The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-03

involved that there was a lawsuit be-
tween Cutting and myself. AS it hap
pened, by the terms of the Will, most
of my uncles property was left to me,
and Cutting tried to have the Will brok-
en- upon certain technical grounds
which are not essential to this story.
| The courts upheld me, however, and
declared the will perfectly valid. AS
consequence Randolph Cutting and my
self had not spoken for five years, and
|, of course, had not been near his home
until that eventful day, when l hurried
down there in response to his telegram.
True, l did think that it was a curious
thing for Cutting to dO-to telegraph
for me to come down to Hopeville, but
| on second thought / concluded that
some business of Importance in connec-
ton with certain interests which were
still mutual required that he should see
me, and 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 Hopeville was only small
part of the thoughts which crowded my
brain when l was safely seated in the
train and whirling toward Jersey City.
AS I have said, Randolph Cutting and
were bitter enemies, and the evidence
which pointed to my having committed
the crime seemed so blackly conclusive
that / could almost feel the rope tighten
| about my neck. When the train stop
ped at the next station I trembled in
every limb, fully expecting to see some
one come into the car to arrest me.
Nothing of the sort happened, however,
and l passed several more stations in
safety. However, 1 did not allow my
self much hope, for l felt sure / would
be apprehended at Jersey City. After
some thought 1 concluded that it would
be the best plan to go right in rather
than get off at any of the out-of-town
stations, as there were would be much
less risk of being noticed in the crowd
which would get off the train there.
When the train pulled into Jersey
City depot 1 made my way with all
possible haste toward the waiting room,
and greatly to my surprise I was not
molested. Suddenly l heard the train
men call out a train for Philadelphia,
and acting upon impulse l hastily Sc
cured a ticket and was soon comfort
ably ensconced in a parlor car on the
way to the Quaker City.
I can never describe that night of,
horror which 1 spent in Philadelphia.
Some of my feelings may be amagined
when l saw in an evening paper a dis
patch telling of the murder of Ran
dolph Cutting, well-known New
Yorker, near his country place at Hope
vile, N. ]. The account in the paper
said that detectives from New York
were at work upon the case, and thae
/ oil RI oily
of the facts, they were in possession of
a clew which they felt sure would en-
able them to capture the murderer
within few hours.
I sought quiet hotel upon a side
street, registering under an assumed
name and then endeavored to compose
myself to await results. l hardly think
I slept a wink that night, but tossed
feverishly upon my bed, wondering
whether I had not acted very foolishly
in thus running away when l was per-
fectly innocent. Undoubtedly by so
doing I had strengthened the chain of
+ evidence against me, but under the cir
cumstances l did not see what else I
could do. There was still a chance for
me- 1 thought. Cuttings groom was
no doubt a new one. as his face was
iiOl Ad44illAsiI W lIIt, anu liS plODd-
bly, did not know who 1 was No one
else in Hopeville knew me. I had not
mentioned my intention of going down
/ there to any one in New York My
only hope lay in keeping perfectly Sc
! Guided until the thing had blown over,
and this 1 thought 1 could do as we'll
in my hotel in Philadelphia as any
! where else.
r
point in nay reasoning the thought of
/ that clew that the detectives were
working on would come to me and 1
/ would break into a cold perspiration
from nervousness and anxiety How
l ever got through the night I cannot
tell. AS soon as 1 could get into my
clothes in the morning / procured a
morning paper. There I found fuller
and more thrilling account of the muir
der, most of which l skinned through
hurriedly until 1 reached the following
words:
Detectives Warden and Seabury. of
! the Pinkerton force reached HopevilIe
shortly after noon, having been tele-
/ graphed for by Mr. Cuttings family.
| They at once set to work upon a clew
| furnished them by Davis, the groom.
'AAC ''eto WIN AhR. SdtbfIS Witch Ln1
| fatal shot was fired. Davis was sit
ting with his back to Cutting, but hap
| pening to look toward the side of the
road he saw man, whom he recog-
| niZed as discharged servant of his
employer. level q pistol at Mr. Cuttings
| head and fire. Mr.. Cutting fell to the
ground and Davis jumped to his mas
| ter's assistance only to find him in
| Stantly killed. The horse had taken
| fright and run away, when Davis hap
pening to look up saw a figure in the
roadway. Instinctively he ran toward
| him, but the man darted behind the
| hedge and Davis lost sight of him. He
| was unable, however to identify the
murderer fully when he was arrested
by the detectives late last night. The
man, whose name is James Simpson.
| was found in an empty hay shed, not
two miles from the scene of the muir,
der. When confronted with the crime
he became panic-stricken and made a
full confession
And that was the nearest / ever
| came to being hanged.-Alfred Stod-
dart, in the Philadelphia Times.
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