Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-04-21
THEINSPECTOR'S LOSS

=
and his colleagues were entertaining
him at little farewell dinner. In an
ticpation of his forthcoming retirement.
The chairman having eulogized the
guest OF the evening to an extent that
brought blush to the face of that case
hardened officer the inspector rose to
reply, and al the finish he said:
The chairman has said that l never
let man slip through my fingers after
i had once got on his track. but am
sorry TO say he is wrong l am bound
to acknowledge that once an offender
vas too clever for me-
Tell us about it," arose spontaneous
ly from almost every throat, and In
quest. gave the story.
1T was good many years ago now
when had intrusted to me a case of a
young woman named Eliza Thick
broom, who had been found dead levi.
IDENTITY murdered by having her throat
cut ia some fields adjoining a canal
near town in Lancashire. She had
been a domestic servant, and was of a
very retiring. staid disposition, and bore
an irrepruachable character. Her
friends lived IN quite another part of
the country, and her mistress had no
knowledge of her keeping company or
anything of that kind. For some time
] had considerable difficulty in fixing
the crime or any reason for 1t upon
anyone, but at last. after a lot of in
quiry, | nscertained that she had been
out walking with a man named Lam
prey. who lived near Stockport. in Che
shire, some thirty miles from where
Eliza Thlckbroom resided.
''It seemed that the girl had been in
the habit Of spending her holiday, when
she had day off. in going to Stockport.
where Lamprey met her. and that she
had become engaged to him. but that.
hearing something to his discredit. she
had refused TO have anything more to
do with him, and. so far, nothing fur
ther was known 10 implicate Lamprey
in the crime, but |. of course at once
took the train to Stockport and proceed
ed to hunt up Lamprey. and to make
inquiries in the town where he resided.
Il knew nothing about him except his
name, but from the local police and
cautious questions of one and another.
i ascertained that he had been sailor
and was then 'steepletack,' and one
of the best climbers known.
Jack Lamprey" cried one man to
whom had spoken. 'Ah, he can climb
for sure. can Jack, Why. he climbed to
the very top of yOn steeple,' pointing to
the church hard by. which had a spire
remarkably tall and slender. and very
L. f,. h.. L.,
damaged the weather cock Jack climo-
ed and fixed it all alone for the parson,
and lie refused to be paid for it
The man seemed to look upon Lam
prey'o -"fusing payment as more Won
derful than his climbing the steeple. and
perhaps he was right Well. bit by bit,
! found little things which, when pieced
together. pointed Enthusiastically TO Jack
Lamprey as the murderer. He had, un-
I'll recently, been seen frequently in and
about Stockport With the girl, but for
the last two or three months she had
not been observed in his company. He
had been jolly sort Of fellow, but since
the girl had ceased her visits 1t had
been noticed that he had become
moody and silent. and he had taken to
yiously been a most abstemious man.
He was away from his lodgings ON
the night of the murder and on his re-
turn early the next day he was travel
stained. as II he had walked a long way.
His landlady remembered that he told
her he had fallen down In some chem
teal works where he had been on lob
and had stained his clothes, and she
recollected Immediately after his ar
rival home he had busted himself brush
ing and Sponging his garments.
There was sufficient TO Justify me in
obtaining a warrant: but he was away
on a tob-no one knew where exactly,
except that 1t was somewhere near Liv-
erpool-and it was useless for me to
leave Stockport, where / had the best
chance of catching him, on a wild goose
chase to Liverpool without better in
formation My only course was to wait
and keep quiet till he came back, which
he was expected to do the following
day.
Il took every precaution to prevent
anyone knowing that he was wanted
but some pal must have got to suspect
1t and given him warming The police
In Liverpool had been wired to, and had
kept watch of all trains In the direction
OF Stockport, and toward evening of
the second day received the intimation
that a man resembling his description
had taken the train and was on his
way. Assisted by local detective who
knew the man, | watched every pas.
senger out of the train on its arrival al
Stockport. but no Jack Lamprey aliGht