Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-07-28

had written and had refused TO give them
up for less than SEQ. Not having the
money TO pay with and being rendered
desperate, he had gone to search the house
at night Saiters told of the CONVERSE
ton when Higgins came down stairs
how he got In and got out and all the de-
tails. advised him TO go to the police
and. as in the other case, they locked him
up and felt sure that they had the right
man at last.
was not retained by young Salters.
who announced that he would make no
defense, but l set out to clear up rev
points to satisfy my own curiosity. l yeas
not long In aseertaining that he was not
In love with any girl and had never been
known to write q love letter. also that
on the night of the murder he was In a
town 20 miles away. When these facts
became known to the police, they had TO
drop their case, though Salters protested
to the last that he was guilty l had lost
my keen interest In the matter when
strange woman. who introduced herself
as Mrs. Haskins. called at my office TO
make a confession. She was woman OF
20, good looking and Intelligent and claim
ing 10 be a widow and to reside In town
80 miles away She II was who killed Mr..
Higgins. and she had with her the pistol
from which the shot had been rred. The
deceased as she claimed with many de-
tails. had wronged her only daughter
while passing himself off as a single man.
She had haunted his store, but he had
lodged her. She had tried to meet him on
the street, but he had evaded her. AS
last resort she entered his house and made
the noise that Brought him down stairs
In my experience as a lawyer l never
heard a straighter story, but before send
Ing the woman to the police, as In the
other cases, l began to investigate the
very first move proved that she was either
a monstrous liar or a bit crazy. The lazy
at whose house she claimed to nave stop
ped had never even heard Of her. Then
discovered that she had no daughter ana
that Mr.. Higgins could not have known
her and that he had not visited her town
for IL years To cap the climax. she was
home on the night of the murder.
There was one more instance. and 1t
partook of the ridiculous at once. A one
legged man named Wells, resident of
the town, gave himself up to the police as
nanlhulist aud that the deed was done
while he was asleep. He didn't thlnk ne
ought 10 be punished. but he wanted to be
tried and acquitted Not one true state
ment did not make In all bis story, and he
was told 10 take hts leg and get out me
hunt for the true cr;minnl was kept up
for a year. but he was never discovered
The police were no doubt right In their
first theory. The man entered the house
for plunder, and. being discovered. II not
attacked, he fred the fatal shot and then
escaped. II was more than likely that ne
was a stranger to tho town.
You will naturally ask why those people
should have charged themselves with
,time that they were not guilty or A
physician could probably give you clear
err answer My theory is that they mad
taken an intense interest In the case. ana
from argument with Themselves how the
crime was committed or how they would
have committed It, they got to the point
OF believing that they actually aid COM
NIT IL. Such cases are by no means rare.
and 1t must be for some such reason mat
courts often refuse to accept a plea oil
guilty and give the accused falr trial
for his life and liberty. There are people,
az every lawyer and detective knows. who
are anxious to be witnesses In case ana
Will perjure thmselves on the stand WIN
nut seeming TO be aware OF II. and 1t Is In
carving out this singular line OF conduct
mr. train of thought that one may come
to accuse himself.