Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1902-01-03
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
At the appointed time on the night of
the Goth Uncle Duke was admitted to the
presence of the detective. But the old
man could give no information that Sell
lars deemed material. 1t was evident that
he knew less of the cashiers life, associa-
tions and career after banking hours than
did Adam.
He occupied a room on the lower floor
of the house back of the bath room, and
usually was sound asleep by nine o'clock
at night. That had been the case on the
night Of the murder, and he knew nothing
of the terrible deed that had been COM
mitted until he was aroused by the COM
motion that followed it.
He had never heard of party by the
name Of G. A. Stephens nor had he ever
known Herman Craven to bring a COM
panion into the bankers house.
The night following his conversation
with Uncle Duke the detective met Con-
ductor Borden at the Carolina Hotel and
| in discussion which he brought about in
| regard to the traffic of the road, he grad
ually led round to the number of passen-
gers that the various conductors carried
| over the road on their trips. In the mean
, while the hotel register was open before
| him.
'The transfers from the Manchester
| road form the bulk of the passenger list
| going north now," said the conductor, but
| on my last trip, the night of the 18th
| had a goodly number from Wilmington"
YES" said Sellars, turning back the
leaves of the register. II notice quite a
number of arrivals on the 18th and 18th.
| 1t is so hot here now that they do not
tarry long. l suppose you carried them
all back up the road with you. see that
those that arrived on the 18th are nearly
all checked as having departed on the
night of the 18th. Jo Wallace, and Hoyt,
and Caldwell, and Turner, and Stephens.
BY the way, l wonder what family of Ste
phenses this G. A. Stephens belongs to?"
II declare l don't know" said Borden.
He came down the road with Browning,
l believe. If he left the city on the night
Of the 18th he did not go over the road
with me. He may have gone south
Grady and Hoyt went that way back to
Charleston, suppose"
The 22d Of the month the remains Of the
banker were consigned to the grave, and q
vast concourse of people was present in
the cemetery when the last sad rites were
| spoken.
All eyes were seemingly bent on the
form Of the bereaved young daughter
who, in the anguish that wrung her heart,
clung, strange to say, not to the arm of
Herman Craven, who seemed to shudder
and grow pale as the clods of earth rolled
in upon the coffin, but to the arms of two
women who were seemingly scarcely less
agitated than herself-the mother and sis
ter Of the man who lay in Jail accused of
the damnable crime of the bankers taking
| off.
! Many there were who looked on this
scene with surprise, but none with deep
er feeling of annoyance than Herman
Craven and Sheriff Cobb.
To Sheriff Cobb's cold nature it was in
explicable that the daughter of the MUIR
dered man should seek consolation Of the
mother and sister of his murderer.
| To Herman Craven's mind the circum-
stance boded not the easy fulfllment of
his wishes. Waltz he thought. "Waitw
Lang Sellars, as he stood some yards
away, leaning against stately pine, his
tall form towering above all others,
thought, as his keen eye rested on the fig
| ures before him: "There will be tie that
will bind you yet closer together. Wait!'
1t was ten o'clock on the 23d day Of the
month, and gathered in the spacious par
lors of the residence of the late banker
were the five directors of the Cape Fear
Bank" and goodly number of those who
in his lifetime had been close personal
| friends.
Seated at one side of the front parlor
near an open window, and with Jennie
Campbell beside her, was the bankers
daughter, and very beautiful, yet sad, she
looked, clad in the habiliments that told
Of her bereavement.
A number of ladies were seated near
them, and ranged against the wall oppo-
site >hem were the family servants.
Herman Craven sat near a center table
conversing with the old attorney of the
bank, who presently arose to his feet. In q
position from where he could at will scan
all features sat the great detective.
II have been requested" said the law
yer, "by the daughter of our late friend,
by his nephew and by the directors of the
bank Of which he was the honored presi.
dent, to read to those here present his
last will and testament. The instrument
is embraced in this package of papers just
handed me by the cashier of the bank
Herman Craven"
Here Attorney Dobbs removed the rub.
Der band and withdrew from the package
the bankers will.