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

clerk was talking to two or three peo-
ple when he passed out through the
office and appeared to take no notice OF
him. From the hotel he claims he went
straight home. He pretends to be in as
complete ignorance of Damon where
abouts as anybody.
"Now the question is Was Mason
the man that called for Damon about 8
o'clockY The servant at Damon s board
ing place is sure of only one fact--that
is, that the man who called was consid-
erably above the medium height. The
clerk thinks Mason was little if any
above medium height
1.-The servant might be mistaken
or the clerk, for that matter, said
the professor. 1.-The fact that they dis
agree as to the mans height does not
prove the man was not Mason.
The professor had become interested,
and they talked for some time about
the singular disappearance. After Rice
left the dining room Josephine asked,
"What is your opinion, Professor Gil
maQ-uO you Gu1uh ILL Ne'A!oH A'.
been murdered?'
"This young man, :" said the profess
or, ''gave little information upon
which to base an opinion. There are
suspicious circumstances certainly. but
disappearance are not infrequent, and
it seems to me not improbable that this
Mr.. Damon may return safe and sound.
with some good excuse for his absence.
You knew the young man well?'
Yes; we were quite good friends,
said the girl II have met him often
since Mr.. Rice and Mr.. Sexton came
here to board. They were great friends,
and Mr. Damon has been here to see
them very often.
That evening Ben Rice brought star
tling news to the boarding house in
Somerset street. They've found Da-
mon body, he said 1.-The poor fellow
was murdered There's no doubt about
it.
And then he proceeded to tell how
the police had that day found in the
basement of a vacant house in Taylor
street, less than stones throw from
Rusk college, the headless body of the
unfortunate young man.
Mutt has been arrested, y continued
Rice. "a student named Wyman has
been found who states that he saw Mutt
and Damon going up the steps of the
vacant house together about half past 8
Wednesday night. He knows both Mutt
and Damon well. and is positive that
they were the ones he saw. Wyman
was called out of town yesterday morn
ing, and did not return till this after
noon. He then learned for the first time
of Damon's disappearance, and at once
informed the police of what he had
seen Wednesday night. Acting upon
this information, the police searched the
vacant house in Taylor street, and
found the body lying behind some old
barrels and other rubbish in the base
ment.
"And now they've learned that Mutt
possessed q key to this house. 1t seems
that an uncle of his is the owner and
that he gave his nephew key some
time ago. He sometimes referred house
renters to his nephew. The house being
close to the college, Mutt could let peo-
pie in and show them the house with
out much trouble.
I'm sorry for Mutt, - concluded
Rice 1T looks pretty bad for him.
I'm afraid he'll have hard job clear
ing himself. l can't believe he killed
Damon, though. Charlie Mutt is the
last fellow should ever suspect Of pre-
meditating a murder, but this one looks
as if it was premeditated. and if it was
really Mutt that Wyman saw with Da-
mon that night it certainly looks as if
he must have some guilty knowledge Of
the murder, if nothing more.
Josephine Maxwell had shuddered a
little at the tale of the grewsome discov-
cry the police had made that day. 1t
seemed impossible to think of Luther
Damon dead. the young man whom she
had seen around the house SO often dur
ing the last few months. He was such
bright. gay young fellow. Everybody
had seemed to like him. and to think
that any one could have it in his heart
to murder him seemed monstrous.
professor Gilman, said Rice "the
students at our college are hoping that
you will undertake to clear up this mys-
terry. There are not half dozen fellows
in the whole college who are willing to
believe that Mutt is responsible for this
crime. In spite of the black look things
have they think there must be some
mistake. They believe there is mys-
terry too deep for them to fathom-too
deep for the police to fathom. In fact,
they fear that if it is left to the police
they will cook up case of some sort
against Mutt and convict him. whether
or no. They believe that you can un-
ravel the mystery if anybody can, and
several with whom l have talked asked
me to urge you to undertake the work.
Will your"
MY dear young sir. it is quite I'M
possible. said Professor Gilman. 81
already have more than can attend to
during my limited time here. To under
take new duties is not to be thought
of.
"Well, at least YOU may be able to