The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-11-14
The Inspector 5 Story


early part or my ponce career was
much affected by those medieval
methods in vogue, especially with the
French. Of working the nerves Of
guilty people Indeed, ! was well
adapted to apply such methods, for |
have an eye that can look a man
through and through and an Impress
I've manner. Besides, consider my
self as possessing good deal Of inge-
nuity in laying traps for the guilty to
fall into.
One OF my first cases after having
been appointed an inspector was the
Atherton murder. Howard Atherton,
bachelor and well known man
about town, was found dead In bis
rooms in an apartment house shot
through the heart by pistol ball. His
own revolver, with one chamber emp
tied, lay on the floor beside him,
The last person seen coming out OF
Atherfon's rooms some fifteen or twen-
ty minutes before the murder was his
friend George Bronson. Atherton and
Bronson were inseparable. The lat
ter's mother and sisters We're very
much opposed to the intimacy, consid-
ering Atherton's influence over Bron'
son deleterious They knew that Ath-
erton was indebted to Bronson for
borrowed money which was slowly
growing In amount Money matters
are the cause Of many murders, and |
formed theory that Bronson in trying
to collect from his friend had got into
a quarrel with him and shot him.
was at Atherton's rooms soon aft
err the murder was discovered aud be-
fore anything was moved. | made up
my mind that the murderer had EN-
tered the sitting room from the hall,
| Atherton having entered the room from
his bedroom, revolver In hand. Ather-
! ton had fired shot at his assailant,
which had lodged In the door BY which
the murderer had entered. This was
theory, but well supported by the con-
| ditions.
did not arrest Bronson, but sent for
him to come to my office, ostensibly to
| get his assistance In ferreting out the
guilty person. He came and while he
answered all my questions did SO as II
studying to say no more than was abb
solutely necessary. asked him If he
would obllge me by going over to the
rooms where bis friend had been shot,
and he complied. but with great re-
! luetance. AS soon as we were In the
sitting room | began to picture the
| scene OF the murder as had conceived
it. Fixing my eye on Bronson, ! said:
"Atherton was doubtless taking an
afternoon snooze In his bedroom when
he heard the sitting room door open.
| He rot up from his bed and saw
through the bedroom door what was In
the wind. DO you follow meg"
| Eyes"
sThere we're hot words about his In
debtedness"
yes"
turning again to his bedroom, he
seized his pistol and advanced upon
you. You started back for moment
irresolute'
II did"
"Your friend fred. you sprang aside,
| and the ball entered the door There,
do you see the holeg'
Eyes"
! "You then fired and"
"shof him through the heart"
| / led Bronson out Of the room docile
as lamb and when In the street called
to the first policeman | met to go with
us to the station. where charge OF
murder was entered. Bronson looked
| like one in dream. Never had seen
such d decided effect in getting a con
fession by acting on the nerves. My
first arrest In the case was the self
confessed murderer
/ Bronson spent the night In q cell. and
| l visited him the next morning. | ex'
pected he would deny having made a
confession, and he did. Indeed, he pre-
| tended not I'd remember having the
conversation with me. was disap-
pointed at this. for II would compel me
to prove him the guilty one. In most
eases Of confession the eonfessor u
too broken down to recant. In bis case
it seemed probable to me that over
night he had remembered that the
chances were had drawn his admis
sions without evidence aud that had
no witness TO them,
/ / worked hard on the case, followed
number Of clews, only TO he bafiied
| The sole proof / had against him was
his confession, which unfortunately
was unwritten. On this confession
held him for months, while his healtl
was gradually breaking down. ! wa
| In a quandary. The man had con
fessed his guilt, but | could not con
vict him.
One day when Bronson had been Il
Jail for eight months and / was nucl
, worried to know what to do with hin
received an anonymous note tina
the Atherton murder, which had beef
committed under circumstances tina
would prevent any jury from convict
ing the slayer, would be revealed q
condition that the affair be hushed ur
Tired out with the matter, gave m.
consent. A man whose wife Athertol
had been intimate with went to Ather
toms rooms to demonstrate. Ather
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