Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-07-30

tracks in the snow and found only
the single trail of the coachman as
he came from the stable and those of
fox terrier, Kaufman's, which was
| now following me about In the yard.
AS most of the snowfall had come
since midnight began to be mystifed
about the burglar-how he had come
| and how he had gone. Then I looked
about for signs of the single discharge
of the shotgun, and found the shot
had imbedded itself in the side of
Heckburg's house, just across the lawn
from Kaufman'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 a chance
to rob him. The neghbors began to tell
yarns about 'suspicious-looking tramps'
having been seen, and of course the
next days papers played 1t for mys-
terious murder, which was battling the
| whole police department. I got charge
of the case and was still working on
1t when the Kaufman family moved
| away to town. All found from them
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 1 went to the President
of the Dexter National Bank, and after
swearing to keep the secret, learned
that the semi-annua. count of the
banks money made by the directors on
the day after Kaufman's murder dis.
closed shortage. How much was
it" asked him. Three thousand dol
lars, said he. 1 may get it back for
you, l told him, only asking that he
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
in particular for not catching the
burglar and murderer. l got the keys
of the Kaufman house and lived there
alone, searching it for three days before
1 got clew. And what do you suppose
it was?
II simply found lot of chewed-up
greenbacks In the empty doghouse in
the back yard! Then I knew that
the fox terrier was the burglar.
sifted the old straw, waited until the
snow was gone, and raked over every
inch of that yard, looking for pieces
Of the money. 1 found nearly hatful
Of faded, tattered shreds. You can
guess the rest. 1 took the old pistol
found beside poor Kaufman and
showed 1t to every pawnbroker in
town. l wanted to find out who bought
it, for knew that Kaufman never kept
pistol in the house and never carried
one. At last 1 landed In an old junk
shop on the West Side and showed the
pistol. The owner recognized it at once.
He knew me and made a straight story
of it. He had sold the gun to a fine
looking old man who wore side whis-
kers and was very nervous. He told
me he "anted to kill a vicious dog NIT
it, explained the dealer. But 1 knew
all l wanted to know.
But you haven't explained every
thing| objected the lookup man, who
was dull.
"'You're fat-headed Denny
sneered the Captain, Cant you see the
dog carried off the money? Well, when
the old man couldn't find it and re-
membered that next day was count
day at the bank he just bought the pis-
tol, took shot at Heckburg's house
as a blind, and then killed himself
with the burglars pistol. And it was
slick game, too, for it's no disgrace
to be killed by burglar, but an en-
bezzler! Why, the very hint of it
would have ruined the social prospects
Of the Kaufman ladies forever, and the
poor old cashier was all wrapped up in
his family.
"'And what did you get, Cap'n% mar
veled the lookup.
"Oh, 1 got $100 from the bank for
turning in the scraps and keeping still,
and from everybody else got
roasted. To this day the newspapers
keep talking about how the Kaufman
murder was never avenged John H.
Raftery, in the Chicago Record II erald.
Integrity is the Price of Promotion.
If those who are not succeeding in
I