Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-05-17


He tedpyd back into the street and bur
ricd up totrn
treated an infant, l recognized my
own father. You will understand bet
ter how the second paroxysm attacked
me in his room when | learned that
the man who had stolen my Lilian's
heart was my own brother and that
thus, in spite Of my self sacrifice, the
offspring of my beloved would have n
/ heritage of crime which traced back
TO my own progenltor. You will com
prehend with what iendish joy
| sprang upon the man who was at once
the author of my being and of all my
suffering and wrongs. You will see
/ why l took the will which deprived
my brother of one-half of his fortune.
That is the story of the killing of Mat
thew Mora. Was it n murder? / will
not ask for the verdict of my fellow
men but will abide by the decision Of
my Maker"
There is still one point which l
would like to have explained" said
Mr.. Barnes. "Moras valet positively
/ dSSeTtS tndl he SdW MS master III tHt
house that night and that he helped
him to dress in the plaid suit How do
you account for that?"
Every easily" said Preacher lin.
"The valet only tells this story at my
request. After the death Of Slippery
Sam I fully decided upon my own
course. Upon one thing. however, I
/ was determined-this man Mora, my
own half brother, should right the
wrong which he had done to Lillian. I
knew of his visits to the rich girl up
town and feared that 1t might be diff
ficut to coerce him. The valct is
member of our organization, and there
fore it was easy for me to gain his CO.
operation, and he readily consented to
tell you the story which convinced you,
Mr.. Barnes. that Mora was guilty.
Thus | hoped to have you arrest him,
and when once more in custody
would have been able to bring him to
terms by offering him his liberty,
which he could only have obtained
through my confession"
"What will you do now?" asked Mr.
Barnes.
"Ah, that is simple! Thanks to Mr..
Mitchell, my Lillian Is now n lawful
WIFE with her babe restored to her.
You see, | know all at last. Ny inhu-
man father is dead. My poor mother
lies in her grave. Why should | live
longer? Mr.. Barnes | deliver myself
to you as your prisoner"
mo, no, Mr. Barnes cried Mr..
Mitchell "Do not touch him. This
man shall go forth from my house, as
he entered it, a free man"
You are wrong. Mr.. Mitchell, though
! thank you most sincerely. l must
surrender to the law. Why not let Mr..
Barnes have the glory Of seeming to
have unraycled the mystery and claim
Mora's proffered rewardT
II should not make such a claim"
retOrted the detective.
mo; l think you are more honest
man." said Preacher Jim. But if you
hand me over to the authorities you
will receive credit, and thus | shall do
some good in the world. Besides, you
have sufficiently earned Morals money
and ought TO have it,"
But why should you give yourself
up at allE' argued Mr.. Mitchell you
have suffered so much that it would be
an injustice for you to suffer more"
at is inevitable, and il is best You
forget that have committed second
murder. killed Slippery Sam. That,
too, was in a moment of uncomfortable
emotion. | had just witnessed the
death of my mother. | went forth in
20 the street and ran along aimlessly.
BY chance approached your doorway,
and | saw Slippery Sam leave your
house. Instantly jumped to the con-
cluson that he had betrayed me, for
he knew the truth. He knew when |
took the plaid suit and when | return
ed it. In fact. he knew everything
In the diSordered state of my mind il
was impossible for me to reason calm.
ly. ! seized Sam by the throat He
had knife in his hand, | wrcnched
it from him and killed him. AS he fell
the cunning of the beast--no; the Gun.
ming of the man who is worse than a
beaSt-came to me. | knew that you
would know Of this murder committed
so near your house. | recalled the ar.
guments and theories that we had ex-
changed, and | slipped the will into
the poor dying boys pocket that you
might find 1t there and be mystitied."
ut did puzzle me for time" admit
ted Mr.. Mitchell.
And so, you see" said Preacher
jim, almost YEARLY, "the end must
come now. | cannot permit myself to
live longer. My father was a Sadist
The love Of cruelty which made him
strange poor defenseless monkey
which caused him once to tie boy uE
by his thumbs In garrett and leave
: him there until he tainted, which
prompted him to pinch and kick and
| otherwise torturA childron and ami