The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-09-13
CHAPTER vI-(contlnued9

Il may never De VrISu, ll6 answer
ed You needn't look startled. 1t
isn't suicide I'm thinking of. Are you
q doctor" He turned his fierce dark
eyes upon me as he asked this last
question.
Yes, am" 1 answered.
'Then put your hand here" he
said, with smile, motioning with his
Eanacled wrists toward his chest.
l did so, and became at once con-
scious of an extraordinary throbblng
and commotion which was going on
Inside. The walls of the chest seemed
to thrill and CULVER as fran build
ing would do inside when some pow
erful engine was at work. In the ST.
lence of the room / could hear dull
humming and buzzing noise, which
proceeded from the same source.
Why" l cried, you have an aortic
aneu' H,mm
That's what they call it." he said,
placidly. Il went to a doctor last
week about 1t, and he told me that 1t
is bound to burst before many days
pass. 1t has been getting worse for
years. I got it from exposure and un-
derfeeding among the Salt Lake
Mountains. I've done my work now,
and I don't care how soon / go, but
should like to leave some account
of the business behind me. 1 don't
want to be remembered as a CON-
mon cut-throat."
The inspector and the two detec-
tives had a hurried discussion as to
the ACCESSIBILITY of allowing him to
tell his story.
do you consider, doctor, that there
is immediate danger?" the former
asked
"Most certainly there Is" 1 answer
ed
I'm that case it is clearly our duty,
in the interests of Justice, to take his
statement" said the Inspector You
are at liberty, sir, to give your account,
which / again warn you will be taken
down."
''I'll sit down, with your leave" the
prisoner said. suiting the action to the
word. This aneurism of mine makes
me easily tired, and the tussle we had
half an hour ago has not mended mat
ters., I'm on the brink of the grave,
and / am not likely to lie to you.
Every word / say is the absolute truth,
and how You use 1t Is q matter of no
consequence to me"
With these words, Jefferson Hope
leaned back in his chair and began the
following remarkable statement. lie
spoke in calm and methodical man.
ner, as though the events which he
narrated were commonplace enough.
can .vouch for the accuracy of the
subjoined account, for have had
access to Lestrade's notebook, In which
the prisoners words were taken down
exactly as they Were uttered.
1T didn't much matter to you why
hated these men," he said; fits
enough that they were guilty of the
death of two human beings-a father
and a daughter-and that they had,
therefore, forfeited their own lives.
After the lapse Of time that had passed
since their crime, 1t was impossible for
me to secure conviction against them
In any court. knew of their guilt,
though, and I determined that should
be judge, jury and executioner all
rolled into one. You'd have done the
same, IL you have any mani BOD In
you, If you had been In nay place.
"That girl that ] spoke of was Ia
htve married me twenty years ago,
She was forced into marrying that
same Drebber, and broke her heart
over 1t. / took the marriage ring
from her dead finger, and / vowed
that his dying eyes should rest upon
that very ring, and that his last
thoughts should be Of the crime fol-
which he was punished. I have car:
ried it about with me, and have fol
lowed him and his accompliee ever two
continents, until caught them. They
thought to tire me out, but they could
not do 1t. If l die tomorrow, as is
likely enough, die knowing that my
work in this world Is done, and well
done. They have persisted, and by my
hand There Is nothing left for me tc
hope fog or to desire,
They were rieh and I was poor, sc
that 1t was no easy matter for me tC
follow them. When / got to London
my pocket was about empty, and
found that must turn my hand t.
something for my living, Driving and
riding are as natural to me as walking
so I applied at q eab-owneF's Office
and soon got employment. was tt
bring a. certain sum week to the own
er, and whatever was over I nigh
keep for myself There was seldom
much over, but / managed to scrapt
along somehow. The hardest job wa!
to learn my way about, for reckon
| that, for all the masses that ever were
eontrived, this city Is the most confus
Ing. / had q map beside me, though
and when once had spotted the prin
cipal hotels and stations, | got OF
pretty well.
"It was some time before / found
| out where my two gentleman were liY
ing, but I inquired and inquired, unit
at last I dropped across them. They
were at boarding house at Gambler
well, oyer ca the other side of thu
river. When once found them ou
knew that had them at my nercy
had grown my beard, and there was
no chance of their recognizing me
/ would dog them and follow them un
I'll saw my opportunity. I was de
tePmined that they should not escape
me again,
"They were very near doing it, TO
all that. Go where they weuid In Lon
don, I was always at their heels
Sometimes I followed them on my cai]
| anu SOueClI0eS on IOOJ, out the lot
mer was the best, for then they coult
not get away from me. 1t was onl,
early in the Iaorping or late at nigh
that could earn anything, so that
began to get behindhand with nay EN-
ployer did not mind that, however
as long as ] gould lay my hand upol
the men wanted.
WFhey were very cunning, though
They must have thought that there wa
some chance OF their being followed
for they would never go out alone
and never after nightfait, During tw
weeks I drove behind them every dag
and never once saw them separate
Drebber himself was drunk half til
time, but Stangerson was not to b
caught napping. / watched them lat
and early, but never saw the ghos
of chance; but / was not discoul
aged, for something told me that Il,
hour had almost come, MY only FED
was that this thing In nay chest Nigh
burst little too soon, and leave ~
work undone.
HAt last, one evening was driving u
~