The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-04-12

man was apparently stranger visiting
London, presumal ly from the north,
and supposed to be named John Lon
stick. The shot which had killed him
had been fired so close that il had gone
right through his head, death being in
stantaneous. The man who had been
seen 10 leave the spot so hurriediy by
the quick eye OF the professional detect
i've was, as l had surnised, Thecbald
Baldwin, an uneuphonious name, IA
miliar, as | have said, on many list
of company directors. Nothing had so
! far been proved or even surmised con-
Meeting the two men together; but
and Scott made me feel the full signifi-
caEce of the position = Baldwin had
in his possession a six-chambered re-
volver, which he declared to be fully
loaded, bat which on inspection at the
station proved To have had one of the
chambers recently discharged.
The suspected man, it is true, had
shown considerable surprise on this
discovery, but his surprise was, of
course, put down by the police officials
as piece Of weilsimulateda acting, ard
Scott was sent Off to make inquiries at
his place Of residence at Surbiton, to
learn, if he could, any facts associating
Baldwin with the murdered man.
II did not take much persuasion to
induce me to accompany my friend on
his eviGence-seeking errand to Surbi-
ton. We soon reached that pleasant
centre of villadom and were not long
in finding the handsome house built
and maintained ont OF the hard-earned
and easily-lost savings of eredulous fools
like myself
My friend asked to see Miss Baldwin,
and the surprised domestic half doubt
fully showed us into room opening Off
the spacious hall, while she went to in
form her mistress of the arrival Of Wis
itors.
sWhat name shall I say, sir?n
'.Ssy I want to see her at once-Mr.
seott-I have a message from her Ia
ther."
The young lady very quickly made
her appearance. She looked little more
than a chiId-was, in fact, I believe,
only about 16 years old, and the only
child of her widowed father.
"Tou coAe from papa?n she said,
and then added in halfshriek, on
catch ing sight of serious faces. "Is
anything the matter with him? What
isit?''
"Your father is quite well, Miss Bald
win, said my suave friend, "and will, I
do not doubt, be home at his usual time
TO night; but be is in little difficulty
in the city to-day and sent me TO get
some papers from his private room"
The girl looked startled, as il doubt
ful as to our errand, bat Scott add
ed, taking bunch Of keys from his
pocket:
These are your fathers keys, given
me TO get these papers with"
The girl appeared somewhat surpris-
ed, but at once led US to her fathers
saBctum. Diligent search revealed
nothing whatever to show Theobald
Baldwin as having any correspondence
with John Lonsiick, aud Scott half re-
gretfuily turned TO question the girl.
"Miss Baldwin, do you know II your
father has had any serious quarrel with
any one lately ?"
NO; why?'i
"Nothing. nothing; but, you know,
he carries a revolver, and thought be
might have some reason for it."
'.oh, something has happened, I am
sureF tell me, please"
.'Your father is quite well, Miss Bald
win, but you will help him in his pres
ent difficulties by answering my ques-
ticns simply"
Yes
"Yon do not know Of your father hav-
ing lately had serious quarrel with
any one ?"
"No; though young man, Ger
man, think. who called himself Her
mann Uffenburg, came to see papa this
morning, just after he had left for the
city, and spoke very excitedly and silly
about papa having done him some
wrong"
"Thank you. And you know that
your father carries revolver"
II did not know 1t until last night.
felt quite frightened about it, for
know he sometimes gets very angry
and might use it."
A quick gleam of triumph fitted
over Scott's features at this statement.
The girl continued:
IL was so frightened that II did
dreadful thing. | took the pistol off
papa's desk and fired 1t off Ia the gar
den last night TO see II it was loaded,
and then put 1t back in his study"
Scott's face fell.
"And how often did you fire it of'?''
"Why, only once, for / should not
know how TO load it again, and didn't
want papa to carry it loaded"
Scott saw the whole of his little muir
der case crumble to nothing before a few
words spoken by an innocent girl who
didn't know the difference between a
six.chambered revolver and q pistol.
We took our leave and returned to town.
where Scott duly reported the result Of
his investigation at the police station,
and where he further learned that the
revolver had been examined by an ex-
pert, who declared that several hours
must have elapsed since it was fired.
Ia the face of this evidence Mr.. The
obald Baldwin was. of course, dismiss
ed, and by means Of an interview with
one or two police court "penny-a-liners"
be 50 managed that all mention of his
name in connection with the Ludgate
hin murder mystery was suppressed ia
the brief notices which happened To be
accorded to Il In the public journals.