The Somerset reporter., 1897-03-18


Cutting tried to have tho will broken
are not essential to this story. The
courts upheld me, however and declared
the will perfectly valid. As Il conse-
quence Randolph Cutting and myself
had not spoken Ter Eve years, and |, OF
course had not bcean eal H.. home until
that oyontful day, when | hurried down
there in response to his telegram. True,
did tllHi. that it was curious thing
for Cutting 10 do--to telegraph for me
to come down TO Hopcyillo-but ON sec.
ond thought | concluded that some bust
ness of importance in connection with
certain interests which were still mutual
required that he should see me- and that
perhaps he was unable from illness OF
some other cause to leave his home.
This brief explanation of the cause OF
my visit to Hopeyille was only small
part of the thoughts which crowded my
brain when | was safely seated in the
train and whirling toward jersey City.
As | have said, Randolph Cutting ano
| were bitter enemies and the evidence
which pointed to my having committed
the crime seemed so blackly conclusive
that l could almost feel the rope tighter
about my neck. When the train stopped
at the next station, trembled in every
limb, fully expecting to see some one
come into the car to arrest me Nothine
of the sort happened, however, and
passed several more stations III safety.
However, | did not allow myself much
hope, for | felt sure | would he appre
hended at Jersey City. After some
thought | concluded that it would be
the best plan to go right in rather thar
get off at any of the out of town sta
tons, as there would be much less risk
of being noticed in the crowd which
would get off the train there.
When the train pulled into the Jersey
City depot, | made my way with al.
possible haste toward Che waiting room,
and, greatly to my surprise, l was not
molested Suddenly | heard the train.
man call out train for philadelphia,
and, acting upon impulse, | hastily sc
cured ticket and was soon comfortably
ensconced i'll a parlor car ON the way tc
the Quaker City.
| can never describe that night of hor.
ror which spent in Philadelphia Some
idea of my feelings may be imagined
when l saw i'll an evening paper a dis.
patch telling of the murder of Randolph
Cutting, q we'll known New Yorker,
near his country place, at Hopeville. n.
j. The account in the paper said that
detectives from New York were at work
upon the case and that although they
refused to give out any of the facts, they
Were in possession of u clew which they
felt sure would enable them to capture
the murderer within a few hours.
| sought quiet hotel upon a side
street, registering under an assumed
name, and then endeavored to compose
myself to await results | hardly think
slept wink that night but tossed fe.
yerishly upon my bed, wondering wheth.
er | had not acted very foolishly in thus
running away when | was perfectly in.
nocent. Undoubtedly by so doing / had
strengthened the chain of evidence
against me, but, under the circum
stances, | did not see what else | could
do. There was still chance for me,
thought. Cuttings groom was, no doubt,
a new one, as his face was not familiar
to me, and he probably did not know
who | was. No one else in Hopcville
knew me. | had not mentioned my in.
tention of going down there to any one
in Now York. My only hope lay il
keeping perfectly secluded until the
thing had blown over, and this thought
could do as well in my hotel in Phila-
delphia us anywhere else.
Then when | would arrive at this
point in my reasoning the thought of
that clew that the detectives were work
ing ON would come to me, and | would
break into a cold perspiration from merry
BUSINESS and anxiety. How | ever got
through the night cannot tell. As soon
as ! could get into my clothes in the
morning | procured a morning paper.
There | found a fuller and more thrill.
ing account of the murder, most OF
which | SKINNED through hurriedly
until | reached the following words:
'DctoctiyCS Warden and Seabury OF
the Pinkerton force reached Hopeville
shortly after noon, having been tele.
Praphed for by Mr.. Cuttings family.
They at once set to work upon ii clew
furnished them hy Davis, the groom,
who was with Mr.. Cutting when the
fatal shot was fired. Davis was sitting
with his back to Mr. Cutting, but hap
pcning to look toward the side of the
road he saw man, whom he recognized
Il - Of