Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-10-09


1t seemed 20 me that my sudden
appearance might shake his nerves
ana lead him 10 say something IN
guarded. The Boots volunteered 10
show ne the room. i was on the sec
OnG floor. and there was q small cor
-ito- leading up 20 H. The Boots
pointed out The door 10 me-. and was
about 10 so down stairs again. when
saw something that made me fee, sick
ish. II spite o. NY twenty years ex-
pe-iencs. From under the door there
CU-lsi q little red ribbon OF blood,
which had mearde-ed across the pas
sage and formed little pOol along
-he ski-Iing az The other side. l gave
q cry which brought the Boots back.
He nearly tainted when ne saw il.
. The door was locked on the inside bur
we put our shoulders 70 il and knocked
L n. The window OF :he room was
i open, and beside the window. all hud-
died M. lay the body ~ z man in his
risht-G-ess. He was quite dead. and
had been for some time for his limbs
were rigid and cold. When We turned
him over the Boots recognized him al
once as being the same gentleman
who had engaged the room under the
name OF James SranEe-son. The cause
OF death was a deep stab in the left
side which must have penetrated the
heart. And now CONES the sr-angest
part o. the affair. What do YOU sup
pose was above the murdered man."
! felt q creeping OF flesh and q pro
. sentiment - coming horror. even be-
fore Sherlock Holmes answered.
The word Rache" written in let
ters of blood" he said.
THAT was Il" said Lestrade. in an
avs-rUok voice: and we were all
silent for q while.
There was something so metho1iCal
and so incou u0-ahensible about the
deeds OF this unknown assassin. that
q :mDarred q fresh ghastliress 10 his
crimes.
Ny nerves. which were steady
I enough on the field Of battle tingled as
I thought OF II.
The man was seen" continued Les
trade. a mi!kbOy, passing on his way
70 the dairy, happened TO walk down
the lane which leads from the news
u the back OF the hotel. He noticed
that q ladder. which usually lay there,
was raised against one OF the windows
Of the second floor, which was wide
omen. After passing. he looked back
and saw z man descend the ladder. He
came down so quietly and openly that
the boy imagined him 10 be some car
nsr-s- or joiner al work in the hotel.
He took no particular notice OF him,
beyond thinking in his own mind that
il was early for him 70 he at work. He
tas an impression that the man was
tall had e reddish face, and thought
II was early fo- him 20 he al work. He
must have stayed in the room some
I--ie time after the murder. for we
found bloud-s-a!ned water in the basin,
where ne had washed his hands. and
marks OF the sheet. whore he had de-
libe-arely wiped his knife"
I glanced al Holmes or hearing the
description OF the murderer which tai
lied so exactly with his own.
There was. however. no trace Of eyul-
tarion o. satisfaction uDOr his face.
Did you find nothing in the room
which could furnish clev 20 The MUIR
de~e~9" he asked.
Nothing. S-ance~sor had D-ebbe-'s s
purse in his pOcket but il seems that
this v-as usual as he did all the pay
ing There was eighty-odd pounds in
It. but nothing had been taken. What
ever the wO-ives Of these extraordinary
crimes. robbery is certainly not one ot
them. There were no Dape-s or n an
oranda in the murdered mans pockets,
eTcaDt q single telegram dated from
Cleveland about a month ago. aud con.
/. -airing the words J. II. is n Eurona.
There was no name appended 10 this
massa a~e."
And there was nothing else?"
. EC1-onS arked
NOTHING OF anv imnn--ance. The
mans novel. with which he had read
himself 10 sleen. was living uDon the
he'd and his pine was on q chair be.
side him There was glass OF wa-ar
I. m -re table and m fha window sill a
small chin ointment box containing a
cr,,-7le Of Mile"
sherlock Holmes sn-"rg f-c~7 his
cha;- with an a~clo-1prior of da'i~h-
'Tha far- li-l-" he N-ied aIultartlv
"Nr-- case is cO--rla-e"
The two detectives stared a. him in
ar-aZnue1t.
Il have now in ny hands" nv com.
Dauiou said confidently, all the tn-ee S
which have formed such q ta1cla.
There are. Of course. details 70 be filed
in. nut / an CERTAIN OF hA LNE main
facts. from the time that D-cb5e- part
cd from S-arge~son a. the station. no
10 the discovery Of the body OF the
latter. as il I had seen them with ny
own eyes. I will give you proof Of nv
knowledge Could you lay your hands
upon those pills"
81 have them" said Les-rade. pro
ducing q small white box: - took them
and the purse and the telegram. in
tending 10 have them put in place
o. safety ar the police station. Il was
the me-est chance ny taking these
pills, for I am bound 10 say that ! do
not attach any importance 10 them"
{ Give them here" SAID Holmes.
Now. doctor" turning 10 me. are
those ordinary pills?'
They certainly were not They we're
o. Z pearly gray color. small. round.
and almost transparent against the
light.
From their lighrness and transpar-
ency. 7 should imagine that they are
soluble in water" l remarked.
Precisely so" answered Holmes.
Now. would you mind going down and