Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01


culated for the murder.
"Iad he a broken nose?" asked Bar
rott eagerly.
NAY. aw couldn't tell whe'er he bad
| or no. 1t w0r on the edge O DARK ira
/ knaws. an be himself wor as dark as
niger. man mud as weeel wear
! mask MS a black face, an 20 can Only
tell one collier fro another as 20 can
tell one lump o. coal fro another. by
Is size."
was there any coal near the engineer
! asked Barrett sharply.
LAY. there wor a heap o slack Tor
! firing Z engine next day
By GEORGE cried Barrett turning 10
| the constable who accompanied him.
! "lIc's an old 'uni lie IL thati He black
| ened his face with the slack. both as
| mask and TO pass for a collier driven on
tramp by the strlkel Where did he
make for after YOU turned him ouif"
NAY. avs ne'er turned him out, puir
/ chap He said he had tramped FRO
Wales, an wor balm for Liverpool 10
seek wark. His wife an childre he'd
left IN Wales, fair clemmed. he ssid."
| "Clemmed?" asked Barrett OF the con-
stable.
STARVED. that IS" he replied.
Hes an old 'unw reiterated the Lon
don detective with renewed and increased
admiration. did he talk like collierT'
NAY. he talked outlandish. He wor
moan Lancashire. tina knaws."
"Ay. ! know that well enough Did
| he spend the night here?'
"Nay. he wor goan when aw-comed-aht
| WI some vitles 20 gle him"
Having ascertained by further ques-
tioning that the supposed tramp was
about the Australians height and age.
and was fairly dressed as far az the
fading light allowed the farmer TO see
| T.. l. til.
which was now almost a certainty, Of
the Identity Of the trespasser with the
murderer Of Spaight.
1.-TWO hunnerd pahnds, BY gum" ex-
claimed the farmer. and stood staring
and blinking with open mouth. wide eyes
and woebegone visage. rooted 10 the spot
long after the detectives had disappeared
round a turn In the road.
Hes still tramping the country as q
collier on strike" pronounced Bsrrett
confidently. 10 the local detective "Its
the very best disguise OF his broken nose
and Scared cheek he could possibly as
sumo. and hen not drop il till the hue
and cry is over. We've only to wire TO
all stations to look out for a trampine
collier with broken nose and a SCARED
right cheek. and we shall have him within
a week"
Hurrying headlong back to Manchester.
less than an hour from their discovery
Of the clue every police-station I'm the
kingdom was on the qui vive 10 follow IT,
But, as no police officer was ever more on
the qui viye for n clue than press man
for news Of clue. need hardly say that
every evening London paper Of the day
following contained three or four teie-
grams announcing Barretts discovery Of
an important clue over and over again
-.
news famed into renewed flames the
smouldering interest and discussion IN the
Burleigh Club where the Colonel sneered
AT II. skinner questioned It, Marsden re.
joiced over IT, while Grlfliths (who had O
feminine idea that he had a special in
terest IN the matter because his cousin
was on the eve Of sailing for Australa)
wayered feebly between these conflicting
views For the two days following the
papers were blank: but on the evening Of
the third the fifth edition Of the Hesperus
was sold in tens Of thousands by the
telegram from its alert Manchester cor.
respondent: Arrest OF Brough in a farm
house near Manchester"
Great was the exultaton Of Marsden,
who stood TO win tidy sum by the con-
vction of the Australian for the murder.
but Skinner, who pronounced the tele-
gram bogus, had his innings two hours
later. when the Bellman printed a stop
press" edition, with the disappointing
news:
"The man arrested this morning in
farmhouse near Manchester. under suspi-
cion of being Brough. the Australian, who
is wanted for the murder, under atrocious
circumstances, OF the late Mr.. William
spaight. turns out to be Welsh collier
/ named owen Jones. on his way home
from Liverpool, whittier he had tramped
IN a vain search for work Of which the
coal strike at home had deprived him.
How the police came TO make such an
incOnceivably stupid blunder remains TO
be explained Jones had not single one
OF those marks Of Identification Of which
the public have heard so much and 50
often--nefther a cast in his eye. nor
scar on his cheek. nor broken nose. II
no other explanation OF this blundar Is
forthcoming, but the Grass stupidity ana
inaptitude Of the local police, even when
reinforced by the sagacty of the astuie
Mr.. Barrett. then the escape of so mark
ed a man as Brough becomes at last in
telligibe"
The only explanation forthcoming was
tina. the farmer who had supplied Bar
rett with his "clue " sent special
messenger to the police-station that
morning announcing that Brough was In
his house. and would b. detained there
till officers arrived to arrest him. The
officers on their arrival found a man as
little like the Australian as possible, who.
however, was certainly the hatless collier
that had stopped I'm the farmers premises
for rest and warmth on the night Of the
murder He explained his being hatless
by his having hidden some potatoes he
had stolen and roasted on the embsrs
Of the engine-flre. In his hat, when he
heard the farmer approach.
Next day all of England was laughing
at the willy Barrett's mares-nest; but, as
they laugh who win. nobody found III
detectives failure so entertaining as
Skinner. who stood to pocket a fair sum
by the escape Of the murderer. But Skin
ner's laugh died out later. wnen Griiiiths
staggered into The club and called for
brandy.
WHAT'S the matter? What has happen
ed? You look as II you had seen a ghost"
Griffiths, who had staggered to the
nearest chair. only nodded until he had
taken a great gulp OF neat brandy, when
he gasped Il havel'
you have? You have what?'
Il have seen a ghost-his ghostw
Whose ghost? What the devil has hap
pened?'
"spaight-rve seen spaights ghost as
plain as l see you"
Here. that will do You've had quite
enough OF that" said Marsden, taking the
glass out of his hand
I'm not drunk, and I've not imagined
1t. l saw him as plain as see you there"
As the lad was evidently neither drunk
nor dreaming. they waited 'breathlessly
for his tale. lie said he had Just been 10
the docks TO see his cousin on board the
Australian liner Tasmania. Having gone
with him on board and stayed TO see his
quarters. and have a farewell talk, he
quilted the ship only al the last bell. just
I as he was leaving II Spaight absolutely
l rnahnl by him ON hnnr1 by tho sarna