The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-02

~-SSAo oSsseSAiNh tiiOll UP, lcitQ
hurriedly and shot them down the copy
tube to the composing room. read
rapidly, rs an editor will, taking but
small account of the matter SO long as
it ran smoothly, while 1 had too much
confidence In him to question tho 40
curacy OF his statements. only realized
that he was writing great story, the
greatest he had ever done. He seemed
inspired 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
accuracy Of detail that would have been
impossible for ono who had not studied
it closely. The selection Of the spot he
explained by the fact that the bright
electric light, streaming through tho
windows Of the power house, made it
impossible for the passerby to sec into
the shadows. Thus while impenetrablo
darkness screened the assassin ample
light guided his blow, and, moreover
the rattle and roar of the machinery
near by drowned all sound Of the strug-
gle or the falling body.
"The blow on the head. he demon
strated, must have been from sand
bag, while the wound through tho heart
could only have been mado by ono of
those long, flno bladed stilettos of Ital-
Ian make. Furthermore, the fact that
this peculiar weapon was driven homo
with firm hand, after tho victim had
been stunned by blow on the head, in
dictated premeditated and deliberate
murder, while tho theory of robbery
was disproved by tho fact that tho man
valuablos had been untouched The only
tenablo theory, therefore, was that tho
motive of the murder was revenge
"a moro mastery analysis of case ]
never read, but hero he branchcd off into
what l at first supposed to be purely i'm
aginary speculations as to the wrong
which had led the murderer to seek tho
life OF tho unknown man. These seemed
pnrposcly vague at first, but gathered
In strength and certainty until L con-
clutlcd that he must have some good
foundation for thom. Starting with
hypothesis, he soon began to state them
as facts. He described how the dead
man. once trusted friend, had entered
the homo OF another; how, by subtle
wiles and deceit, he had stolen the love
of the wife. Then followed an clone
ment and the breaking up of that once
happy home.
He told, with the bitterness of truth,
how the scoundrel had deserted tho
weak and erring woman and left her to
perish alone; how tho idea of revenge
had filled the mind of the wronged hus-
band; how, himself unseon, he had fol-
lowed every movement Of the intended
victim for months and carefully plotted
his destruction; how he had dccoyed tho
doomed man to the city and TO the very
spot where tho murder was committed,
and how he had destroyed the only CLOVIS
a couple Of letters i'll the pockets of
tho dead man-and finally made his
own escape, the secret SAFE in his own
heart alone
GAS l read this remarkable tale
through the conviction forced itself
upon mo that this was the absolute
truth. If tho writer himself had COM
mitted the deed, he could not have de
scrihed it more graphically, Suddenly
the thought flashed over me-could h6
describe such crime thus without hay
ing, i'll fact, committed it?
I'VE were alone in the room.
glanced at Jones apprehensively. He
was writing rapidly-fercely. His eyes
We're fixed, but he seemed to be looking,
through and beyond the paper across
which his pen flew. at something fas-
cinating-terrible. When he finished, it
was with start, as if waking from a
trance. Iglanced ut the last page, where
was final confirmation of my fears.
My God, Jones, is this true?'
managed to say.
Every word of it, as live, no re-
piled firmly, if family.
Then You have written the war
rant foc your own arrest, / said
His head dropped on his desk, but
no said not word.
Jones, said 1, finally shaking him
by the shoulder to arouse him to an I'M
Outstanding of my meaning, enough to
hang You is already in type. In an hour
the papers will be on the street In an
other hour the police will be after you.
Go-mako the most of your start!
1t was as predicted, said the city
editor after pause. Before daylight
detective called OH me to ascertain tho
source of that story. 1 simply pointed
to Jones' name OH the assignment book,
and they went after him..
Did they catch him?" asked the cub
reporter eagerly.
''They found him in his room, with
q stiletto through his heart" said the
city editor. Willard A. Holcomb in
Argonaut
Got His Moneys Worth.
King Milan of Seryia cnco won't IN