Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-04

which contained about $700. The mur.
der had taken place in the bedroom.
Having finished his work, the squire
had retired to bed and had perhaps
fallen asleep. Some noise made by the
murderer as he hunted for the cash box
had aroused him, and he had sprung out
of bed and grappled with the unknown.
Any one Of the stabs would have dis
abled him. but it appeared that the
midnight intruder had held on to him
and used the knife again and again, as
If he thirsted for blood. When I heard
men speak Of this next day, the cruel
eyes and thin lips Of the man with the
wooden leg was the next thought. Boy
that I was, he seemed to be a man who
would do just that thing, and I found
myself wondering il he was not the
guilty party in all three instances.
Gordan seemed to take a lively inter.
est in the murder, which he promptly
declared to be the work Of strangers
again, When something was said about
getting a detective, he opposed the prof.
ect on various grounds, in which he
was backed by the local officers. No
outside help would have been called in,
and the murderer might have gone his
way but for the arrival of another
stranger. He was, as it happened. a
first class detective, who was just then
employed in tracing a missing man.
The crime was a day old when he reach
ed Blissfeld. He heard all the p~articu-
lars from the loungers at the inn and
then volunteered to look the ground
over
This was u courtesy on his part which
the sheriff could not refuse, and after
supper he was taken to the house. l
did not see much Of his work, but it
was talked about for long months after
ward. The murderer had got in by a
parlor window, which was six feet from
the ground. He had used a chisel to
force up the sash. He had lighted three
or four matches in making his way into
the sitting room. He had gone out by the
same window, crossed a newly made
garden and climbed a fence. He had
used a regular dagger instead of a knife
in his work. He had secured the box be-
fore the old man was aroused and had
also taken a small sum of money from
the trousers hanging on the chair.
The tracks in the garden were still
fresh when the detective took hold Of
the work, and in three minutes he had
made up his mind to something. He had
little to say to any Of the men, explain
ing that he had not yet completed his
Investigations. but as be left the house
to return to the inn, while / followed at
a respectful distance, he turned down a
quiet lane, beckoned me to follow, and
when we were alone he lighted his pipe
and asked:
"Boy, do you know any man in town
who is lame in the left leg?"
I did not. Then he asked if any stran-
ger who was lame had been seen in
town during the last two or three days.
I answered in the negative, but added
that there was a man with a wooden
leg at the inn. He at once began to
question me about this man, not yet
having seen him himself, and I told
him all I knew and all I had heard. OF
course he told me nothing in return,
though l heard him chuckling to him
self, and his face betrayed the fact that
he was pleased about something. I acted
as his guide to the Jail, and when in the
presence Of the sheriff he said:
II want you to go with me to over
haul the man with the wooden leg at
the tavern"
"But he can't have done it, " protest
ed the officer. "The tracks you found
showed that the murderer had two feet. -
"Just SO, and he was lame in the left
leg"
"But this man Gordan has lost his
left leg at the knee"
II want to see if he has"
The sheriff, detective and constable,
with two Or three citizens, proceeded to
the inn and to Gordan's room. He sat
smoking and reading and had his supper
brought up to him that night, claiming
to be suffering with neuralgia. He was
cool and quiet and offered cigars all
around, but those who were watching
him saw him grow pale as the sheriff
began by begging his pardon and hoped
no offense would be taken, but would
he let them look at his wooden leg?
Gordan faltered and blutfed and was
reaching for a pistol under his pillow
when the detective seized him. He
fought like a demon and it took the five
or six men to overcome him. When
they had him securely bound, they un-
strapped his wooden leg, and, 10, his
left foot was there as right as any
mans. His leg was a supple one, and
he had bent the lower portion back and
strapped it thus and then put his knee
in the crotch Of the wooden leg. OF all
those who had taken a look at his leg
not one had suspected the cheat.
Yes, he was the man who had robbed
the merchant aud the postmaster, and
he was also the murderer Of Squire
Higgins. The plumber and the dagger
were found In his trunk, which be had
ready packed, as he was intending to
leave town next day. He simply laid
his wooden leg aside when he went out
at night. The wearing of 1t gave him q
sort Of halt when 1t was removed, and
as he crossed the garden after the muir
der the left foot pressed the ground
more lightly than the right. On the evil
dence worked up by the detective in a
couple Of hours time Gordan was tried,
convicted and hung, and every dollar Of
the stolen money went back to the right
full owners.
A Fatal Admission.