The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-04

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That Il all + have to add to what your
own officers have told you already"
"You are sure" said the superin.
tendent, there is nothing more You
wish to add!"
"No," said I. "That Is my plain
tale, and my only comment IL that you
have made mistake in arresting me.
Here 10 my card, and if. You 60 to any
of the service clubs you can hear about
me-"
The superintendent looked at the
pastebosrd. "It's q very unfortunate
position for you to be in, Captain Brett,
and in my OWL capacity, a. u might
easily have happened to myself. I can
sympsthize with you extremely, bnt at
the same time my duty forbids me to
let you go at present We shall push in.
quiries In the morning, 60 through the
Formally Of verifying your tale, and
find out the identity of the unlucky wo.
man who has been murdered. You have
no suggestion to make as to the reason
for this outrage9"
"How should I haye3' I answered.
II never saw the wretohed Woman in
my life before"
"No, don't mean that" said the
superintendent. "What was wanting
to know was. did You hear any sounds
Of a quarrel or souffie as You came
down Back saville strset3''
"No," answered. land If there had
been any such sounds I don't think ]
should have heard them. My mind was
very fully occupied with something else.
Indeed II IL had not been should not
have come that way at all. To be pre-
else, had lost my road"
Every well, Captain Brett. I think
We have nothing more to say to one an.
other, but il / were you would writc
to some friends to appear here tomorrow
to give evidence both as to your move
ments this evening and to bear testi.
mony to your reputation. Your solicitor
would probably be very useful to you.
I'm afraid shall only be able to give
you poor accommodation for the night,
but you must blame our regulations for
it and not me"
thanked the worthy official for his
courtesy, and, acting on his advice,
wrote to Butterton, my legal man, and
to half a dozen friends / knew ! could
rely upon il they were in town. I was
then conducted to oheerless cell. On
my way thither passed the body of the
murdered woman, now lying upon q
stretoher and covered with sheet. This
sight completed the unstringing Of my
nerves, and ! passed the night feverish.
ily pacing my Room, never even trying
to court sleep.
As walked to and fro between the
cold, bleak walls on that horrible night
my feelings might indeed be better i'm.
agined than described. Event had fol.
lowed event with siokening rapidity.
and now, to GROWN all, was the neigh.
Dor Of thieves and rogues, under lock
and key at police station. The papers
Of the morning would tell the whole
world Of my arrest. The news would
carry CONSERVATION to the hearts Of my
relatives, and my friends would DO
aghast at the tidings. Some there were
who would be ready to believe the
worst, but there were others knew
who could not doubt my innocence. One
dear heart would bleed for me. That
such an event should happen at all was
bad enough, but that it should occur on
the night when a world Of bliss had
seemingly opened for US both was hor-
rible indeed. And the awfulness lay in
the fact that my innocence could alone
be proved by evidence Of George Fen.
tom guilt.
George Fenton murderer The
thought was terrible. What in heavens
name could have impelled him to such
deed of blackness? And who was the
woman? Stop! Of course it must be.
Why had l not guessed it before? She
was in all probability the one who had
caused so much heartburnipg in the Fen
ton family. The unfortunate fellow had
fallen in love with girl much below
him in station-one who was, in fact, in
domestic service. His infatuation had
been discovered at home, but all the
protests and entreaties Of his family had
failed to induce him to take sane view
Of matters. He loved her and would not
give her up. Then why had he murder
ed her? Indeed what grounds had / for
this was the woman? My
thoughts were In a hopeless tumble.
They crowded one on the other in des.
perate confusion, and felt as il I wer0
going mad. At last, and not too soon,
relief came. As the dawn was breaking
nature could no longer hold out under
the strain. and I sank on the coarse mat.
tress in a fltful sleep.
The first to greet me in the morning
was Butterton. He had hurried to me
he had read the news in the
papers, and before my letter had reached
him. A few words were enough to ex-
plain my position to him, and be left
me to do what he could to procure my
release.
The police had been active overnight.
The result of their inquiries at De We're
Gardens bore out my statement; but,
above all, traces Of the murderer were
not wanting. 1t appears that the un.
happy man only left me to be pursued.
He tried to get rid of the broken hilt,
but it was picked up on the pavement.
He managed to outdistance his pursuers;
he was heard of afterward in Oxford
street, and there, for the nonce, the
trace was lost. These incidents were
evidence Of my inno-
cence. Indeed all against me was the
word of a questionable character who
had disappeared. The testimony Of my
old chief, Admiral Yeo, and the other
influential friends who hurried to my
call was hardly necessary to complete
the evidence in my favor.