Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-19
CHAPTER VII-(Continued.)


yesterday evening in making inquiries
entirely without avail. This morning
{ began very early, and at 8 o'clock
reached Halliday's Private Hotel, in
Little George street. On my inquiry
as to whether Mr.. Stangerson was liv-
ing there, they at once answered me in
che affirmative.
mo doubt you are the gentleman
whom he was expecting" they said.
He has been waiting for a gentleman
Tor two days
Where is he now / asked.
&c He is I'D stairs in bed. He wished
TO be called at g.
L will go up and Sc him at once,
{ said.
1T seemed to me that my sudden
appearance might shake his nerves and
lead him to say SOM 1thing u1guarded
The Boots volunteered to show me the
room; it was on the second floor, and
there was a small corridor leading up
TO it, The Boots pointed out the door
80 me, and was about to go downstairs
again when / saw something that made
me feel sickish, in spite of my twenty
years experience. From under the
door there curled little red ribbon of
blood, which had meandered across
the passage and formed a little pool
along the skirting at the other side. /
gave cry which brought the Boots
Dack- He nearly tainted when he saw
it The door was locked on the inside,
but we put our shoulders to it and
knocked it in. The window of the
room was open, and beside the window,
all huddIed UP, the body of a man in
his night dress. He was quite dead,
and had been for some time, for his
limbs were rigid and cold. When we
turned him over the Boots recognized
him at once rs being the same gentle
man who had engaged the room under
the name of Joseph StangarsOn. The
cause of death was a deep stab in the
left side, which must have penetrated
the heart And now comes the strang-
est part of the affair. What do you
suppose was above the murdered
man"
""The word RACHE, written in letters
of blood" he said.
THAT was it." said Lestradc, in an
aWe-struck voice; and we were all 81
lent for a while.
There was something SO methodIcal
and incomprehensible about the deeds
of this unknown assassin, that impart-
ed & fresh ghastliness to his crimes.
NV nerves, which were steady enough
Scn the field of battle, tinSled as l
thought of it.
"gThe man was seen," continued Les
trade. "a milk-boy, passing Oh his way
so the dairy, happened to walk down
80 the lane which leads from the news
at The back of the hotel He noticed
ioJ1 n
was raised against one of the windows
IF the second floor, which was wide
open. After passing, he looked back,
and saw a man descend the ladder
He came down so quietly and openly
that the boy imagined him to be some
carpenter or Joiner ut work IN he
hGteI. HE took no particular notice
G6 him, beyond thinking in his own
MIND that lit was early for him to be at
work EFe has an impression that the
Euan was tall had a reddish face, and
was dressed in long, brownish coat.
He must have stayed in the room
Some little time after the murder, for
we found blood-stained water in the
basin, where he had washed his hands.
and marks on the sheets where he had
wiped his knife"
& glanced at Holmes on hearing the
description of the murderer, which tai
gied so exactly with his own. There
v1sgS, however, no trace OF eXultatlon or
satisfaction upon his face.
Ibid you find nothing in the room
which could furnish a clue to the MUIR
Ise1'ert2" he asked.
Nothing. Stangerson had Drebber's
purse in his pocket, but it seems that
this was usual, as he did all the pay
jlle, There was eighty odd pounds in
1t, but nothing had been taken. What
awpF the motives of these extraordinary
crimes, robbery is certainly not one
of them There was no papers or mem
oranda in the murdered mans pocket,
except a single telegram, dated FROM
Cleveland about month ago, and con-
fainYma the words, j. H. is in Europe
There was no name appended to this
and there was nothing else?'
EIQIsHges asked.
Nothing of any Importance. The
mans novel, with which he had READ
himself to sleep, was lying upon the
bed. and his pipe was on char be-
side linn. There was glass OF water
am tine table, and on the window Sill
a small chip ointment box, containing
couple of pills
sSyserlocEx Holmes sprang from his
f;tsagr with an exclamation OF delight.
-1'rhe last link" he cried, exllltal tly.
ssNy case is complete.
sTbe two detectives stared at him IN
amaZement.
~ have now in my hands" my com
oaYjon said confidently, AL the
threads which have formed sucn tan-
@rIo. There are, Of course, details to oe
fjyIed in, but I am certain OF all the
main facts, from the time that Dfepoef
narved from Stangerson at the station
an TO the discovery of the body OF the
letter. as if had seen them with my
own eyes. will give you 4 proof OF
my knowledge Could you lay your
8land upon those pills?"
II have them" said Lestrade, pro-
alucinc n small white box; took them
and the purse and the telegrams, IN ~
tending to have them PIT in q clace OF
safety at the police station. IL was
the merest chance, my taking these