Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-11-23

man, why are you disturbing til
dead?" To which the good man re
ferred to responded: "Can't help
sometimes. This here ground is quit
valuable. This is not the paupers field
That is it over there" indicating adj
ferent portion of the cemetery by
shake of his head. Then he continued
''This is a curious case, and by disturb
ing him nobody's feelings will b
hurt"
"Why, how's that?" asked Dr.
Charlie. "Was he pauper?"
"Oh!" replied the grave digger, mo
body knows who he was. These are thu
bones of a stranger who died here ont
night at the tavern, and as nobody
knew where he came from or where HI
was going, and there was no one tt
claim his watch and little money thai
was found upon him, the landlord Of
the tavern took charge of the body ano
had him buried here. AS he neglected
to get deed of the lot then, and can
not do so now, why have got to move
him to the paupers' ground"
what did he die Off" asked Charlie
"W-e-l-l," drawled the old man, she
come along here about dark some II
years ago, said nothing to nobody, took
room at the tavern, eat his supper and
went upstairs to bed all right appar'
entity, but the next morning, when the
landlord went up to his room himself to
call him to breakfast, he found him as
dead as a door nail. Old DR.. Jones, he
was living then, and the landlord sent
for him, and when he got there he said
the gentleman had died of fit in the
night. But doctors don't know every
thing. However, as no papers or any
thing could be found to identify him
the landlord paid for his coffin and he
was put in here"
"What became of his watch?" asked
the young doctor.
ooh! the landlord kept that, for he
was put to a good deal of trouble just
because poor stranger happened to
die on his hands"
poor fellow!" murmured Dr.
Charlie. Ellis was a melancholy fate"
He reached out and picked up the skull,
for there was something about skull
that always fascinated Charlie. Upon
close examination he discovered that
a nail had been driven into it and was
still chnging there. This greatly eX-
cited his curiosity, but he thought best
to say nothing about it to the grave
digger. He told him that be was a
physician and was anxious to obtain
bones and parts of skeletons for his
private study, and that he would give
him a dollar for the skull.
To this little financial scheme the
grave digger promptly consented, and
DR.. Charlie, paying him the dollar,
wrapped his purchase up in the even
ing paper and quickly sought his room
at the inn. Alone there he very care
fully examined the skull and found
that long, coarse nail had been art
fully driven into it from the back of
tie head, and must have penetrated
the brain, causing instantaneous
death. The man had been murdered.
He recalled the old grave diggers
words: Doctors don't know every
thing" "But some doctors do know
a thing or two" chuckled Charlie to
himself. "This shall be investigated"
and he bent over the skull with great
enthusiasm.
Satisfying himself that the man was
undoubtedly murdered, Charlie was
convinced that he was murdered for
purpose-money, of course. 1t was
curious case. After bordering over it
a long time he went down to the bar
room and began conversation with
the landlord, who seemed like an hon
est, genial fellow, and Charlie asked
him:
"How long have you been master
here?" and was glad when he replied;
"About ten years. 1 bought out Jim
Kelley when he retired. 1 think bust
ness must have been better in those
DAYS than it ever has been since, else
Jim struck luck somewhere"
DR.. 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. Strolling about the
village for the next few days he met
and conversed with a good many ma
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 q shrewd,
business-like man, who was now rich
and influential citizen. DR.. Charlie
waited day or so, then he conversed
with the men at the post ONCE con-
cern1ng 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.
DR.. 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
stefan, 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 a
villain, and desperately slick villain
of 1ODU StandinC The bright Young