Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-08-31
TRAPPED BY A HYPNOTIST.
BY JAMES GEDDY TRAYLoR.

Inspector Durham thrummed the
desk with the tips Of his fingers and
pondered over the fallibility of things
human, for the Force murder was now
nearly three-quarters Of year old,
and its perpetrator was still at large.
The atrocious nature Of the deed
had inspired the public and the police
alike with horror, and the entire ma
chinery of the great Detective Bureau
had been set in operation to effect the
capture of the guilty man. Not a
clew had been left, however, by the
murderer, and though the best men
of the Inspectors force had been
ceaselessly engaged on the case, their
efforts had proved unsuccessful.
AS the days and weeks slipped by
and the criminal remained free, the
indignation of the public found vent
in frequent communications to the
daily press, wherein suggestions, sar-
castle and otherwise, were offered the
bureau as to the conduct Of its busi-
ness, and paragraphs and cartoons IN
Vulnerable were graciously contributed
by the news writers themselves. In
addition to these attentions, the m
spector was besieged with callers who
unfailingly had positive clews as to
the whereabouts Of the fugitive, many
of which were run down, but every
effort met the one result. Nothing,
absolutely nothing, could be discov-
cred of the murderer's hiding place.
He had disappeared as completely as
if the earth had swallowed him,
Quite naturally, under successive
failures, the bureau became peryaded
with an air of gloom, and attempts to
twit the officers met with scant appre-
citation. The department, stung by
the taunts showered upon it, offered
a large reward, which had been aug
mented by the family of the victim,
but despite the intense interest in the
crime and many false alarms, no one
had been able to make legitimate
claim for the tempting sum. Grad
ually, in the rapidly changing affairs
of great city, the murder came to
be lost sight of by the public, or, if
remembered, to be put in the calendar
of those criminal mysteries, which oc-
casionally battle the most skillful of
man-hunters.
Thus the months passed on, until,
as has been said, nearly nine had gone
since the discovery Of the fearfully
mutilated victim had caused a thrill
of horror to run through all. The
great detectives thoughts reverted to
the crime on this particular morning,
and he was chafng under the failure
of his men in the case, when the door
of the Office was slowly opened, and a
tall, slightly-built, dark-cOmPlexioned
man of perhaps forty, entered the
room with a slow and somewhat un-
certain step. An air of intense abb
.traction possessed him as he aP-
preached the official. Having reached
the desk, he SAID, in measured tones :;
II desire to see the Inspector. "
81 am at your service, sir, " replied
that individual.
The visitor looked at him steadily,
yet with seemingly unfxed gaze,
and continued:
Il have come with important infor-
nation concerning the Force murder. "
The Inspector started slightly, and
smiled. 1t was, then, to be the same
old story of positive clew, though
considerably belated. He Deyerthe-
less said politely;
please be seated, sir, and tell me
what you know Of that crime.
The stranger accepted the invita-
ton, and after a moment 0; silence
said, without preface
The murderer is found.
The official leaped to his feet.
Found ?" he echoed, "when-by
whom? For Gods sake, man, tell me
quickly. Where is he now?' he asked
excitedly.
Il do not know precisely" replied
the informant, answering the last ques-
ton.
The Inspector looked steadily at
the man, who had never for moment
lost his preoccupied air. and suspic-