The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1901-09-05

nature has been wet when The thia
paper which covered the will and
which contained the matter Simon Oh
bert thought he was signing, was re-
moved"
AZ ten o'clock the next morning
Draper appeared nj my Office and
Topped into a chair.
'weil." demanded. "what have you
foundT"
THAT Richard Radcliffe visited
Simon Gilbert on March II, the date
of the spurious win. and told him that
his wife was crazy o possess certain
icweled locket that had belonged 10
her mother and that he was willing
10 pay many times It's intrinsic value
10 crafty her wish: that Simon Gil
bert finally sold IL 10 him for $500 and
gave bin of sale running 10 Mira. Rad
cliffe. which bill OF sale Radcliffe had
already prepared; that this document
had heen clcvcrly prepared 50 that
the greater part of the sheet was COW
cred with a very thin paper which was
80 skillfully attached that II appeared
To be part OF the sheet, but which
left the place for signature below the
false covering; that this false cover
ing which contained the bill Of sale
of the lecket was afterward removed
end Inc spurious viii typcwritter over
Simon GIlbcrt's signature by Richard
Radcliffe"
"Do you realize what you are charg.
ing7 Can you Hubsiantia,e these
charges?"
Il have done So" replied Daniel
Draper. In an apologize voice.
lie showed n piece Of paper toward
me. II was written statement signed
by Radcliffe aud his wife aud the Bel
dcnH that they had been convinced that
the will dated March ~ was spurious
and renouncing all rights under Il.
allow did you run II down 90 quick.
ly?" ! asked. In amnzcment.
"Oh, II wBs all run down last night
before | left you. All had 90 do was
20 70 10 Simon Gilbcrt's house and
find who had transacted business with
him on March ~. Miss Parker went
10 the library aud found from The
books kept by the dead man that he
had sold the locket a. that date 10
Richard Radcliffe. Mics Parker re-
memhcrrd the day Radcliffe was there.
She was sure that Beldcn. the other
sou-in-law. had never visited the house.
I went 90 RadclifFc's Office and asked
for private Interview. pretending TO
be about 10 enter into little Epcculu.
tion IN stocks. We were In his Office
and he was called to the phone In the
outer Office, knew he would be- de.
tanned for some minutes because
had arranged with friend TO call him
up at certain time and hold him
for five minutes. In the meantime
experimental with his typewriter
which stood In the private office.
wrote each letter aud point on a
sheet. After went away ! made n
careful examination Of II and found
that several Of the letters Lad tho
same impcrfections had noted In
She writing Of the will. Last night /
had a hcart-to-heurt talk with Rich
ard, AZ FIRST be was going to thrash
me- and have mr. thrown into tho street
or arrested, but finally be- broke down.
told the whole story and begged that
I should not ruin him. He said his
wife did not know about II. nor did he
Bcidcns, and that hc had been driven
TO the crime 10y some heavy Losses that
rendered him desperate. | figured
that NO far as YOU and ! were con.
rerned IL was the property we were
after for your client and not any Grim.
inal prosecution that would ruin one
family and carry disgrace to several
I others. So | pledged myself and you
that we would keep the secret II he
and his wife and the Hrldcus would
sign a remuneration of all rights under
the spurious will. We drew the state.
ment and he signed il and got his wife
10 sign e. Then he went to Bcldcn's
house and came back with their sig
natures. don't know how he got
them TO sign IL, That was hls bush
ness"
"You did wisely" said. "but I
should have thought you would rather
have had the affair made public. You
are ambitious TO become a detective,
and Il would have given you plenty of
advertising"
II want To he a detective. not q
bloodhound" he replied, ~ he rose Ia
go.
The day after the will giving all of
Simon Gilbcrt's estate TO Phoebe
Parker was probated. received hill
from Daniel Draper for 500 and sent
him q check at once. The next day
Phoebe Parker was married 90 Jack
Shirley quietly at the old Gilbert home.
! was among the half dozen guests
present. There was one wedding
present besides the one sent. II was
the check had sent Daniel Draper,
indOrsrd To the bride