Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-01-07
BEHIND IRON DOORS.
BY WAIT MASON.

Hugh Morse looked gloomily through
the window Of his apartment and found
nothing in the view TO cheer or encour-
age him; a high board fence 80 feet away
marked the boundary; inside the fence
two or three men labored dismally at
pile OF stone, with chains on their
ankles, while man in uniform sat on
a bowlder md stormed Mt them With
threats and curses. Hugh had stood for
hours at that window, looking at the
same scene; the men were not always
The same, but there was always the
swearing Official on the bowlder, and the
high board fence, and the pile Of rock,
and the mapacled ankles.
When he looked from the barred win
DOW, IL was TO envy the men with chains
on their ankles, who were permitted to
follow the exhiIirating work Of break
ing rock; and also to escape the gaze Of
curious country people, who came to
the Jail every day to see the murderer.
as they would go to the circus to see the
sacred elephant OF Siam or the horned
rhinoceros Of Africa.
The evening was closing in, and Hugh
sat in his broken chair and counted the
hours that must pass before his trial;
he had counted the hours, and was re-
ducing them to minutes, when the
wicket in the door was opened, and the
deputy sheriff presented his face at the
aperture, saying:
"There's n gentleman here wants to
see you. You may come into the cor
ridor."
The door was opened and Hugh
stepped into the dingy corridor, where
stranger greeted him politely; th3
stranger was small and pale, with cold
blue eyes, and was attired in black, like
n respectable undertaken in the course
of his duty.
"My name," said the stranger, sis
John Pauley; am detective; I have
been engaged by friend of yours, who
wishes to remain unknown, to work
in your behalf. Your trial is set for the
I'd of January, and this is the 10th Of
December 50 | have but little time; tell
me all that you can, so that / may begin
work intelligently."
"There is but little to tell" replied
Hugh, despondently; "and that little
seems to be all against me, although /
am as innocent as a child. / was en-
Tloyed in Mr.. Wilkes store, and had
been there for four years. Although
thoroughly honest man, he was very
nvaricious, and had an uncertain tenn
per- He had promised me, again and
again, an increase of salary, but the
increase never came. On the night of
he murder Mr.. Willlie worked in his
office late, and, as we were alone, took
advantage of the opportunity to ask
him when l might expect the promised
increase; I told him that was prepar-
ing to be married, and urged upon him
the fact that 1 had served him faithfully
for years, Mt very low wages; he lost his
temper and abused me so scandalously
that in turn became angry, and we had
quarrel. 1t is very possible that our
voices were heard on the street outside.
I gave him my resignation, and retired
to the little room at the back of the
store, where l had slept every night
during my employment in the store; I
went to bed and slept until daylight.
When I went to the Office, found Mr..
Willlie sitting at his desk. dead; he
had been stabbed with my knife, which
I had laid OH the desk during our quar-
rel. I heard no sound during thenight.
When I ran out to give the ALARM,
roticed that the front door was not
locked, although am sure l locked it