The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-06-26

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IL am much Obliged to you for COM
ing to me at once. for confess the fell
low might have butchered us all in our
beds before l would have suspected
him. Why, he's SO handsome and gen.
tlemanly! But then, that's the kind
we are likely 10 be most fooled in"
Bentley returned To his room, but 1t
was well toward midnight before
Finch retired. Then his dreams were
troubled with visions of burglars and
hideous crimes, and more than once he
awoke with the fancy that he had
heard strange noises in the direction of
Bentley's room.
Once he was convinced that he heard
n suppressed scream and got up and
fastened into the hall, but all was ST.
lent After listening for several mo-
ments and hearing nothing he assured
himself that the alarm was the result
of an overwrought imagination, or,
more probably, the mewing of the pet
cat up in the garrett.
The next morning Boyd Springer, the
handsome lodger of No. 8, ate an early
breakfast, then hurried away from the
inn.
But the old man Bentley did not APP
pear, and after waiting half hour for
him to come down to breakfast the
landlord went up TO his room. He
found the lock on the door broken and
the room IN the widest disorder. Bent
ley was not there. The bed covers were
strewn about in confused heaps, and
the sheets and door showed stains Of
blood
Mortified at the sight, Martin Finch
quickly summoned the constable, who
made hasty examination of the prem
Uses. There were ample evidences that
a struggle had taken place in the old
mans room, and the blood stains found
on the bedclothes and upon the floor led
to the conviction that a terrible crime
had been committed.
But where was the victim? The mi
nutest search Of the entire premises
failed to disclose any trace of the I'M
fortunate ledger.
Upon close inspection of the door of
the room occupied by the old man
marks on the facings plainly showed
that the door had been broken open by
the aid of an iron bar which had been
used from the outside
A faint odor of chloroform led to the
inference that the victim might have
been rendered insensble by that pow
erful drug and carried from his room,
but the signs of struggle and the
blood marks seemed to upset this theory.
The same awful stains were found in
the hall leading toward the room occu-
pied by Boyd Springer, but the door
was found to be locked, Springer hav-
ing carried the key away with him.
Had the occupant Of No. 8 committed
the terrible deed, then concealed the
body in his room? Suspicion pointed
strongly toward him.
When the landlord told the constable
of Bentley's story as related to him in
the early part of the preceding night,
that official declared Springer to be the
guilty one. Then the door was forced
open, but nothing was discovered to
confirm the suspicious.
In Bentley's room only large valise
of clothing, with nothing to give any
clew as to the owners occupation or
the place he had come from. The
whole affair was full of mystery.
From the facts in hand it was thought
best by the citizens of Burrville to
place Boyd Springer under arrest, and
a warrant was issued.
1,1 70 ha no hn
hired a horse and buggy to drive into
the country. The constable and the
deputy Immediately started In pursuit.
They overlook Springer about five
miles from the village and, putting him
under arrest, brought him back to
Burrville, where he was lodged in Jail
to await preliminary examination.
The prisoner seemed utterly amazed
ar the serious charges made against
him He denied all knowledge of the
affair and telegraphed at once for
prominent attorney in Baltimore.
Meanwhile the village was all agog
with excitement over the mysterious
and sensational event. Nothing like 1t
had ever happened in peaceful Burr
Nlllt, anu IL D'NlllN NllC obSoi pihS
theme for discussion.
After a long search in the vicinity of
the inn something was discovered that
seemed to afford clew to the mystery.
Tracks were found on the margin of
the river. deeply sunken into the soil,
as if made by some one carrying a
heavy burden, and near by were traces
of blood on some shingles, and broken
cuff button. believed to have belonged
to the unfortunate lodger, was picked
up.
At this juncture excitement in Burr
vile rose to its highest pitch, and at
meeting of the mayor and council II
was decided to offer a liberal reward
for any information that would lead to
the discovery Of the old man Bentley
dead or alive.
This offer resulted in bringing sew
eral detectives to the village Among
these was Amos Peel. the shrewdest
detective in Baltimore. He went TO
work i'm careful and systematic man
ner. but whatever his theories were re-
garding the strange affair he kept them