The Globe-republican., 1894-06-29

went through his duties in a dull. me-
| chanical way. The prisoner will be
put before the magistrates in the
course Of the week." he said: lin the
meantime. Mr.. jefferson Hope. have
| you anything that You wish to say? I
must warn you that your words will be
! taken down and may be used against
you
I've got a good deal to say" our
. you gentlemen all about it."
Hadn't you better reserve that for
your trial?" asked the inspector.
Il may never be tried" he answered.
''You needn't look startled. 1t isn't
suicide l am thinking of. Are you a
doctor?" He turned his fierce. dark eyes
upon me as he asked this last question.
Eyes, am" answered.
Then put your hand here" he said.
with a smile, motioning with his
manacled wrists toward his chest
did so, and became at once con-
scious of an extraordinary throbbing
which was going on inside. The walls
| of his chest seemed to thrill and culver
as a frail building would do inside
which some powerful engine was at
work. In the silence of the room
could hear dull humming and buzz
zing noise which proceeded from the
same source.
"Why," cried, you have an aortic
aneurism!''
That's what they call it." he said.
placidly. Il went to a doctor last
! week about it, and he told me that it
was bound to burst before many days
passed. 1t has been getting worse for
years. I got it from Over-exposure
and under-feeding among the Salt lake
mountains. I've done my work now.
and don't care how soon go. but
! should like to leave some account of
! the business behind me. don't want
| to be remembered as common cut
throat"
The inspector and the two detectives
! had hurried discussion Us to the adj
visibility of allowing him to tell his
! story.
do you consider. doctor. that there
is immediate Ganger?" the former
asked.
Most certainly there is" an
swercd.
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 ac-
count. which l again warn you will be
! taken down"
LII sit down. with your leave" the
prisoner said. suiting the action to the
word. This aneurisn of mine makes
me easily tired. and the tussle we had
half an hour ago has not mended mat
tiers. I'm on the brink of the grave,
Every word say is the absolute truth.
and how you use it is a matter of no
consequence to me"
With these words. jefferson Hope
leaned back in his chair and began the
following remarkable statement. He
spoke in a calm and methodical man
rer, as though the events which he
narrated were commonplace enough.
l can vouch for the accuracy of the
subjoined account. for l have had ac-
cess to Lestrades notebook. in which
the prisoners words were taken down
exactly as they were uttered.
1T don't much matter to you why l
hated these men, he said; Its enough
that they were guilty of the death of
two human beings-a father and a
daughter-and chat they had, there
fore. forfeited their own lives. After
the lapse of time that has passed since
~ "a
to secure a conviction against them IN
any court. I knew of their guilt,
though, and determined that should
be judge. jury and executioner all
rolled into one. You'd have done the
same. if you have any manhood in you.
if you had been in my place.
That girl that spoke of was to
have married me twenty years ago.
She was forced into marrying that
same Drebber. and broke her heart
over it. 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 for which he was pun
ished. have carried it about with me
and have followed him and his &C
complete over two continents until
caught them. They thought to tire
me out. but they could not do it. If 1
die tomorrow. as is likely enough.
die knowing that my work in this
world is done. and we'll done. They
have persisted, and by my hand. There
is nothing left for me to hope for or to
desire.
They were rich and I was poor, so
that it was no easy matter for me to
follow them. When l got to London
my pocket was about empty and l
found that I must turn my hand to
something for my living. Driving and
riding are as natural to me as walk
ing, so applied at a cab owners Office
and soon got employment. was to
bring a certain sum a week to the
owner, and whatever was over that I
might keep for myself. There was sell
dom much over. but l managed to