Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-05-13

Jim laughed and said: 81 scooped
you badly on that, didn't /, old man?
That item was a bird"
But / have some curiosity, Jim, to
know how you got it. Who gave it
to you?"
Il can't tell you that. The party
who put me on made me promise not
= to give him away. He also made me
promise not to go to the jail for it.
Said he thought the authorities were
trying to keep it dark, as it occurred
shortly after supper, and nothing was
known of it--at least not for publ
cation-at the station house ut mid
night
He made great guy of you, who
ever he is"
''yyhnt do you mean7"
''Why, there is scarcely a word of
truth in his story from beginning to
end. The man did not try to commit
suicide, and your report that he is not
expected to recover is all bosh. L
found him sitting up in the jailer's
Office smoking cigar this morning."
We'll, I'll be damned! If find out
that I have been imposed upon in
that way I'll wiring the neck of that
little skunls!''
Who is that2"
i won't give him away until I've given
him n chance to explain HIMSELF
Holcombe departed in a brisk dud-
geon and Warde sought the Office,
where he found Fenton awaiting him.
II got what wanted this morn
ing" he said.
Tell me-" said Warde.
Mrs. Wright said that her nearest
neighbor, llind-hearted widow by
the name of Mrs. Anderson, had been
there at noon to take care of her
child while she visited her husband
Just as Mrs. Anderson was about to
take the child away Mrs. Wright had
examined the pistol and called Mrs.
Anderson's attention to the fact that
it had not been shot off for long
time. then went to see Mrs. Ander-
son. She remembered the pistol very
well, and knew where it had been
placed. The ivory-handled revolver
was not the weapon she had seen
there. But Mrs. Anderson had some
other facts. She had seen a man
coming out of the side door of the
Wright house and she accosted him
and told him there was no one in at
present. He replied that he had
found that out and would drop in
again when Mrs. Wright was at home.
Mrs. Anderson had thought nothing
further of it until she was told about
the pistols"
Did she describe the MANI"
Eyes; she said he was n rather
stoutly built man with probably a
couple of weeks beard on his face,
and that he wore red flannel shirt
..Fenton, you have done splendidly,
and IL you will agree to help me fur
ther, we will unrayel one of the deep
est-laid crimes ever planned in this
section of the country"
"I'll help you any way that / can"
'1Then we will win the game yet"
CHAPTER VIII.
The next evening Mt nine o'clock,
Wnrde was working in the Office when
negro boy brought him note. He
opened It casually and read the fol-
lowing:
"Mr. Warde-Come as soon as You
can to Peters Rest, No. 1,006 Com
merce street. A river man there can
give you great story for the Ga
zette. His name is William Jackson.
"a Friend"
Irving received great many notes
like this, and it occasioned him no
surprise. Peters Rest had reputa-
ton of not very reassuring charac-i
ter; still he was often called to such
places, and he gave it no particular
thought. He finished the work upon
which he was engaged, and at II
o'clock started for the choice locality
to which he had been called.
AS he was passing the station
house, Fenton, the detective, Joined
him and asked whittier he was going.
'To Peters Rest" said Warde.
"That's nice place to go to-" said
Fenton, laughing.
81 was called there to get piece
of news" replied Warde.
81 will go with you," said Fenton;
Cali right; but remember that this
is mine, and if there's anything in it
the Gazette gets it exclusively"
"Of course"
The locality which the two men
we're about to visit was considerable
distance from the station house, and
1t abutted on the river. Commerce
street originally ran parallel with the
river but the current of the Mississ-
ippi, which is ever making some eX-
cuse for change, had eaten away
upper end Of the street ran almost
into the water. The rear end of sew
eral houses on the west side were nc
tually suspended over the stream,
and it was only q question of time
when they would topple into the
swirling waters; but it is rather
venerable observation that because
thing did not happen yesterday
people are inclined to think that it
will not happen tomorrow. And so,
many persons on upper Commerce
street continued to reside above the.
river, knowing full well that there
would be an end to it some time, but
fondly expecting that somehow they
would move out day or two before
the crash came and the river claimed
a lot of refuse not it's own.
That portion Of the city Warde and
Fenton entered knew no such luxu-
ries as lamplights, and depended en-
Z tirely upon such Examinations as
complacent moon would furnish. On
this particular night the moon was
contending internationally with sea
Of crested clouds. To the right as
they trayersed the rounded street
bending with the river bank, several
cotton sheds spread their huge d.