Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-08-10

| i
he exerted upon it the whole of his
brute strength; and, of a sudden, it
yielded As II flew open the body of
man lurched from the inside of the cab,
and before anyone could catch II tum-
bled in a heap upon the pavement.
a low cry of horror escaped from the
crowd.
The claimants passenger was man
past middle age, neatly but plainly
dressed.
AS DR. Thurston and a policeman
! bent over the PROSTATE form, the re-
porter shot a keen glance in the direc-
ton of the cabman, who stood staring
at the body with look of CHASTITY ter
ror in his bulging eyes.
Presently the physician started TO
his feet with low exclamation of sur
prise.
as he dead, doctor?" asked the To-
liceman.
HE has been dead for some time"
replied the physician, impressively;
"the body is almost cold"
"Been dead for some time?" echoed
the policeman.
"Yes; this man was shot. See there!"
AS he spoke he pointed TO a red streak
which, starting from the left side of
the dead mans coat, extended down
ward and marked the course Of the tiny
stream in which the life blood had
flowed to little pool on the floor of the
cab.
"Shotl" exclaimed the policeman,
who turned Immediately to one of his
brother officers. Keep your eye on the
cabman, Jim. Well have to take him
in. And look out for the other man,
quick!"
Then, addressing the cabman, upon
each of whose shoulders policeman's
hand was Immediately placed, he asked,
roughly:
who is this man?"
The cabman was completely sober
now. He stood, pale and trembling, be-
tween his two captors as he replied sol
EMMY:
Before God, I don't know, boss.
never saw him before"
The policeman looked at the man in
blank Amusement for an instant. Then
he turned away contemporary.
"All right, young feller," he said,
you don't have TO confess to me. But
l guess you'll have a chance TO tell that
story to judge and jury"
Then he proceeded TO examine the
dead mans pockets. They were empty.
Looks like robbery" he murmured
What is it, jim? Haven't you got the
other man?"
Jim had not found the other man;
for the pale young fellow in the seal
skin cap had disappeared.
The reporter was STOPPING over the
body, while DR.. Thurston cut through
the clothing and laid bare a small
round wound.
Here is another bullet wound" said
Sturgis, turning over the body slightly,
and pointing out a second round hole
! in the back of the dead man.
He seemed TO take great interest in
this discovery. He whipped out a
steel tape and rapidly but carefully
took a number of measurements, as If
to locate the positions of the two
wounds. Then he stepped into the cab;
and, striking match after match, he
spent several minutes apparently in
eager search for something which he
could not find.
THAT is strange" he muttered TO
himself, as he came out at last.
What is it?" inquired Thurston,
who alone caught the words.
., -, 1, i.
or did not care TO answer. lie at once
renewed his search on the brilliantly
lighted pavement in the immediate vi
cinity of the cab; examining every
stone, investigating every joint and
every rut, prodding with his cane every
lump of frozen mud, turning every
stray scrap of paper.
"Wel, DOCTOR" he said when at
length he rejoined his companion, 'if
you have done all that you can we may
as well 90. 1t is one of the prctticst
problems ! have met; but there is
nothing more for me 10 learn here for
the present. BY the way, as | was say
ing when | interrupted myself a little
while ago, are you sure the cabman is
drunk? wish you would take another
good look at him. The question may be
more important than il seemed at
first"
a few minutes later the physician
and the reporter were hurrying along
to make up for the time they had lost;
the cab and the cabman had dsap-
peared in the custody Of the police,
and the claimants grewsome fare was
jolting through Twenty-sixth street,
in the direction of a small building
which stands near the East river, and
in which the stranded waits of the new
world metropolis can find rest at last
upon a stone slab, in the beginning of
their eternal sleep.
Broadway had resumed its holiday
aspect; the wizened bag at the corner
! still patiently ground out her plaintiye