Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-12-21

when might do him harm. Yet, upon
the other hand, these very statements
might be OF the utmost importance TO
the police in their efforts TO get at the
truth OF the unfortunate gentleman's
death. | therefore decided to await
further developments.
The room was poorly furnished and
very uItidy, as might be expected
from an occupant of Webb's bohemian
habits. The bed, l noted, had not been
slept in overnight, though the appear
ance OF the counterpane indicated that
some n wearing very dirty boots had
lain on II. Upon an old-fashioned,
b~road-seateC sofa lay the corpse, so en-
tirely covered In a long cloak as to
leave nothing visible except brown
leather leggings and thick-soled boots.
A constable was seated a yard or so
away, evidently in especial charge OF
the remains.
No clue yet, / suppose, as to his
IDENTIFY" / remarked to inspector
Trail, who had accompanied me into
the room, as / glanced toward the sofa.
NO" was the reply, except that the
style OF the clothing seems TO indicate
a foreigner or n recently returned
from abroad. The post-mortem this
afternoon may reveal something; but,
so far, we only know that a stranger
was found here a few hours ago strang.
led TO death"
"~Strangled" 1 repeated. "That is
rather out Of the common nowadays,
isn't it,"
Perhaps So" he iejoined: ''but the
indications are too plain to be mistak-
| ON i'm This Tnync CO roxfnr no rNn1n N
sign to the constable, who removed tn.
cloak sufficiently to expose the dead
mans face and throat. The inspector
was clearly right. The unnaturally
prominent eyes. the partly-protruding
tongue, the discolored skin of the
throat, pointed to the cause of death
plainly enough. The marks upon the
throat had for me an especial interest,
and / studied them so long and care
fully that Inspector Trail looked at me
inquiringly when my examination was
over.
THE mar who effected that job must
have very large as well as very power
full hands, / remarked, Judging from
the length and width of his grip
Inspector Trail pricked mp his ears,
so TO speak, and nodded a~pprovingiy.
We had often had friendly discussions
as to the value Of deductive methods
In difficult cases, and, although he was
wont to wax very s%cornful over the fic-
titiOus trirmphs of Vidocq and Sher-
lock Holmes, he was not above taking
waht he termed a 'common-sense hint"
upon a point that had escaped his own
observation.
That's So" he said, quietly, produc-
ing his note book. Anything else?'
YES" / continued. "He is a member
of the working class, probably an arti-
san in one of the so-called black
trades"
what makes you think SOP
"A well-defined thumb-mark upon the
strangled mans collar" I explained.
"A dirty, coarse-grained thumb-mark,
such as could only be produced by a
thumb w~ell-stained by iron-hIings or
other metallic dust"
"H'mw growled the inspector. "You
are pushing your inference rather too
far. l think. However, I'll have a good
look at the mark myself. presently.
And now, I'd like to know, Mr.. Weston,
why you seem to be so interested in
this case? Murders are not much in
4 youll liIN, uS a Iults dIe lily .
mo-" I answered, "they are not But
I'm an old friend of the missing ten
ant Of this room-Tom Webb"
''Tbe deuce you are!' he interrupted.
''Then Tn afraid you're the friend Of
an extremely bad lott"
You're wrongw / protested, warm
/ ly There is no radical badness in the
man, though he has wrecked himself
through drink. I daresay the landlord
here has given him an evil character
as a frequenter of low ~pot-houses, and
who is always in arrears with his rent.
Likely enough; but I'd stake my life
he is utterly incapable of hand or part
in a crime like this"
"Then why run away like any other
guilty MANI
II don't believe he was able to find
his way back here at all in last nights
fog" l said. confidently. And, without
further preface, i narrated how Tom
had left my rooms drunk. and with n
further supply of purloined whisky. at
2 a. m. / added my conviction that
either some accident had befallen him,
or that he was lying in some lookup,
too hopelessly intoxicated to give any
account of himself.
Inspector Trail heard me out, and
then quietly produced a ~latch-key. ut
was found upon the carpet here this
morning, and the landlord Identifies it
by a private mark as the one used by
Webb. So that, innocent or guilty, IL
is clear he found his way back here;
and, although that scarcely convicts
him Of having choked a man to death,
still, taken in conjunction with his
fight, 1t looks rather black against
him"
The discovery Of the latch-key was
certainly a deadly blow to my theory
that Tom had reached his home
at all; and / was beginning to realize
that the experienced detectives suspi-
cions We're, after, all. in strict accord
with all the available evidence. But I
still utterly secuted the idea Of Tom
having had any active share In the
| crime.
tom Webb choke & manw I ex-
claimed, indignantly. why, he hasn't
| strength In his wasted. skinny hands