Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-06-11


speed and pulling up at bend in the
road before I reached the station. /
jumped down and ran, just in time to
scramble upon the train as it was NOV.
ing of.
1t was curious freak Of chance, IL,
indeed, it was chance alone, which had
brought me down to Hopeville that
morning and thrust me into the unen-
viable position OF a suspected murder
err. 1 had received q telegram from
Randolph Cutting, the man whom l
had just seen murdered, asking me to
come down Immediately to Hopeville,
and in obedience to this summons l
had taken an early morning train from
New York. Hopeville is an unpreten-
tious little New Jersey village, Il in.
deed a country store and two small
houses besides the station could be so
described. When stepped out Of
the train / looked about in vain for
Randolph Cuttings carriage. As it
was not to be seen and as anything in
the shape of hired conveyance was
an utter impossibility at Hopeville, I
set out alta brisk walk in the direction
of Randolph Cuttings place, which I
knew from a former visit was about q
mile and half from the station.
Randolph Cutting and were Sec
ond cousins, and the very slight de-
gree OF affection which always existed
between us was not increased mater
tally at the death of an uncle of ours,
who left his money to me, and whose
will was 80 involved that there was a
lawsuit between Cutting and myself.
As it happened by the terms OF the
will, most of my uncle's property was
left to me, and Cutting tried to have
the will broken upon certain technical
grounds which are not essential to this
story. The courts upheld me, how
ever, and declared the will perfectly
valid. As a consequence Randolph
Cutting and myself had not spoken
for five years, aud I, of course, had
not been near his home since that
eventful day, when 1 hurried down
there in response to his telegram.
True, L did think, that it was a curl.
Gus thing for Cutting to do-to tele.
graph me to come down to Hopeville,
but on second thought concluded
that some business OF Importance in
connection with certain interests
which were still mutual required that
he should see me, aud that perhaps he
was unable from illness or some other
cause to leave his home.
This brief explanation OF the cause
of my visit to Hopevile was only
small part of the thoughts which
crowded my brain when 1 was safely
seated in the train aud whirling tow
ard Jersey City. As 1 have said Ran
dolph Cutting and I were bitter enc
mics, and the evidence which pointed
to my having committed the crime
seemed so blackly conclusive that 1
could almost feel tho rope tighten
about my neck. When the train
. stopped at the next station 1 trembled
in every limb, fully expecting to see
some one come into the car to arrest
me. Nothing of the sort happened,
however, and 1 passed several more
stations in safety. However. l did
not allow myself much hope, for I felt
sure I would be apprehended at Jer-
oey City. After some thought con.
cluded that 1t would be the best plan
to go right in rather than get off at
any OF the out.of-town stations, as
there would be much less risk OF be-
ing noticed in the crowd which would
get off the train there.
When the train pulled into the Jer.
sey City depot l made my way with oil
possible haste toward the waiting
room, and greatly to my surprise
was not molested. Suddenly I heard
the trainman call out train for Phila-
delphia, aud acting upon impulse
hastily secured ticket and was soon
comfortably ensconced in parlor cal
on the way to the Quaker City.
can never describe that night OF
horror which spent in Philadelphia.
Some idea OF my feelings may be i'm,
Ogined when 1 saw in an evening paper
dispatch telling of the murder o,