Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-03-04
go to Streatham that day, nor for many


their first crude investigation had
brought to light. That the safe had
been rifled there was no longer any
doubt, seeing that neither a note nor a
coin of any kind was found in it; but in
view Of the fact that Mr.. Lumsden had
been in the habit of keeping all cash
matters connected with the business in
his own hands, it was difficult to ascer-
tain with any degree of exactitude until
certain books should have been gone
through what moneys he had in hand at
the time he came by his death. The
chances, however, were that the sum
was not large one, the dead man hav
ing been in the habit Of banking day by
day. Mr.. May, the managing clerk, had
no knowledge Of any cash having been
paid to his employer on the morning of
the ninth; but, on the other hand,
Houghton averred that on taking some
letters into his masters room about
eleven o'clock he found there gentle
man dressed in deep mourning and an
entire stranger to him, who, at the mo-
ment of his entering, was in the act of
handing number of bank notes across
the table to Mr.. Lumsden The notes
in question We're not now to be found;
no entry Of them had been made in the
cash book; neither could Mr.. May throw
any light on the personality Of the man
who had paid them over.
At the inquest, which was more than
once adjourned in the hope that further
evidence would presently be forthcom-
ing, verdict of "willful murder against
some person or persons unknown" was
eventually returned. The funeral had
taken place some days before.
Mr.. Orde did not fail to impart to In
spectOr Fountain, who had charge of the
affair on the part of the police, the par
ticulars of what he had so strangely
heard through the medium of the tele-
phone. The inspector appeared to be
much struck thereby and made ample
entries in his notebook. There was rea-
son for believing that during the next
few days he devoted Il considerable pOr-
ton of his time to endeavoring to ascer-
tain whether the murdered man had
been on Intimate terms with any one,
either a friend or a relative, whose bap-
tismal name was Harry or Henry, but
all such inquiries proved of no avail.
To his initiative it was due that an adj
vertisement was inserted in The Times
and other newspapers requesting that
should the same meet the eye of the per-
son who on the morning of the ninth of
June paid the late Mr. Edward Lums-
den. of Saint Augustine's alley, sum of
money in bank notes he would at once
communicate with the police; but time
went on and the advertisement seemed
likely to remain dead letter That
the merchant had come by his death at
the hands of some one who was aware that
at that hour of the day he and the Office
boy had, as rule, the premises to them
selves, could scarcely be doubted. In
all proba biiity Houghton had been seen
to leave the office, and advantage had
been taken of his absence. But all such
suggestions merely served to deepen the
mystery which chung around the affair
Mr.. Charles Lumsden, Edwards
younger brother, came up from the
country to attend the funeral. He, the
widow, Mr.. Rice, the lawyer, and Mr.
Orde met in the drawing room after all
was over for the reading of the will
James Orde was already aware that he
was appointed sole executor.
AS d matter of course the bulk of Mr..
Lumsdens property devolved upon his
wife and children. To his brothers was
bequeathed legacy of. one thousand
guineas, and to his cousin, Eustace
Crake, one Of five hundred guineas.
There were minor legacies to Mr.. May
and others, while to Mr.. Orde was de-
vised a diamond breastpin and one or
two other mementos.
And. pray, where is Mr.. Eustace
Crake to be found?" asked Mr.. Orde Of
Mr.. Charles Lumsden, when the lawyer
had brought his reading to an end. 1t
was the first time he had heard of the
existence of such person, or if he had
heard of it in years gone by he had for
gotten.
That is more than L can tell YOU"
was the reply. "All his life Eustace
Crake has been one of those rolling
stones which are proverbially said to
gather no moss. Indeed, if | were to
term him the scapegrace of the family,
| could hardly be indicted for libel. l
am quite aware that my poor brother
had always a sort of sneaking regard
for him, but for my part any cousinly
feeling may once have had for him
died out long ago"
Then | suppose our only chance of
finding him is to advertise for him?''
That is what | should recommend.
At the present moment he may be in
Iimbuctoo or Picking"
AS it turned out, however, no adver-
tisement was needed. On going through
his friends private papers a few days
later Mr.. Orde found among them a
letter of recent date from Crake-an APP
plication, in point of fact, for what he
termed "a further loan" of twenty
pounds, attached to which was the tissue
paper press copy of Mr.. Lumsden's re-
ply, in which occurred these Words
Il wholly decline to lend you any
more money; why not say give, for that