Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-04
AN EDITORS STORY.

1T was in n western city some years
ago." remarked the city editor, that
| was holding down the city desk ON n
daily for the first time. We had man
on the paper who was simply n crank
on homicide, and he was moro than q
mere reporter, for he had detective tai
cnt of the highest order. He didn't care
much for the common crimes-bur-
glaries, larcenies and such-but give
him q good, mysterious murder, and he
was splendid. Not only did he have the
history of I'll the famous murders at
his fingers ends. but he delighted in
ferrcting ont tho most mysterious crimes
that came within our province. In every
case, except the one l am telling about
and there were q good many killings
in that town-hc traced ont the muir
dcrcr before tho detectives even dreamed
of his identity.
81 have since thought the secret of
his success was that no put himself
mentally in tho place Of the murderer
and reasoned it out from motives rather
than from the 'clcws' of the ordinary
detective.
murder, he once said to mo when in q
rarely communicative mood. Most men
would commit it i'll about the same way
under the same circumstances. 1t Is
only when murderer goes about it
systematically, as do the thugs of In
dia, that murder becomes truly mys-
terious.
II once asked him why no did not
become n regular detective.
- Il was born and bred newspaper
man, he said, and habit is too strong
to break. That was literally true in his
case. Otherwise l might not have to
tell this story.
"One morning tho body of fine look
ing man was found in an alley adjoin-
ing the electric light works in the very
heart of tho city. The afternoon papers
had a chance at it, but didn't make
much out of it, so at once assigned it
to Jones, rs we will call him. Although
he did not show up at tho usual hour, /
had no doubt that he was already ut
work on it, rs it was Us mysterious Il
case rs oven he could desire.
THE victim was identified as u trav-
cling man who had just arrived. and.
as far as known, he had no friends or
acquaintance in tho city. 1t was not IA
case of robbery, for all his money and
valuablcs were left on the body. There
was slight confusion ON tho back of
the head and small ncCdlcliko hole di-
rCCtly through the mans heart. II was
especially strange that such crime
could have been committed In public
thoroughfarc, while there was absolute
ly no clcw to tho murderer or his mo-
tive.
But these difficulties were only such
as would ordinarily put Jon,.; on his
mCttlC, 50 did not doubt that ho would
! have Il good accuUmt IF tine affair.
was therefore somewhat surprised
when he came sncaking in about d
| O'Clock i'll the evening to sec what his
assignment was He looked Worn and
haggard. but donicd that no was i'll, so /
gave him tho murder assignment. !
thought I saw q startled look In his
eyes, but he maintained his outward
cOmposure and went ont without a
word.
~ did not sec him again that even
ing. About midnight began 10 wonder
why l had not heard from him. but
only spcculatcd on the possibility OF
something having happened to him. for
the idea that he could possibly fail
never occurred to mo. Finally. after ar
hour had gone by. tclcphoncd to the
police station. Word camc back tina,
there were no now developments in the
casr, and that Jones had not been there.
| Sending two men out to hunt him up.
set To work myself to make mp q story OF
| the murder from tn" afternoon papers.
| Just then Jones came In His step was
unsteady and his face fus:Cd. He had
evidently hcnn drinking heavily-somc
thing l never know him TO do before
but he was not drank, rather no seemed
at high nervous tension, although out
wariily is calm rs ever.
Il decided to Let this breach of dis
cipliuc pass and merely asked him fol
his murder story. II" replied that h,
hadn't written it.
Well. get t. work on it at once,
said rather sharply.
Then he really surprised me by say
ing that he had nothing to write beyont
the bare fact, already known. The pc
lice had developed nothing new, and h,
supposed that had worked up the story
from the evening papers
- And has il come to pass that VOL
wait for the police to develop murdc
case for your exclaimed angrily. "A
for tho reports in the evening papers
you can fake better story than the.
hadr
"Hc sat down, in apparent despair
at his desk Then relented and CO
joled him little, begging him not {.
spoil his great record by falling dow
ON such an assignment There's start
or for you.' said I. throwing him tn,
article I had commenced. Now, g,
ahead and fill that out with a column
description of the scCno.
"'I haven't even visited it, he TO
piled. Nevertheless he picked up tn
pages and read them Is If impcIled b,
sor1e hateful fascin;'ion. Then he tool
p
Up rs pen to make O few minor correc
lions. Then, as if totally oblivious O
my pfesencc, he began to write
"As sheet after sheet fell under hi
fingers l snatchcd them up, read then
hurriedly and shot them down tho cop.
tube to the composing room. reaa
rapidly, rs an editor will, taking bu
small account of the matter so long a
it ran smoothly, while had too mucl
confidence in him TO question the &C
curacy of his statements. only realizes
that he was writing great story, tn
greatest he had ever done He scenes
inspired with the very innermos
thoughts of tho murderer, and unde
his touch every trivial incident cam
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