The herald., 1894-11-01
AN EDITORS STORY.

1T was in western city some years
ago" remarked the city editor, ''tMat
l was holding down the city desk ON a
daily for the first time. We had man
on the paper who was simply crank
on homicide and he was more than a
mere reporter, for he had detective tai
ent Of the highest order. He didn't care
mach for tho common cri1nes-bur-
glaries, larcenies and such-but give
him good, mysterious murder. and he
was splendid. Not only did he have the
history of all the famous murders at
his fingers ends, but he delighted in
ferreting out the most mysterious crimes
that came within our province. In every
case, except the one am telling about
and there were o good many killings
in that town-he traced out the muir
derer before the detectives oven dreamed
of his identity
II have since Thought the secret of
his success was that he put himself
mentally in the place Of the murderer
and reasoned it out from motives rather
than from tho 'clews' of the ordinary
detective.
" There is seldom much method in
murder, he once said to me when in a
rarely communicative mood. Most men
would commit it in about tho same way
under the same circumstances. 1t is
only when a murderer goes about it
systematically, as do the thugs of In
dia, that murder becomes truly mys-
terious.
II once asked him why he did not
become regular detective.
&C T was born and bred newspaper
man., he said, and habit is too strong
to break. That was literally true in his
case. Otherwise I might not have to
tell this story.
Zone morning the body Of a fine look
ing man was found in an alley adjoin-
ing the electric light works in the very
heart Of the city. The afternoon papers
had a chance at it, but didn't make
much out Of it, SO at once assigned it
to Jones, as we will call him. Although
he did not show up at the usual hour, I
had no doubt that he was already at
work on it, as it was as mysterions O
case as even he could desire.
'The victim was identified as tray
cling man who had just arrived, and,
as far as known, he had no friends or
acquaintance in the city. It was not
case Of robbery, for all his money and
valuables were left on the body. There
was slight confusion on the back Of
the head and q small needlelike hole di-
rectly through the mans heart. tt was
especially strange that such q crime
could have been committed in public
thoroughfare, while there was absolute
ly no clew to the murderer or his mo-
tive
"But these difficulties were only such
as would ordinarily put Jones on his
mettle, 80 I did not doubt that he would
have a good account of the affair.
was therefore somewhat surprised
when he came sneaking in about
O'Clock in the evening to see what his
assignment was. He looked worn and
haggard, but denied that he was i'll, SO I
gave him the murder assignment. 1
thought I cav startled look in his
eyes, but he maintained his outward
composure and went out without a
word.
II did not see him again that even
ing. About midnight began to wonder
why I had not heard from him, but
only speculatsd on the possibility of
something having happened to him, for
the idea that he could possibly fail
never occurred to me. Finally, after an
hour had gone by, I telephoned to the
police station. Word came back that
there were no new Developments in the
case, and that Jones had not been there.
Sending two men out to hunt him up,
set to work myself to make up q story of
the murder from the afternoon papers.
just then Jones came in. His step was
unsteady and his face flushed He had
evidently been drinking heavily-some-
thing ! never knew him to do before
but he was not drunk, rather he seemed
at high nervous tension, although out
wardly as calm as ever.
II decided to let this breach of dis
cipline pass and merely asked him fer
his murder story. He replied that he
hadn't written it.
"'Well, get to work on it at once,
said rather sharply.
"Then he really surprised me by say
ing that he had nothing to write beyond
the bare facts already known. The po-
lice had developed nothing new, and he
supposed that / had worked up the story
from the evening papers.
And has it come to pass that you
wait for the police to develop murder
case for your exclaime6 angrily. AS
for the reports in the evening papers,
you can fake better story than they
hadp
''He sat down, in apparent despair,
at his desk Then I relented and ca
joled him little, begging him not to
spoil his great record by falling down
on such an assignment There's start
er for you, said 1, throwing him the
article had commenced. Now, go
ahead and fill that out with column
description Of the scene.
"'I haven't even visited it, he re-
piled. Nevertheless he picked up the
pages and read them as If impelled by
some hateful fascination. Then he took
up his pen to make few minor corree-
tions. Then. as if totally oblivious Of
my presence, he began to write.
Gas sheet after sheet fell under his
fingers snatched them up. read them
hurriedly and shot them down the copy