The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23


ness must have been better in those
DAYS than it ever has been since, else
Jim struck luck somewhere
DIR. Charlie soon ascertained that jim!
Kelley was the former landlord who
was in possession of the tavern some
Is years previous. In the course of the
evening he mentioned his visit to the
cemetery and spoke of what the old
grave digger had told him. The land
lord corroborated the story without
the slightest suspicion that the young
doctor had any particular motive for
inquiring.
DR.. Charlie was wise. He told no one
that he possessed the skull, or of his
curious discovery. Strollipg about the
village for the next few days he met
and conversed with good many na-
tives. Without being interrogative es-
pecially, he managed to secure many
opinions concerning the character OF
the former landlord, and was not sur
prised to hear that he was a shrewd,
business-like man, who was now rich
and influential citizen. DR.. Charlie
waited a day or so, then he conversed
with the men at the post office con-
cerning the death of the stranger so
many years ago, and heard their opin-
ions, individually and collectively,
about it. The strangers death had
been an unusual event in the village
and had furnished food for talk for
long time. 1t was still fresh in their
memories.
DIR. Charlie was in due time intro
duced to the rich former landlord, and
telling him that he was about to locate
in their beautiful village as their ply
sician, he was invited to visit him at
his fine place. Mr.. Kelley was very
proud of his worldly goods, and often
remarked how providence had blessed
him. In his house Charlie had leisure
to study his character for himself, and
it needed only short acquaintance to
convince him that James Kelley was
villain, and a desperately slick villain
of long standing. The bright young
doctor was careful to praise everything
about the place, and be ertfully drew
Mr.. Kelley into conversation, until he
felt that he knew his man.
Remaining there until he obtained all
the knowledge he could upon the case,
DIR. Charlie bade Mr.. Kelley and the vii
layers farewell and returned to town.
He carried the skull with him. He
went to New York, where he consulted
famous detectives, and two of the most
noted ones were put to work upon
the case. A very clever young lawyer
was also employed, and each in turn
visited the village and inspected and
interviewed to their hearts content.
At last, although the evidence was
purely circumstantial the former land
lord, James Kelley, was arrested upon
suspicion and carried away to Jail. ii
created a wonderful sensation in the
village. No such excitement had been
known since the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln. Many witnesses were
subpoenaed in rapid succession.
Great anxiety was manifested
throughout the county when the case
came up for trial in the criminal court.
Mr.. Kelley was very gravely apprehen-
sive from the first, and when in court
he was confronted with the ghastly
skull with the telltale nail still clinging
to it he turned so pale and trembled so
violently that he was obliged to sit
down. All who saw him felt sure of
his guilt. He was thoroughly fright
ened, and, giving up all for lost, he
confessed that he did murder the
stranger. He said he was hard work
ing, Industrious man, and providence
was not kind to him, and he had to
struggle hard to live. One night when
he was SO desperately in need of money
that he was discouraged, stranger ar
rived at the inn and foolishly placed
in his keeping large amount of money
in gold. This the stranger had received
from a sale of property, and was on his
way to the city to invest it. Not dar-
ing to travel with so large a sum in
cash alone at night he had sought shell
ter at the village tavern. The poor
landlord had been sorely tefhpted by
the sight of the glittering gold and
had put laudanum in the strangers
coffee Then he had gone in the night
TO MS room. Wnere ne 1Ounu nln sleep
ing soundly, and had committed the
murder by driving fence nail into
his head. He had washed the wound
very carefully and covered 1t with hair.
He took from the dead man everything
that could in any way identify him,
but was careful to leave his watch and
little money in his room. The next
morning after he had prepared for
him a nice breakfast he went up to call
him, and he discovered that the
stranger was dead. AS an unknown
and apparently poor man had suddenly
died in his house, he took charge OF
the remains, and no one had ever sus-
pected him. But he had always been
wretched and had never enjoyed his
ill-gotten wealth. for his conscience had
troubled him sorely. He said he was
glad some one had discovered the truth
at last, for he felt relieved upon con-
Tossing. He could never bring himself
to destroy the papers and deeds he had
found upon the dead man, but had care