startled look in his eyes
out he maintained his outward composure
| and went out without word
| Il did not see him again that evening
| About midnight 1 began to wonder why r
| mad not heard from him, but only specu-
| lated on the possibility of something hav-
| ing happened to him, for the idea that he
| could possibly fail never occurred to me
| V, T
| phoned to the police station Word came
| pack that there was no new developments
| In the case. and that Jones had not been
| there Sending two men out to hunt him
| up. L set to work myself to make up
| story of the murder from the afternoon pa
| pers. Just then Jones came in. His step
was unsteady and his face flushed He
had evidently been drinking heavily-some-
| thing had never known him to do before
| but he was not drunk; rather he seemed
at high nervous tension, although outward
| ly calm ever.
II decided to let this breach of discipline
pass, and merely asked him for his murder
! story. He replied that he hadn't written
| it.
| well go to work on it at once 1 said.
rather sharply.
Then he really surprised me by saying
that he had nothing to write beyond the
bare facts already known. The police had
| developed nothing knew, and he supposed
that l had worked up the story from the
| evening papers.
And has it come to pass that YOU
wait for the police to develop a murder
case for you l exclaimed, angrly. AS for
the reports in the evening papers, you can
| fake a better story than they hadr
He sat down in apparent despair at his
desk. Then l relented and cajoled him a
little begging him not to spoil his great
record by falling down such an assign
| ment. There's a starter for YOU said I,
throwing him the article 1 had commenced.
90 al hat
column description of the scene
81 haven't even visited it,, he replied
Nevertheless he picked up the pages and
read them if mpelled by some hateful
fascination. Then he took up his pen to
make a few minor corrections. Then as
if totally oblivious Of my presence, he be-
gan to write.
LAS sheet after sheet fell from under his
(! fingers l snatched them up, read them hur-
| riedly, and shot them down the copy tube
to the composing room. l read rapidly as
editor WILL taking but small account of
the matter SO long as it ran smoothly, while
had too much confidence in him to question
the accuracy of his statements. only real
lied that he was writing a great story-the
greatest he had ever done. He seemed in
spired with the very innermost thoughts of
the murderer, and under his touch every
trivial incident came out with distinctness
and coherency that made the cause and
method of the crime perfectly plain.
First he described the scene with ac-
curacy of detail that would have been i'm
possible for one who had not studied it
closely The selection of the spot he ex-
planned by the fact that the bright electric
light streaming through the windows of
the power house made it impossible for the
passerby to into the shadows. Thus,
while impenetrable darkness screened the
assassin ample light guided his blow, and,
moreover, the rattle and roar of the ma
chnery near by drowned all sound of the
| struggle of the falling body.
1.-The blow on the head he demonstrated,
| must have been from a sand bag, while the
| wound through the heart could only have
| been made by one of those long, fine-bladed
| stilettos of Italian make. Furthermore, the
| fact that this peculiar weapon was driven
| home with firm hand, after the victim had
| been stunned by blow on the head, i'm
| dicated premeditated and deliberate muir
| der, while the theory of robbery was dis
| proved by the fact that the mans valuables
! had been untouched. The only tenable the
| ory therefore, was that the motive OF the
| murder was revenge.
| "a more mastery analysis of the case l
| never read but here he branched off into
| what l at first supposed to be purely I'M
| aginary speculatiOnS as to the wrong when
! had led the murderer to seek the life of the
| unknown man. These seemed purposely
| vague at first, but gathered in strength and
| certainty until 1 concluded that he must
! have some good foundation for them. Start
| ing with hypotheoses, he soon began to
| state them as facts. He described how the
| dead man. once a trusted friend had en-
tered the home of another; how by subtle