Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-05-04
Tor INC morriarc ceremony.

hotel to dinner, and at two o'clock stood
on the piazza of brick residence on
Chestnut street.
Hugh Gordon thnmped on the old
fashioned knocker, and colored girl
opened the door.
"IIow is the colonel to-day?" asked
Gordon.
de doctor say he much improved;
he in de Office; come dis away"
They followed the girl into the office.
A smooth-faced gentleman, whose
silyery hair bespoke the fact that he
had passed the meridian of life, was
seated in u large rocker before table
on which were arranged before him
numerous papers and law books, while
from the array along the wall it was
! evident to Tom that they were in the
Office of an attorney at law.
seated? Hester, will you place chairs
for the gentlemen near the tablet"
Colonel said Gordon, II trust fiud
you much improved"
Every much, Mr.. Gordon, thank you."
"Allow me, colonel, to introduce my
friend Lieut.. Thomas Hill.
Indeed, young man, am glad to
meet you. l have had the pleasure of
lifelong acquaintance with your fa-
Their, but 1 suppose that he now thinks I
am at the bottom of the sea-"
II remember seeing you often, at OH
home, when boy, and cnn assure you,
my father greatly regretted to hear Of
your loss ut sea; if remember it was at
the time the Media went down"
"The same, Tom. You will excuse me
for calling an old friends children Ivy
their given names"
II should wish to be called no other,
colonel
We'll, Gordon, how did your snare
operate? suppose Tom is conversant
with the matter, or he would not be here
in your company"
HE is fully SO, colonel. and together
we listened to admissions by Lathrop of
his guilt"
Here Gordon related all that had
transpircd, the night before, in the
library at Kendall.
"IIe is evidently filled with remocse
ut this time" said Col. Strange, for he it
was.
$50 much so, that doubt even if tho
| justice CT the law is meted out to him"
You fear suicide, then:"
81 should not be surprised at any time
to hear that he had taken his life. I
feel almost certain that he will attempt
1t, when he is confronted with the
charge Of numbering his uncle"
Ear better should he die by his own
hand" said the attorney. "NIy poor
friend, Lloyd, distrusted Herbert, but
little did he think that the youth he
educated and raised would prove his
assassin"
Colonel, will you please state to IIr.
Hill, the circumstances in regard to the
will of the banker"
THAT is soon done: On the goth day
of October, 1929, at just about this hour,
John Lloyd sat where you now sit, and
Mt his dictation l drew up his will. lie
desired TO have me act as his administers
tor, in case of his death. I had all ar
engagements made for trip to Europe
and stated that sometimes people We're
lost at sea, and suggested that he Sc
lect some one else, or leave a vacancy,
until I returned.
"He replied Leave the name va
cant. Jim; you know more as to my
affairs than does anyone else, and
guess l won't peg out before you re-
turn
"'No, John, l trust not I said, 'or
for many years to come, but should you
the name being absent would not in
validate the will. and the court would
see that your daughter was properly
protected. In the will was clause leav-
ing Herbert Lathrop $4,000, and Mr.
Lloyd seemed to think that he was treat
ing him very literally. He said as
much, and added: IF at his age he
cannot succeed in life, with the educa
ton 1 have given him and $4,000, hi
probably would not with more.
"'Of course, should 1 live for year;
and see proper to make his beques;
larger, 1 can do so, but that is enough
money to place in the hands of young
man of his age
"Andrew Bligh, passing as had con
cluded writing the will, called him in
ind he and myself signed itas witnesses
but poor Bligh went down with the ill
fated Media, while in my case the Sc.
. gave up its dead, that 1 might aid il
bringing to justice the murderer of m,
! old friend.
. Herbert Lathrop altered that will
; either directly before or after the mur
der.
}, "It was an easy matter for maj
proficient with pen to add a cipher
v and change five to fifty, and it wa
done. Then seeing that the provision
n of the will required no bond, what easie
n than to insert the name Herbert Lathrol
and the handling of John Loyd's 70.
4 tune was in his hands.
r "The fortune may have suffered mucl
but trust not. He was so anxious
call your sister wife that he has hardl
n dissipated much of it, and then, doubt
n less he was held in check by know
i. edge that your father and Clarenc
i would have an eye on him.
= II congratulate you most fervently
f young man, on the escape of your 81.
II ter"
r 1T has been, indeed, narrow e,
cape" said Tom. "Thcn Herbel
G Lathrop is responsible for the creatio
of Black Bcarl?"
= ut would seem so, but I have ne
y yet concluded. Two mouths after draw
~ ing John Loyd's will, took passage o
:, the Media fer Europe; we We're wrccke
!, but leo miles from our destination, an
- 10 miles from the coast. Passenger
and crew were with but three eXcel