Evening journal., 1900-03-24

counted his hens. Going into the
house. he wrote a brief note thank /
ing Crossman for his present and ex-
pressing fear that in his generosity /
he had robbed himself. Crossman |
read the note, gasped, went to his |
own chicken yard. counted his own /
hens and found ten missing. He had /
killed his own. hens and presented /
them to Stetson
The episode put Stetson in great |
good humor and he told the joke TO |
all who would listen and ended by |
feeling very kindly TO the one who |
had given him so much amusement. |
Crossman said little. and when jibed |
about the matter merely said the |
game was not yet over. Some days Ia.
ter he asked Stetson to lend him $50
for ten days, Offering his note for the
amount. Stetson did so unhesitatingly
receiving the note OF hand, which he
placed in his pocket The ten days
went by and Crossman made no offer
to pay the note. After several days
the two, Crossman and Stetson. met
one morning at the railroad station,
and, in the presence of FIVE bystand
ers, Stetson demanded the payment
of the note. Crossman denied that II
was due. Stetson declared II was.
Crossman referred him 10 the note.
Stetson took il from his pocket and
read that the note had been made
payable ten days after death"
"Crossman laughed and the bystan-
ders laughed but Stetson was
stunned The train drew up at the
station and Crossman. bound for the
city boarded 1t with the remark that
he was square as TO those chickens
Stetson shot after him the assertion
that the note would fall due ten days
from date. AS the train rolled away
Stetson let loose his temper, declar-
ing he would have the hearts blood
Of Crossman. He displayed a dirk
Enife-the' one found near the dead
body of Crossman-his possession OF
which was we'll known, and calling
upon bystanders to observe IL, de-
clared that with it he would make the
cheating blood of Crossman flow from
his body. The bystanders gave little
heed to his words then. for they were
accustomed 10 his extravagant utter
ances when angry, but one Andrew
/ Mincher, a morose, reserved man,
who was known to be a bitter enemy
OF Crossman, through having been
cheated in some transaction. sympath-
ized with Stetson. denouncing Cross
mans trick and thereby tanning Stet-
sons anger to a greater heat.
After this Stetson went to his Of
fee. which was in the general store,
where also was the post office. Here
he wrote a letter to Crossman. which
he read aloud to several there, de-
manding instant payment of the $50,
declaring If It were not paid he would
take Crossman's hearts blood on
sight He sealed and deposited the
latter in the post Office in the pres
ence Of witnesses. An hour later he
took the train for the city and the
same train bore Andrew Mincher
who kept alive Stetsons anger by
denunciations Of Crossmans trick
"The station agent, fearing should
Stetson and Crossman meet in the
city. the former under the impulse
of his anger would do injury to Cross
man with his knife, tried to borrow
it from Stetson, but unsuccessfully.
"That evening at o'clock Stetson
stepped from the train and crossed
to his Office. It was noticed at the gen
eral store that he had been drinking
heavily, but he was quiet in demean
or and seemed to be composed in spir.
it, After sitting at his desk in the
transaction of business he found there
for half an hour. or until 6:35 p, NJ.
he left and went to the bar Of the
= hotel, where he drank several times
remaining there twenty minutes
when he went out, taking the road
to his home, three,quarters Of a mile
distant.
"At 7 o'clock Crossman arrived by
train at the station, and, as was his
invariable habit. went to the post Of
fee to get his mail. Those who knew
that Stetson's letter was in his box
watched him as he opened and read
il. He sneered as he perused it, fold
ed il up deliberately and placed it in
his wallet and, turning to those stand
ing near by. said:
: f" 'Stetson is a fool. He has put
himself absolutely in my power. car
{ land him in Jail, for he has threat
ened to kill me and has put it down
in black and white over his own sig
nature
- "He went out, taking the same roaC
: that Stetson had a few minutes be
4 fore.
: THE next morning. as ! have des
CIlDtus Win tue hllAc Vi oAclhou ut
: side him and the threatening lette
! Of Stetson in his pocket, he wa
! found dead. stabbed by the knife
E covered with blood.
Nov" continued the old lawyer
:. Il presume no one who has listenel
> to me doubts for a moment that Stet
= son killed Crossman. No one saw hin
l. do il. but the motive was clear ant
e unmistalable. and the intention TO d
g so had been declared in words befor
g witnesses and in the letter to Cross
y man, and the instrument by which h
s was to do the deed displayed, an
d that instrument, the one by whic
n the deed was done There was on
;, more point Of weight. When Stetso
stepped from the train he asked tn
o station agent If Crossman had yet r,
I turned from the city, and being il
d formed that he had not, he had saiC
r Then I'm not too late for the thiel
l. ing rascal The case was complet,
n direct unmistakablc. and yet who'll
S circumstantial-as strong as could
s presented.
d 1T was the first murder case ha
e ever been engaged in. and 7 felt IN