The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-10-10


thing that impressed me was, where
could he have put the stolen property
if ne had fallen suddenly after partak-
ing Of the drugged wine9 The spoil
ought to have been in that room. 1t
was not; for 1 examined it.
All this time the man had been
silently engaged thinking; now he
said: 'Look here, sir. In front OF
the house the grass is rather long. l
was walking on it at the time, and
when / received the blow I was right
in front of the gate. You examine that
grass and see if there are any signs of
fall on the grass, or if any one has
been dragged along it, for / feel sure
that was carried from that spot into
the house."
'I will go and examine it," l said.
much struck by his intelligence, "and
now, goodby for the present, and
don't get downhearted."
"Goodby, sir; God bless you" he
cried, and then I left him and wended
my way toward the house.
On the way met the inspector, who
inquired if had learned anything.
eyes," replied; "a good deal. l
think I can also prove the arrested
mans innocence.
He looked rather disappointed, but
did not ask for any particulars. l be-
| lieve he thought / was mad. l reached
the front of the house and carefully
searched the grass. Soon / found
place where it looked disarranged,
and, getting out my lens, carefully
examined it. Yes, there was the mark
of the fallen man; o little further
back was the mark of another man,
who had evidently stood there some
time. But search as I would there
were no signs of any one being
dragged along. But, stay, l suddenly
alighted on deep footprint, then an.
other, and another right up to the
gate, then across the garden, till they
ended close by the forced window
Suddenly an idea struck me the foot
prints seemed very deep. i made one
or two beside them, mine were not
nearly so deep. What did this point
to? The maker of them had been
heavily laden. There could be no
doubt of it, the villain had taken off
his owl shoes and put on those OF the
arrested man; then he had carried
him across the garden and thrown
him through the window unconscious,
pouring glass of the drugged wine
down his throat, then he had robbed
the dead man and departed. Bnt
there were few queries unanswered
| Firs.-How did he know this wine
was drugged?
Second How was it there were no
eigns of his departure?
Third-How could he carry the
valuables away, for l had been IN
formed they were very Lsavy? In my
own mind / had proved one mans IN
nocence but harder task lay before
me to prove another's guilt.
| Search as I might, l could find no
more traces, and the matter became
more puzzling. The burglar seemed
, either to have flown away, or to bt
, still in the house. This feeling WA
augmented later on, when l went t.
, the nearest station and inquired
/ any strangers had been about. To m.
surprise they positively affirmed tina
/ was the only stranger that had come
} or gone for the last few days. Tn
next station was some ten miles of; l
} was not likely they would have carrie,
, their spoil that distance. When
. reached my lodging ana thought tn
I matter over, there was only one pos
/ sible conclusion. The murderer mus
> be still in the village, and some OF tn
: stolen property must be still hidde
1 in the house or grounds, and in tn
/; evening I determined to watch tn
9 house, for there / was convinced La,
o the key of the mystery.
About 10 O'Clock cautiously crep
y into the garden and scaled a tire
!. which stood in q direct line with tn
!. cid mans bedroom. 1 have been IN
few strange positions, but never
:, such one as that, before or sinc'
n For there l sat perched in that tire
for two mortal hours in the most III
70 comfortable OF positions, and nothln
l. occurred.
Presently saw the light in one
y the bottom rooms go out, and SOC
d after the old man himself came up
bed. First he very carefully drew h
n window curtains together, which sh'
II me out from all view. But meant
a see somehow, and noticing that Il
:. ends were left uncovered, cautious
descended from my perch, and att
a taking off my boots, began to ciiu
!. mn the creeper which covered Il
If house. and was as thick as MAI
!. wrist in some places. My heart De
N violently as neared his window; q
<. stem Of the creeper was getting TIL
If ner. and one false step might ruin q
=. lint I reached it at last, and, by ben
"a inc under the window, had d
Of view. The first thing that surpris
me was that he had not begun to n
IL dress; but greater was in store
y. after walking across the room a.
locking the door, he touched boa
"A in the wali-which was OF paneled o
he and it sprang open, revealing
n. small. secret chamber. 1t might ma
ba heen Aladdin's Cave, for it glitter
and shone, even in that pale light.
contained the stolen property
of What happened during the next
minutes I cannot tell, my brain
I too daxed to observe. All l co.
ia think OF was, the old man had
~a-%v When next look