Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-05-18
A THOROUGH VILLAIN

A THOROUGH VILLAIN
80 you have come to make me rack
my brain for another "Reminiscences,
have you? Well, old man. | am pre-
pared for you, and will give you an
account Of the mysterious wharf muir
der which paralyzed the city with hor-
ror some fifteen years ago"
Thus old Clew addressed me ms I
entered his private Office one afternoon
notebook In hand.
zone morning messenger came to
stations with the information that the
mutilated body Of handsomely
dressed man had been found thump-
Ing with the tide against one of the
East River bulkheads.
"The district roundsman was max
Ing his circuit at an early hour. when
u wharf rat came up and said:
Look yer. Cop. Yer Jes' 20 out ON
the pier there, an take II look over.
an yer will see somsthn' that'll make
yer hair stand
What's there. my ladT inquired
the roundsman, ....
There's u jolly stir ahoat out
ther-an 'upper-tenner,' ~ sure as
you're alive old man
1.-THE officer well knew what was
meant by an 'upper-tenner,' and hast
enlng out to the end Of the pier, he
beheld the body Of man, floating face
downward. At u glance he saw, also,
that II WAS the body of well-to-do
individual. Getting n rope he &C.
cured the corpse to the dock, and then
reported the case NJ once 70 the sta
ton, whence messages were at once
sent TO the Coroner and then to the
detective Office.
~ happened TO be- on duty at the
time. and ut once made my way to
the wharf where the body was no
cured arrived ahead Of the COrO-
ner, and was, consequently. compelled
to await that independent officers ar
rival, AZ. according to law, not even
u detective has the right 10 disturb
q body until that official " present
at was fMl two hours before That
tardy gentleman arrived. and by the
time he had come quite crowd was
gathered upon the dock, gazing with
morbid curiosity at the human form
that was humping against the piles
Of the wharf In the incoming tide.
"When the body was drawn from
the water and stretched out, all drip
ping. upon the dock, n smothored cry
OF horror burst from the lips of the
bystandsrs, as their eyes fell upon u
terrible cash In the dead mans fore
head, plainly Indicating that he WIS
the victim Of foul murder.
upon receiving permission from
the Coroner, proceeded to search
the Victims clothes; but some one, his
murderera, m | correctly concluded,
had anticipated me. found nothing
but few grains OF burnt coffee In his
vest pocket.
1.-The body WIS ordered TO be taken
to the mOrgue for Identification, and
| returned TO the office, taking the cot
fee grains with mo. | had already
formed a theory, and had some slight
hopes of working out the mystery.
"For three days tho body remained
at the mOrGue before II was identified
A Boston firm had seen the keepers
advertisement, giving description OF
the mans dress and general appear
ance, and when ono of the firm came
OIL he at once Recognised the remains
as those of their confidential clerk.
who had left Boston for New York
about a week previously on business
for the firm.
81 called on this gentleman and
learned from him that Mr. Freeman,
the murdered man, had been the own
er Of n beautiful watch, diamond studs
and sleeve buttons and that he, most
likely had several hundred dollars In
money about him ut the time he was
Killed
Having ascertained this much |
went TO work. TO me the coffee grain
spoke volumes and read my way out
Of the mystery quite clearly.
MY FIRST dodge was the adoption
OF a suitable Disguise. | assumed that
Of q CAVALIER the latter term, You
know, IL applied by thieves to all
yreenI.s from the countrv When ,ron.
srIv rIggsd FOR nv nurno.a saI,,nd
forth and comm.ncinv n, . noI,, snma
ION blacks bsIow wher. ~. hnd, ,r.s
Found I tool An .verv dr,nLInp 49,
e,o,n ,banca an ,ha r,v.r 1ro,,. NV .,
ION bIooLs abnvo wos IonL,na ,ar
a harroon WHARF ooryae oroIns al,
mic and cIoves w.rs van, nm a., Sa,
~ ,as,.-Lnlars an, a., -. 'u
Iow nIocas that I sn,sraS 81 ~"
at "a o. o,nd,.,a'a 80 Wv