The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-27
WET PAINT.


lows, since few men commit so serious
a. crime in full view of their fellows
At the same time 1 must admit thai
circumstantial evidence alone, however
conclusive it may appear. can be, and
has been, entirely dissipated by the
proving of facts that go to contradict
ali the former and more imaginary evil
dence. Still, we cannot dispense with
circumstantial evidence, and it is left
10 the trained detective to discover if
there be any fact more tangible to re-
flute it"
He paused for a moment or two and
then continued:
L was in the Yard one morning few
years ago when 1 was summoned by
the chief. Proceeding at once to his Of
ice I found him reading telegram
which had just come in
-.Ah, Hunter he said, seeing me,
here is little case for you. You had
better go down immediately
He handed me the wire, upon which
read the following message: Man
named Frederick Flint murdered here
during the night We are on the track
of the man who committed the crime
and hope to arrest him today.-Sergeant
Walters, Brindlewood. Hampshire.
I laid the telegram on the chief
writing table.
dispense with our assistance 1 said.
THE chief smiled.
Yes. I know. he said good humor-
edly. but we'll have 10 put up with 1t
all the same. The case is too serious TO
be left in unframed hands Get there
as soon as you can, Hunter, and see
that he makes no blunders
I nodded, and in a little more than
an hour was on my way to the lttie
village of BrindlewoOd- Sergeant wal
tiers received me without the SMALLEST
display of cordiality- A couple OF IN
the neighboring town. But the village
force of which he was the honored
head and which comprised a couple OF
police conStables besides h1mSel1, was
quite adequate to the emergencies OF
the case. And what was much more 10
the point the murderer of FREDERICK
Flint was already in custody at the
village lookup. 1 knew as yet nothing
whatever of the case, so it was not my
province to censure where very posSl-
bly no censure was due l contenleo
myself with requesting MIN TO give Il-
the particulars of the case ana the I'd
ture of the evidence against the suS-
pected man, and confess he staggered
me.
. Well he said. L can do that easily
enough. This, then, is what we nave
discovered. Frederick Flint was reput-
ed to be a tolerably rich man. Ihs
house in which he lived and several
others in the village were his own; he
also owned two farms in the nelgnDor-
hood. both occupied by tenants, ana
great wood close to his house, which ne |
allowed no one to enter, was likewise |
his property. But he was a mean man |
and always went by the name OF Mlser
Flint No one lived with him except |
lis daughter, Mary, whom he watched |
With Jealous eyes and kept almost a |
prisoner in the dull old house. BUT
Mary Flint managed to elude the old
nd
believed that she was secretly engaged
o a young farmer named George Drake
rhe VILLAGERS have seen them together
more than once, and their atuIuoe
.owards each otner told its own tale
But George Drake vas compare
lively DOOR, and his chances looked pro-
,ortfonateIy remote. Two days ago.
however he went to the old miser and
Mary The old man. foaming with pas
sion followed him out to the door A
a borer CHANGED to be passing at the
line, and both saw and heard all that
happened outside The old man was
oading the other with every kind OF
lbuse. and when George Drake, stung
nto replying turned to confront the en-
aged miser, the latter struck him saw
George Drake never moved, though ms
,lenched hands were trembling vis1oly-
rnen he said, BY -, Frederick Flint,
III be even with you for this before
he weeks QUIT" Early this morning
We found the dead body of the old miser
stretched on the ground Just OUTSIDE
he fence of the inCloSed wood L men
toned just now.
"a gun Law on the grass beside him
md there are a dozen people in the
rillage who are ready to swear II is
he property of George Drake We
lad a smart shower early last evening
which made the ground more than
Usually liable to impression, and we
rave traced footprints from the door
II George brakes house into the very
wood in which old Flint was evidently
hot. Suicide is quite out of the ques-
ion since the bullet wound is in the
,ack. and proceeds, so Dr. Hutchinson
Lffirms. right through the heart of the
Wounded man. Lastly. and most con-
'lusive of all, George Drake has lately
worm a tweed coat of very light pat
ern and quite unlike any other in the
illage- Mr.. Gray. the village post
master. SAYS emphatically that he saw
man at o'clock last night climbing
he fence of the wood There was a
rood moon and he noticed that the
nan carried a gun and that he was
wearing George brakes light coat 1t
truck him as strange at the time but
bought no more about it until he
leard this morning of Miser Flint's
leath- That is all have to tell you,
dr. Hunter, and trust you are sat
SIZED with the manner in which 1 have
the inquiry
Quite I said If all this is true
'ou have a very clear case indeed
Detective Hunter paused
Well" he said, land what do you
hink of that? VIII you admit now
hat circumstantial evidence can be
5 convincing as the evidence of the
enses ?"
1T certainly seems like it," I said /,
Il suppose George Drake
nded his career on the scaffold. He
ichly deserved it, if all you say is
rue, in spite of the provocation he re- !
eived."
Detective Hunter smiled.
NO" he said quietly. 81 wasn't
ute satisfied and made a few in
uiries on my own account Let me
elate them to you"
Once more he paused to recollect
Il the complicated Circumstances of