The Washington times., 1901-07-21

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as Brandt was lad of twenty. he resid-
ed in Paris. where he had a friend, Sidney
Trenahan. an American
They auarreled bitterly over girl. who
ultimately became engaged TO the Ameri-
can. The wedding however never came
| off 1t being prevented by terrible trag-
edy.
1t appears that a drunken French SOL
| dier picked a quarrel with some Latin
| Quarter students and in the scuffie
which followed knife took part, and the
soldier was killed. Trenahan. one of the
students, was arrested on suspicion and,
: although he swore his innocence. he was
found guilty and sentenced to transporta-
| tion for life.
| Six months later Thomas Brandt mar
| ried the lady who had rejected him for
! Trenahan. She left her husband within
the year. and died three years afterward.
| Our revelations fell IKE bonbshelI
upon the country. Our sale went up with
a rush. Even our rivals We're compelled
to quote us. A man from Scotland Yard
called to know II We really had any pri-
/ vate Information that would be of use to
| the police 1t was amusing to hear Pat
erson assure this gentleman that he, the
editor of the Record" knew no more
than the police.
I'VE only use our intelligence" he add
ed. land follow up the clues as they come
to light
The ball was Kept rolling for a few days
by celebrating the points already touch
ed upon, and then Power let fall another
bombshelI
I'VE are now able to lay the true and
complete story of this terrible and pain
full tragedy before our readers" he be-
gan Then he went back twenty-three
years, and proceeded to describe the life
of the two friends in Paris. The arrival
on the. scene of the fair American girl,
the jealousy Of the two men. the sever
ance of their friendship, the ultimate vio-
lent quarrel, all were related at length.
and with many picturesque phrase.
Then the street brawl, the arrest, the
scene In court. the conflicting evidence,
the appearance of the English witness.
now identified as Thomas Brandt, the
conviction. the despairing protestation Of
innocence on the part of the prisoner
Then the indefatigable Irishman pro-
duced fresh facts. He related how for
twenty long years Sidney Trenahan had
eaten out his heart in prison. Then he
was released. Only one thought occupied
his mind-a wild longing to prove his in
nocence, and put himself right before the
world.
He obtained a situation as waiter in
Paris and saved money. At length he
was able to ce:ne to England and seek
out the man who had wronged him. or let
us say, the man whom he believed to
have wronged him. He called several
times at Ravensworth during the week
previous to the murder-if, indeed, we can
now call it murder-but each time he was
refused an audience by the master of the
house.
In despair he effected his purpose In the
manner already described. o,..,
This concluded Power, brings us to
$50 or thereabouts on the night of De-
cember 6. What happened when those
two men stood face to face? Let US try
and picture the scene. i.
Thomas Brandt. surrounded by all the
comforts and luxuries of wealth. sits at
his desk. pale to the lips. Sidney Trena-
han, wan. haggard, meanly attired.
stands before him. Then. is it not GER
tain, followed some such dialogue as this:
You. You here, What do you want,
like thief in my house?' s-ri,
4 want my good name. The name
you robbed me Of
Co. gasps the millienaire1'go. and
never trouble me again, or l will send
you back to the gaol you have inhabited
so long,
I will not go. will stay here. will
see your wife, the woman you robbed me
of, and to her l will tell the story of
your infamy. All the world shall know
it Nothing can repay me for what I
have suffered. but my name shall be
cleared before the world
Then we may imagine that Thomas
Brandt. in his desperation, thought Of
the pistol in his desk. Why not shoot
this man. and then give out that the fell
low was a robber whom he had killed in
self-defence.
"Trenahan matches up the steel poker.
The pistol misses fire. but the bar of steel
comes down with unerring aim upon
Brandt's head. Amazed and Mortified at
what he has done, the ex-convict's only
thought is to escape. Thoughts of his
prison life throng back upon him. He
will never endure that again. He seizes
the pistol from the hand of the dead man
and fees. If he is followed. he will shoot
himself rather than be taken
THAT is the story We have built up
piece by piece, and every fact that comes
to light fits in with it We leave 1t to
the public. for the present, to decide
we have established our case.
For our own part we are convinced that
when the police have arrested Sidney
Trenallan, the man who is now proved to
have called at Ravensworth several times
during the week previous to the tragedy.
they will have on their hands the man
who killed Thomas Brandt, Nj. p, the
shipowrer."
But Trenahan was never taken That
lid not matter. however. Even the police
adopted our theory in the end and a
warrant was issued for the sorely injured
mans arrest.
1 do not think anyone ever knew what
Intimately became of him
of course the affair was the making OF
The Record As to Power and his
sources of information, he made a full
confession to Paterson when the excite
nent was at its height, but 1 did not
earn the truth till some years later.
One day, however, he told me the whole
story, as he has since told me many an
other.
Have ye never guessed the truth" he
asked.
Never a glimmer of It," replied. ITO
h's dow cannot imagine how you root
.cts. What first made you
the murderer
hiynSaIf