The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-05-23


tol, which he supposed must have
been dropped by the burglar When |
got 90 the house It was all lighted 10, |
the women were upstairs screaming |
and going on, and two or three neigh. |
bors, attracted by the shots, were
just arriving. The poor old banker
was yet where he had fallen, and !
nobody seemed TO have the nerve 10
take even a second look at him.
made everybody stay in the house, got
lantern and stationed the coach.
man at the front gate to keep newcom-
ers from tracking 10 the snow.
zone Of the FIRST things l did after
making sure that Kaufman was dead
was to examine ais pockets His watch.
q good gold one, was In his vest, which
was unbottoned as II he might have
hurrledly thrown 1t and the coat on.
He was fully dressed even to the lac
ing OF his shoes / remembered about
the $4,000 which he was IN the habit
of carrying IN his inside vest pocket
and looked for 1t. 1t was gone. The
pistol ball had entered his forehead,
was powder bu FED. l locked for
tracks in the Snow and found only
the single trail Of the coachman as
lie came from the stable and those Of
fox terrier, Kaufnans, which was
now following ne about in the yard.
/ AS most OF the clowfall had conc
since midnight 1 began to be nystiGed
about the burglar-h0w he had come
and how he had gene. Then l looked
about for signs CT TIC single discharge
Of the shotgun, and found the shot
had imbeddcd Itself in the side Of
Heckburg's house, just across the lawn
from Kaufncn's porch.
"Well, the town authorities soon ar
rived, and the coroner and all of them
made a thorough examination Of the
whole premises. They decided that
Kaufman had frightened the burglar
away before the latter had q chance
to rob him. The neighbors began t. tel
yarns about notwithstanding tranQs'
having been seen, and Of course the
next days papers played it for q mys-
terious murder, which was battling the
whole police department. / got charge
Of the case and was still working CT
it when the Kaufman family moved
away to town. All l found from theri
was that poor papa had been late that
night searching the house for some
paper he had lost two days before and
that since his loss he had been much
worried.
The next day I went to the President
Of the Dexter National Bank. and cfter
swearing to keep the secret, learned
that the semi-annuaI count of the
banks money made by the directors on
the day after kaufman's murder dis
closed a shortage. How much was
it| I asked him. Three thousand dol
lars said he. I may get it back for
you, told him, only asking that lie
maintain the same secrecy he had re-
quired Of me. Meanwhile the papers
and the people of Cedar Grove were
roasting the police in general and me
il particular for not catching the
burglar and murderer I got the keys
Of the Kaufman house and lived there
alone, searching it for three days before
1 got a clew. And what do you suppose
1t was?
Il simply found a lot Of chewed-ur
greenbacks in the empty doghouse in
the back yard Then l knew that
the fox terrier was the burglar.
sifted the old straw, waited until tht
snow was gone, and raked over every
inch Of that yard, looking for pieces
of the money. found nearly a hatfu
Ct faded, tattered shreds You cal
guess the rest. l took the old pisto
found beside poor Kaufman ant
showed it to every pawnbroker il
town I wanted to find out who bough
it, for I knew that Kaufman never KEEP
q pistol in the house and never carried
one. At last / landed in an old junk
shop on the West Side and showed tn
pistol. The owner recognized it at once
He knew me and made a straight stor.
Of it. He had sold the gun to u fine
looking old man who wore side whis
kers and was very nervous. lie toll,
me he wanted to kill 4 vicious dog mi
it, explained the dealer But l kney
all l wanted to know.
but you haven't explained every
thingY objected the lookup man, VIII
was dull.
You're fat-headed Denny
s1eered the Captain, Can't you see tn
dog carried off the money? Well, whe
the old man couldn't find it and II
membered that next day was 'coun
. day at the bank he just bought the phi
y tol, took a shot at Heckburgs hous