The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-28

her brother and mother. who slept in
the front and back rooms respectively
on same floor. That's as far as we gos
before running upstairs and opening the
door. There were three of us police~
men, besides the driver, and Tcole held
the light, Griffin held the door and l,
always foolhardy, went in with my gun
ready. l had pistol in my right hand
ready for business, but as there was not
a sound nor a stir when [ entered the
half-llt rOomy l made bold to strike a
match with my right and lighted the
gas. The drawers of the dresser and
chiffonier were opened and tossed the
closet door was open and the contents
scattered, but there was no sound or
sign of life.
I looked under the bed Toole turn
ing on his lantern, and saw a man lying
at full length 1 ordered him to come
out, and Griffin began to pull off the
mattress and bedding for a safer com.
mand of the situation. The intruder
never stirred. We took off the Mattress
lifted out the wire spring frame, and
saw that the robbers eyes were shut
and his face CHASTITY. The minute I
touched him l knew he was dead. We
dragged him out then, and saw that his
skull was dinted as by the mighty
stroke of a narrow. dull-edged weapon.
We called the coroner and he said it
was murder, or that the robber had
been caught in the act of searching the
inmates of the house. AS the latter sup
position seemed preposterous I searched
the building for an open window door
that had been left Open or any kind OF
aperture that might have given egress
to the dead mans confederate and STAY
er. There was none. The windows and
doors were all locked or latched on the
inside. In the yard l found a black
Jack, or billy, which seemed to give
color TO the coroner's theory, but it only
added to the mystery.
Mrs. Taulby, the mother, was a wild
OW. gentle. aristOcratic wealthy and in
ordinately fond and proud of her two
children. Miss Janice, 1 soon discov-
cred, was the flower of all girlish ten
derness and virtue. She hadn't even
sweetheart to whom a thread of inVeS-
LEGATION might be reasonably attached
Randall Taulby, the son. was, l discov-
cred, lawyer by profession, but not
by practice In fact he was only re-
Gently from college and was living in a
care and even a menace to his mother,
submissive only TO his sister Janice,
whom he loved, fand-very much in
debt Upon the slim prospect of con-
Meeting him with the killing l had the
nerve to search his room, his clothing
and all his belongings before left the
house that night. l found nothing in
eliminating.
Miss Janice explained that she had been
awakened by scream. she thought, bat
IN terror had lair quietly for many min
match and, seeing nothing, with feminine
instinct stopped and looked under the bed.
and, dropping the match. took out ner
door key, ran into the hall. locked the
was Randall who had called the police His
conduct was very calm and deliberate.
his sisters cries aroused him. Then he
had run down stairs and telephGned. The
mother. Frustrated with grief and under
standing nothing was ! know, incapable
of any connection with the singular Affair
Somebody in the house had killed the
burglar. Of that ] was certain. But who?
And why did he or she refuse to admit it?
gave them to understand that no crime
was done by killing a house-breaker out
they all stuck to their stories.
The dead burglar was common looking
square-built. cEea ply-dressed man of about
doubt. for we found the household jewelry,
or most of it. slowed in his pockets. He
housebrealzers use; no letters of identi-
fication, no marks upon his clothing.
trance. for, as I said. the doors were al
locked on the inside the windows la .ched
and there were no signs of a violent en-
memoranda which i had taken from
yourg Taulby's room, was one letter dated
Hayerhill, Mass. and signed Kent How
ard. It was evidently from an ole school
mate, and I would have ignored it if
had not also found in one of Taulbv's
pockets a postal card addressed to this
same Kent Howard and sent by ore of
those Greek letter societies they have N
for I couldn't understand why TauIbv
should have Towards postal card in his
possession. I made q grand bluff then,
Just for flyer. you know. l got Randal
in 4 corner one evening and told him tla.
I had discovered that the dead burglar
name was Kent Howard. l thought if
my guess was right he'd flush up shake
or snow some sign. but he never batted am
eye. and I concluded I was on another
bad =tec--
L started some letters east to the col
| lcge that Taulby had graduated from and
then resolved to keep a close watch on
him. I couldn't find him that day at all,
nor the next. and I was commencing. to
get ratified, when 1 got the following let
ter.
= Dear McCarty: You are too cute al
together. I don't know how you found out
1t was Kent Howard I don't care how.
Find me if you can 1t murder,
anyhow. l let him in the house. He was
q born thief and the high road to
the pen. anyway. L owed him money. al
right. ar old score, but he was trying to
blacknnail me. I'm pretty bad myself. but
/ couldn't rob my own people | let MIN
in at the front door and turned him loose
to rob the house as he pleased. I had to
do something for him. and as ] had no
roCney / die ghis. Janice was sound asleep
when we got into her room. ] couldn't
struck him with his own billy and showed
him under the bed. Then l dropped it out
I he window and went to bed. Please drop
this thing if YOU can. If you bring Janlcs'S
paue into it I'll lSill you-dont forget thar.
That's the decent side of me- I won't
stand anything against her R. T.
And dropped IT. eSnel i Mccarthy
I don't know-but it was a - decent
! inc think 2'