The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-14
A STUDY IN RED.

out of bed.
''In the hall bedroom above. Here is
the proof" And he held up piece of
carpet with bright red spot on it.
"You speak in riddlesF'
"Then you shall have the details SO far
as have ascertained them. After the
concert last night had oysters and beer
with a friend and arrived home at 8
O'Clock. By mistake or perhaps it was
fate, walked past the door of our room
in the dark and went up to the next land
ing 1 struck match to find the keyhole,
and by its light discovered that murder
had been done. I went to work on the
case at once, for there is no evidence so
good as that collected promptly. AS re-
suit of two hours investigation have as
certained that the man who lodged in the
room above was member of secret lodge
or society. His life was not what it APP
peared on the surface. He had an enemy,
and this enemy was member of the same
society. They met last night by appoint
ment, probably at the lodgeroom, nnd
drank together. The man up stairs drank
too much o. was drugged and was brought
home by his enemy. This was all planned
by the murderer, whose object was re-
venge.
"They came to the house in cab drawn
by gray horse. It will be easy to find
the cab as the horse was blind in one eye
and three of the cab wheels had old and
worn tires, while the fourth was a new
one. The driver waited, but when the
murderer went down stars he dismissed
the cab and walked away.
1.-THE ledger up stairs was assisted into
the house by the man who killed him.
The latter took the key from the pocket Of
his victim and unlocked both doors. The
murdered man was killed before he had
chance to make an outcry, but his blood is
on the hands of his slayer.
'The murderer is more than feet tall,
is broad shouldered wears a No. 10 boot
and lives Oh the west side, in Thirty ninth
street, if am not mistaken. He is ruff
fan by nature and is probably a member
of the Hell's Kitchen gang The murder
may have been the outcome of feud in
the gang, or it may have been done for
private revenge. That point will be able
to settle when have examined the scene
of the crime. Then all that will remain
to be done will be to locate the murderer.
The arrest may leave to Carrots and
Cabbage of the Central Office
"Great heavens, Tones, did you see the
men when they came in and see the muir
derer go away?"
Nothing of the kind. He had been
gone more than an hour when got home,
SO the murder must have been done be-
tween and o'clock
'Then how do you know all you have
told me?''
Learned it all by few careful obser'
vations. I discovered a red stain on the
door of the lodger's room, showing that
the murderer had blood on his hand. He
attempted to wipe it off on the carpet, and
cut out the spot for examination under
the glass, as am making study of blood.
The other facts ascertained with the aid
of a tape measure, a magnifying glass and
my general knowledge of the value of ap-
parently unimportant details in such
cases.
''In the first place, there was mud on
the boots of the murderer, and he left foot
prints on the stoop and stairs. measured
those with tape line and found that he
wore a No. 10 boot. That means a man
more than 6 feet tall, but, to confirm that,
measured his stride, which was feet
inches. I examined the mud under the
glass and found that it came from West
Thirty ninth street. I know that because
have made study of New York mud
and can tell at a glance the locality to
which any sample belongs.
1.-The points about the cab were easily
Rscertained. The street was not swept
yesterday, and the imprint of the cab
wheels was easy to trace. Three wheels
mede ruts in the dirt round at the edges,
showing old and worn tires, while the off
hind wheel left square trace, indicating
q new tire. On the lamppost 1 found
few short white horse hairs on one side.
A gray horse had rubbed one side of his
head on the post. Now a horse blind in
one eye never rubs the blind side of his
head against post for fear of striking
projecting nail. AS the hairs were all on
one side of the post the horse must have
been blind in one eye.
81 know that the murderer dismissed
ha nrh xUb hon ha went down stairs hncaJISa
it returned in the direction from which it
came. If he had gone away in the vehicle,
he would have ordered the driver to pro-
coed in the opposite direction.
'The fact that the two men were mem
bers of a secret order or lodge would prob
ably have been discovered by such obtuse
individuals as Carrots and Cabbage, be-
cause the murderer in holding the door
knob in his blood stained hand to close
the room door unconsciously gave the
secret grip of the society and left the i'm
print there in red. Then with his finger
he scrawled some cabalistic sign on the
floor to indicate that the vengeance of the
order was accomplished.
Wonderfully exclaimed.
'tMy friends from the central office
should be here very soon, and then we can
get to work, " said Tones glancing at the
clerk.
BY this time the servants and the land
lady were astir. We heard heavy step on
the stairs going up past our door, and a
few moments later the voice Of the land
lady rang out sharp and clear in a long
drawn out yell, that sounded to my over
strained nerves like a scream of terror.
Tones smiled quietly. The cry of the
woman was repeated, and listening in
tently made out that she was calling,
"Br-i-d -e-t!'
There was an answering shout from be-
low, a rush of footsteps, and then the
voice of the Iandlady broke out again.
Bridget, whatever in the world stained
this carpet? Here's all the new varnish
ruined and the brussels carpet spoiled en-
tirely! Sure no lone widow ever had to