The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-12

tingency, and in fact left an opening for
discovery, which had l but stopped up j
could have deied the world To produce
evidence enough To fasten guilt upon
me. Ii was a small opening, but large
enough TO put the rope around my neck.
81 had been thinking for weeks on how
TO kill this man and leave no trace OF
crime or victim. whcu all OF a sudden the
opportunity came, the best that ever came
To the red-handed children of murder
"It came one Sunday afternoon. A
woman had died, and was buried in the
graveyard, some half mile out from Foul
cross The road To the buryinx ground
was but little Travelled, and ran through
lonely stretch of.piney woods. |, with
most of the community. was pressed at
the interment AS we turned TO leave the
newly made grave / noticed that the pick
and shovel used by the grave digger were
carelessly left behind. An inspiration
came TO mo at once. My mind was con-
stantly on the alert at every incident OF
my daily life TO seize any suggestion look
ing TO tho accomplishment OF my design
That pick and shovel lying there forgotten
told me / might wait no longer.
"It was Hoggen's habit Of q Sunday
night To come out that lonely road and
meet, clandestinely, the daughter OF a
farmer n distance beyond the graveyard.
She was OF the class known as poor
white trash" and the tryst was one
public. l had watched him so closely l
knew of this. He slipped out from Foul
cross that evening ut dusk, when the first
whip-poor- were calling He was on
foot and alone, save for little dog that
followed him. A wretched little beast it
WAS lit for such master, n whining,
timid thing. that passed half its life with
its tail between its legs as though in
deadly fear OF everything. Soon after Hog
gen had gone /, too, went out the grave
yard road. In one OF my pockets was u
revolver, and in my hand heavy stick
OF firm, tough wood, that l frequently car
ried as cane and which people knew,
only l did not purpose for any mortal
eye TO SEQ IL after Ii had served my pur-
poso. No one saw me leave town, no one
met me on the road. L was accustomed
TO stroll about of an evening, and had
been seen the matter would not have occa-
stoned comment When / came TO the
farther side of the grave yard | stepped
few feet in among the trees and sat down
on the smooth, soft carpet OF pine needles
TO await his return from his inamorata.
There was no moon, but all the stars were
out, and objects were readily discernable.
The road seemed a dim gray streak run
ming of into the indistinguishahle
shadows. There i waited for him to MUIR
der him, waited in cold blood, without a
single nervous flutter, caring nothing for
time and all the solemn surroundings,
for knew my enemy must return before
dawn.
"How long il was do not know, but
at last heard him coming, whistling q
gay air from some light opera. As he
came opposite to me sprang out in front
of him and showed the pistol in his face.
He stopped short and up went his hands
/ heard his dog yeip, and saw II scuttle
away, dim shadow up the road.
"Hoggen. said 4, in voice that shook,
not with fear but with fierce exultation,
II have an account TO settle with you,
and here In the..road is no proper place.
You must go where l direct and keep
uuie {, or / will blow your brains out.
Your only safety lies in doing what tell
you.
II lied, for to obey me was death. 1
Ind no intention of shooting him; pistol
shots are heard long ways on still nights
and are apt to bring inquiries. 1 will
give the man credit for not being the
coward thought him, or perhaps he had
no idea of the danger which lurked
within me. He simply replied in steady
every. day voice:
" Il suppose l must go with you, as you
might be fool enough to shoot that thing
you have pointed at me- L do not know
of any account there is to settle and GER
tainly disapprove of the method you
adopt but / will. under the circum-
stances, humor your fantastic wishes.
II walked him down the road into the
graveyard and up the path toward the
new grave. Tracks were all about by
reason of the recent funeral, and knew
our own could never be traced. /
stopped him when he was within step
of that woman's grave.
I'll think when he stopped some idea OF
my purpose must have cone upon him. for
he made quick turn toward mo, and as
he did so / struck him full upon the head
.s.I. 1ti iol- n STR
and all my force was in the blow. IL
must have killed him, for he fell, a
crumpled heap. with his head resting on
the grave. Furiously / struck him again
ana again and then rested. / have read
when the first wild passion and impulse
OF murder is over of how the murderer Is
filed with horror and tears the impotent
body of his victim. had no such feel
ing. no remorse. no pity, nothing but a
feeling of immense content. L rested but
n moment and then set to work TO hide
the crime. f.
81 made little pile OF loose earth on
which / dragged the body. lost tho blood
might stain the flrmer ground. There
was light enough TO see tho darker spots
whore Ee had Dled upon the light gray
Of the unstained dirt. These darker spots
| spaded up and put with the body. Then
| begnn to exCayate the woman's grave.
1t was easy work, and not long before
reached depth or or feet. Cllm DeC
out and dumped Hoggen's body in the
hole throw in the club had used and then
shoveled in, first the bloody earth and
lastly the remaining unsoiled clay. l
rounded off and .reshaped the disturbed
grave until no one would ever have
noticed il had been tampered with.
placed the spade where l had found IL and
walked down the path toward the road.
some small animar rustled the grass and
weeds, running swiftly away from me-a
rabbit, l thought. but / know now il was
Hoggen's dog that had heen lowering
about while was dealing with its master
"A soon rs | reached my room l struck
n light and looked myself over. There
was not a spot of blood upon mo. The
light sandy soil left no trace that could
not bo removed at once with whisk
broom.
"Was ever murder better planned or
oxocutcGy thought grimly that future
eSsayists on Murder ms Fine Art could
instance this as an example of the highest
type, only they would never know it had
happened. There would be search for
Huggcr but who would ever think Of
looking in such place rs where he layi
The confident feeling that had outwitted
investigation that | had so cifectually dis
proved that old maxim Murder will out