El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-04
A THOROUGH VILLAIN.

quarters from one of the substations
with the information that the mutilated
| body of Il handsomely dressed man had
been found humping with the tide
against one of the East river bulkheads.
81 happened to be on duty at the time
and at once made my way to the wharf
where the body was secured.
| when the body was drawn from the
| water and stretched out, all dripping,
upon the dock, a smOthered cry of horror
! burst from the lips of the bystanders as
| their eyes fell upon a terrible cash in
the dead mans forehead, plainly indi-
| eating that he was the victim of a foul
| murder.
| Upon receiving permission from the
| coroner l proceeded to search the vic
TINS clothes, but some one, his murder
ers, as I correctly concluded, had antic-
| ipated me. I found nothing but n few
| grains of burned coffee in his vest
| pocket.
1.-THE body was ordered to be taken to
the morgue for Identification, and L re-
! turned to the office. taking the coffee
| grains with me. I had already formed a
| theory and had some slight hopes of
working out the mystery.
For three days the body remained at
| the morgue before it was identified. \
Boston firm had seen the keepers adj
vertisement, giving n description of the
| mans dress and general appearance, and
when one of the firm came on he at once
recognized 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 murder
ed man, had been the owner of a beauti-
full watch, diamond studs and sleeve but
tons and that he most likely had sew
eral hundred dollars in money about him
at the time he was killed.
Having ascertained this much, L went
to work. To me the coffee grains spoke
volumes, and I read my way out of the
mystery quite clearly.
my first dodge was the adoption of a
suitable disguise. I assumed that of a
| 'canaller.' The latter term, you know, is
applied by thieves to all greenies from
the country. When properly rugged for
my purpose, l sailed forth. and, COM
mencing at point some ten blocks be-
low where the body was found, l took in
every drinking place from thence on the
river front up to ten blocks above. / was
looking for barroom where coffee
grains, allspice and cloves were kept on
the bar as taste killers. But they were
all low places that l entered. and / did
not find those condiments set out in any
of them, so I took one street back and
traversed the same as I had the river
front, and. finding none there, l took the
next, and here l found my gin mill with
coffee grains on the bar. It was situated
on the corner of the street which termi- |
mated on the pier near which the body |
had been found. |
$50 far. good; l was satisfied in my |
own mind that | was now in the house !
which the murdered man had last visited |
previous to being brutally murdered.
THE first glance / fastened upon the |
barlleeper satisfied me that he was a bad |
one-a thorough villain, but a coward, |
one of those chaps who try to intimidate |
by loud talk and slang phrases.
''When ! walked up to the bar and ask |
ed for something to drink. he eyed me !
disdainfully and came seemingly reluc-
family forward to wait on me.
But when I disclosed a we'll filed wal
let and laid down n $50 bill his whole |
manner changed instantly and he was
quite agreeable.
"At length he excused himself, went to
the door and beckoned to a youth to come
over. l understood that movement. L
was pleased, and you will learn why
shortly.
"The youth came over, when the bar
tender said:
Johnny. tend bar for me a little
while. I want to go TO the BARRIERS
Then, turning to me, he added: Don't
leave, old man; there will be some of the
lads in by and by. and III be back in n
few minutes
"You may just bet. Herbert that I had
no intention of leaving; things were
working nicely. 1t was fully 20 min
utes before the bartender returned, and
when he did so l noticed that he had not
been shaved. but as ] meant to shave him
a trifie close | did not bother myself
about this.
give minutes after his return the bar
o. a., Oil A.
looking villains I had ever seen-two
sweet buds of the first water.
Il was soon introduced to these plugs
and invited to drink. I drank, of course
Drink followed drink. Cards were pro-
posed. I played and won. 1t was a fog
gy, disag reeab bic nght-excellent weather
for murder.
"My two friends proposed that we
should go on board ship out the pier
and they would get me a genuine bottle
of brandy from the captain, who was a
friend of theirs. | will not bother your
readers with my expressions of reluc-
tance to going out there nor the subtle
arguments they used to persuade me, hut
at last | consented, of course. We had
proceeded half way up the pier when I {
concluded it was two against one and
things had gone far enough. I wanted =
hem both. Turning suddenly, I dealt one
a tap on the head with a club which
had kept concealed, and he reeled and {
Tell. 1 quickly clasped 'wristlets' on the I
,ther before he fairly realized what was q
going on /
"'What is this forT exclaimed the ruff r
ian with an oath.
Murder / replied quietly as I ad +
usted the cuffs on him and pinned him
% the other one. q
"Such volleys of oatbs and curses as 8
listened to while taking these two pirates 5