The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-04-27

II appeared that as the various rooms
in the upper story were in the hands
of the painters and paperers Mr. Laty-
mer-Wynne occupied Temporarily the
library on the ground floor as bed
room, while his wife slept with the
children on another floor. Nothing
occurred during the night to disturb
those who slept up stairs, but when the
servants came down in the morning
and proceeded to call their master they
were unable to rouse him. After
knocking repeatedly without receiving
any reply they informed Mrs. Laty-
mer-Wynne of the state of affairs.
That lady was naturally much alarm
ed and at once sent for assistance. The
door was forced open.
The scene which then presented it.
self was one calculated to excite the
most serious apprehensions. There
was no sign of Mr.. Latymer-Wynne,
but there were various indications of a
desperate struggle One of the win
dows was open below, and between
this window and the bed the floor was
strewn with fragments of the heavy
china ever belonging to the washstand.
1t appeared as If this had been used by
the unfortunate man as the only thing
in the nature of a weapon within reach.
More Ominous still, closer inspection
revealed blood stains on the carpst.
Tne bed had evidently been occu-
pied, but the pyjama suit in which
Mr.. LatymerWynne generally slept
was missing. He happened not to
have dressed for dinner the night be-
fore, and the ordinary morning clothes
which he had been wearing were found
folded up on chair in his usual neat
and methodical manner. But his val
liable watch aud chain, together with
a large sum of money of which he was
known to be in possession, had been
carried of by the perpetrator or perpe-
traitors OF the outrage.
Mrs. Latymer-Wynne was in despair.
OF course the police were sent for i'm
Inediately. They came in the persons
of a district inspector and sergeant.
They looked at everything with eyes
full OF terrible meaning and nodded TO
each other significantly and OCCASION
ally grunted CALCULATIONS. At last, in
response 20 an impassioned appeal from
the lady, the inspector succeeded in de-
livering himself of one or two cons
ecutive sentences.
Every sorry, mum; it looks like
bad business. Anyway, it's a detect
i've job. Well wire for one at once"
a little later Inspector Bickerdyke,
the celebrated detective made his ap-
pearance on the scene. He made a
careful examination of everything in
the room and then outside, followed by
Mrs Latymer-Wynne and her ser
wants Here he pointed to a number
of footmarks and said
"Why, there seems to have been q
whole gang at work. 1t isn't in rea-
son that one man could do the job all
by himself, bat this looks like an army.
Hello, what's this?"
He pointed to holes in the soft gravel
which were conspicuous among the
crowd of footmarks.
81 expect they were made by the
ladder" said Mrs. Latymer-Wynne.
"There was a ladder against the house
yesterday for the workmen to do some
painting"
"Oh, then, most of these are their
footmarks," said the inspector, greatly
disguised "That complicates matters
a good deal, for now we can't get any
elew from the footmarks."
1t almost seemed as if even Inspector
Biekerdyke would, for once, be baflied.
But at last his patience was rewarded;
sweep made his appearance on the
scene and Informed the detective that
as he was passing the house in the
early dawn, he had seen man, very
shabbily dressed in gray suit, steal
ing from the premises. At that mo-
ment he had not attached any import
ance to the circumstance, as he
thought the man was one of the ser
wants Now, however, be felt ii TO be
his duty to mention il.
The inspectors small eyes twinkled
with satisfaction as he listened TO this
statement. The mere fact that the
criminal wore gray suit did not seem
much 10 go upon, but inspector Bick-
erdyke felt pretty sure that it would be
enough for him. He would track that
gray suit to the remotest corner of the
earth.
When he had completed his investi-
CATION, he condeseended 10 communi-
cate the result to Mrs. Latymer-
Wynne.
''It's a great pity, mum, the shutters
weren't put up last night. Ifthey'd
been up, this thing might never ave
'appened. There were two of them in
the job at least-perhaps three. Mr..
Wynne, he must have. been in bed at
the time, and as they came into the
room he must have sprung out and
tried TO defend himself with the water
jug. But they were too many for him.
However, 1 think know the gang,
and it won't be long before 1 lay my
hand on EN-"
"But my poor dear husbandF' Mrs.
Wynne exclaimed, clasping her hands
and fixing her eyes with an implOring
look on the inspectors face.
The inspector did not answer, but he
shook his head gravely. You can not
recall to life man once murdered. The
only comfort for the well regulated
mind must be the hope of bringing the
murderer to justice.
The next morning there was in all
the papers long account of ''The
Clapham Mystery" A well known
member of the Stock Exchange had
been surprised by burglars when asleep,
and, after desperate resistance, had
been murdered and the body carried
of. And yet all the efforts of the po-
lice to discover where the corpse had
been hidden had been fruitless. But
the investigation having been intrust-
ed to Inspector Bickerdyke, that ia
NOUS detective had already made al
arrest on suspicion. He had succeeded
in tracking one of the supposed MUIR