Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-01
CHAPTER III.

WOrk requires MS presence as We'll aS
mine-so if you young men care to
guide me round to the vacant house in
Taylor street I will take a look at the
place where Damon's body was found v
1--WE shall be very glad to, replied
Rice. and an hour later he and Sam
Sexton. a fellow student. accompanied
by Professor Gilman, ascended the steps
to the house in Taylor street.
Professor Gilman went down into
the basement and had Rice point out to
him the place where Damon's body had
been found. He looked about him some
what curiously. but did not remain
there long. Returning to the floor above,
he remarked. 1--WE might just take o
look through the house. and followed
by the medical students he passed from
one room to another till he had entered
every room in the building. The rooms
were for the most part vacant and
dusty, but in some of them were found
odd pieces of old and worthless furnl-
ture and other rubbish articles left by
the former occupants Of the house.
"Do you know how long the house
has been unoccupiedH" inquired the
professor.
Mutt told me the tenants moved out
the 1st of May-four months ago, an
swered Sexton.
Professor Gilman did not explain
his motive in examining the rooms so
thoroughly. Perhaps he had none.
"Now, suppose we walk around and
take glance at the body, he said. 81
understand you to say the remains are
lying ut an undertaker's establishment
near here
EYES," said Rice. "It's not more
than five minutes walk. ~
Had Mr.. Damon relatives in the
city," the professor asked as they were
walking to the underraker's.
"No. His father and mother are both
dead. I've heard him speak of an uncle
living in Arizona, but I don't know
his address, and none of the people at
the college knows it. y
$50 he has not been communicated
with, of course. There are no near
friends in the city, persons especially
interested in him?'
"Not that I know of. He had many
friends among the students, but none
that l know of outside our college cir
Gle"
By this time they were at the under
takers. Entering, they were shown
into the room where the headless body
lay upon marble slab. 1t was covered
over with sheet. AS it happened. a
police detective named Simon Hopper
was there when they arrived. He was
one of the two men who had found the
body in the basement at 43O Taylor
street. The clothes in which the dead
man had been dressed had been re-
moved. and the detective was about to
do them up in bundle preparatory to
taking them to police headquarters for
use as an exhibit at the trial should
there be one.
Professor Gilman was introduced to
Simon Hopper by Rice as the detective
who was to represent the friends OF Da-
mon in the case. Hopper had heard OF
Professor Gilman and looked upon him
now with some awe The professor
took no notice of that, however, but
said: IF you don't mind. 1 should like
to examine those articles.
You saw this suit upon the dead
man, did you?' he inquired, peering
over his spectacles at Hopper.
eyes. sir; this is the suit the muir
dered man had on. sir. " replied the de-
tective.
"Ah, you've already settled in your
mind that the man was murdered. have
your" inquired the professor.
II should say there was small doubt
of that, sir. replied Hopper. with
little laugh.
Professor Gilman held up one article
of clothing after another and looked
them over with critical eyes. They were
parts of brown suit.
"You recognize this suit as one Worn
by Mr.. Damon. do your he asked of
Rice
"Yes; I've seen him in it dozens Of
times.
Hopper took up the vest and, turning
the buckle strap inside out, silently held
it up for the professors inspection.
There, where the tailor had written the
purchasers name. the professor read
IN. L. Damon" and the name and ad-
dress of the tailor.
"Ahl" said the professor. THAT
mark is important 1t Identifies the
clothing very we'll
"And this ring" he said, holding up
an intaglio ring, craven with the in
itial ID" in old English-''do you rec
ognize this as one worn by DamonT'
Eyes. said Rice.
The professor was examining the in
side of the ring "Oh, here are the in
itials," he said. I'M. L. D. That
stands for NJ Luther Damon. Well,
there seems to be pretty good evidence
that this ring belonged to Damon. 1t
was on the hand of the body when you