Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-02-01

LtlStdhSu. rulk VI Az INK ioCot
myself to find out what had become OF
| the secretary. They had been seen
together at Euston station about half
| past eight on the evening of the third.
| At two in the morning Drebber had
been found in the Brixton road. The
question which confronted me was to
find out how Stangerson had been en-
ployed between half-past eight and the
| time of the crime, and what had be-
come of him afterward. / telegraphed
to Liverpool giving a description of
the man. and warning them to keep a
watch upon the American boats. l
then set to work calling upon all the
hotel and lodging houses in the vicin-
ity of Euston. You Zee, l argued that
if Drebber and his companion had be-
come separated, the natural course
for the latter would be to put up some
where in the vicinity for the night and
then to hang about the station again
next morning"
"They would be likely to agree on
some meeting place beforehand" re-
marked Holmes.
so it proved. L spent the whole of
yesterday evening in making inquiries
entirely without avail. This morning
I began very early, and at eight o'clock
I reached Halliday's private hotel, in
Little George street. On my inquiry
as to whether a Mr.. Stangerson was
living there, they at once answered me
in the affirmative.
"tNo doubt you are the gentleman
he was expecting they said. He has
been waiting for a gentleman for two
days.
"'Where is he now?' I asked.
"tHe is upstairs in bed. He wished
to be called at nine
sit 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 I saw something that
made me feel sickish, 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 q
little pool along the skirting at
the other side. l gave a cry, which
brought the Boots back. He 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 oyeI
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 a 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 mani"
], felt a creeping of flesh, and a pre-
sentiment of coming horror, even be
fore Sherlock Holmes answered:
1.-THE word 'rache,' written in letters
Of blood" he said.
81 "That was it," said Lestrade, in an
awe-struck voice; and we were all si-
} lent for awhile.
:. There was something S methodical
and sc incomprehensible about the
deeds Of this unknown assassin, that
1t impaired a fresh ghastliness to his
crimes. My nerves, which were steady
enough on the field of battle, tingled
as I thought of it.
1.-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.
He noticed that a ladder, which usu'
= ally lay there, was raised against one
S of the windows of the second floor
E which was wide open. After passing,
he looked back and saw a man de
scend the ladder. He came down sc
j. quietly and openly that the boy i'm
agined him to be some carpenter oil
, joiner at work in the hotel. He tool
no particular notice of him, beyond
thinking in his mind that it wa.
early for him to be at work. He ha.
an impression that the man was tall
had a reddish face, and was dressed
!, in q long, brownish coat. He mus
4 have stayed in the room some little
time after the murder, for we found
blood-stained water in the basin
u where he had washed his hands. anc
marks on the sheet where he had de
~liberately wiped his knife"
Iglanced at Holmes on hearing the
t description of the murderer. which tai
lied so exactly with his own. There
was. however, no trace of exuitation Oh
, satisfaction upon his face.
! did you hnd nothing in the room
which could furnish q clew to the
murderer he asked.
Nothing. Stangerson had Dreb
ber's purse in his pocket, but 1t Seems
that this was usual, as he did all tbs
paying. There was eighty-odd pounds
In 1t, bnt nothing had been taken
I Whatever the motives of these extraor
binary crimes, robbery Is certainly no,
one of them. There were no papers o.