The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-11-30
HIS DEATH
WARRANT.
A Story Of a Newspaper
Reporter.

ut was in the north some years ago"
remarked the city editor. 1--WE had a
man on the paper who was simply a
crank on homicides, and he was more
than a mere reporter, for he had de-
tcctive talent of the highest order. He
didn't care much for the common
carbohydrates larcenies and such
but give him a good, mysterious MUIR
der and he was splendid. Not only did
he have the history Of all the famous
murderers at his fingers ends, but he
delighted i'm ferreting out the most
mysterious crimes that came within
our province. In every case except the
one am telling about-and there were
q good many crimes In that town-he
traced out the murderer before the de-
tectives even dreamed of his identity
IL have since thought the secret Of
his success was that he put himself
mentally in the place of the murderer
and reasoned it out from motives rath-
or than from the 'clews' of the ordinary
detective.
"'There is seldom much method in
murder he once said to me when In a
rarely communicative mood. Most
men would commit 1t In about the
same way under the same circum-
stances. 1t is only when a murderer
goes about 1t systematically, as do the
thugs Of India, that murder becomes
truly mysterious
81 once asked him why he did not be-
come a regular detective.
"T was born and bred journalist
he said, and the habit Ia too strong to
break
"That was literally true in his case.
Otherwise l might not have to tell this
story.
lone morning the body of fine
looking man was found in an alley ad-
Joining the electric light works in the
very heart of the town. The afternoon
papers had chance at 1t, but didn't
make much out Of 1t, so at once as
signed 1t to Jones, as we will call him.
Although he did not show up at the
usual hour, had no doubt he was al
ready at work on 1t, as it was as mys.
\ d
1.-The victim was identified as a trav.
eler who had just arrived, and so far
| as known he had no friends or &C.
Quaintances in the town. 1t was not q
case of robbery. for all his money and
valuables were left on his body. There
was a slight confusion on the back OF
the head and a small, needlelike hole
| hn
cially strange that such crime could
have been committed in public thor
oughfare, while there was absolutely
no clew to the murderer or his motive.
"But these difficulties were only such
as would ordinarily put Jones on his
mettle. so | did not doubt that he
would have good account of the af
fair. | was therefore somewhat sur
prised when he came sneaking in about
6 o'clock in the evening to see what his
assignment was. He looked worn anC
haggard, but denied that he was i'll, sc
gave him the murder job He went
out without word.
81 did not see him again that even
ing. About midnight ! began to won
der why had not heard from him. blu,
only speculated on the possibility OF
something having happened to him. fol
the idea that he could possibly fai
never occurred to me. Finally, after
an hour had gone by, l telephoned tC
the police station. Word came back
that there were no new developments
In the case and that Jones had not
been there. Sending two men out tc
hunt him up, | set to work myself tC
make story of the murder from the
afternoon papers. Just then Jones
came In. His step was unsteady and
his face flushed. He had evidently
been drinking heavily, something
never knew him to do before, but he
was not drunk; rather he seemed al
high nervous tension, although out
wardly as calm as ever.
81 decided to let this breach of disci
pllne pass and merely asked him fol
HE murder story. He replied that be
hadn't written 1t.
well, get to work on 1t at once
said rather sharply.
''Then he really surprised me by say
ing that he had nothing to write be-
yond the bare facts already known
The police had developed nothing new
and he supposed that had worked uI
the story from the evening papers.
"'And has It come to pass that you
wait for the police to develop murder
case for your exclaimed angrily. AS
for the reports in the evening papers
you can fake" better story than they
had
He sat down in apparent despair al
his desk. Then relented and cajoled
him little. begging him not to spoil
his great record by failing in such a
case.
There's starter for you said l.
throwing him the article had com.
! menced Now 90 ahead and fill that