The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-30

Now for the sinister cripple who lives
supon the second floor of the opium
den, and who was certainly the last
human being whose eyes rested upon
Neville st. Clair. His name is Hugh
Boone, and his hideous face is one
which is familiar to every man who
goes much to the city. He is Il pro-
fessional beggar, though, in order to
avoid the police regulations. he pre-
tends to a small trade in wax vestas.
Some little distance down Thread
needle Street, upon the left-hand side,
there is, as YOU may have remarked,
small angle i'm the wall Here it is
that this creature takes his daily seat,
crces-legged. with his tiny stock of
matches on his lap, and as he is apite-
suectacle. small rain of charity
descends into the greasy leather
cap winch lies upon the pavement be-
side him. / have watched the
fellow more than once. before ever l
thought of making his profess
sional acquaintance. and / have been
surprised al the harvest which he has
reaped in a short time. His appear
pearance, you see, is SO remarkable
that no one can pass him without OBJ
serving him. A shock of orange hair,
pale face disisgured by 4 horrible
scar, by it's contraction, has turned UP
the outer edge of his upper lip, u
bulldog chin. and pair of very PEN
etrating dark eyes, which pre-
sent a singular contrast to the color
of his hair, all mark him out from
amid the common crowd of mendi-
cants, and so, too, does his wit, for
he is ever ready with a reply to any
piece of chaff which may be thrown
at him by the passers-by. This is
the man whom we now learn to have
been the ledger at the opium den,
and to have been the last man to see
the gentleman of whom we are in
quest"
But a crippled" said l. what
could he have done single-handeG
against a man in the prime of life? y
He is a cripple i'm the sense that
,, he walks with limp; but in other
respects he appears to be powerful
and weIl-matured man. Surely your
medical experience would tell you,
Watson, that weakness in one limb is
often compeD stated for by exceptional
strenth in the others
pray continue your narrative
Mrs. st. Clair had tainted Tat the
sight of the blood upon the window,
and she was escorted home in cab
by the police, as her presence GOULD
be of no help to them in their investi-
! cations. Inspector Barton, who had
charge of the case. made a very care
full examination of the premises, but
without finding anything which threw
any light upon the matter. One mis-
take had been made in not arresting
Boone instantly, as he was allowed
some few minutes during which he
might have communicated with his
i friend the Lascar. but his fault was
soon remedied, and he was seized and
searched. without anything being
found which could incriminate him.
There were, it is true, some Blood
stains upon his right-sleeve. but he
pointed to his ring-finger. which had
been cut near the nail, and explained
that the bleeding came from there.
adding that he had been to the win
dow not long before, and ThiE she
stains which had been observed there
came doubtless from the same source.
He denied strenuously having ever
seen Mr.. Neville st. Clair, and swore
that the presence of the clothes in
his room was AS much a mystery to
him as to the police. AS to Mrs. IT.
Clair's assertion that she had actually
seen her husband at the window, lie
declared that she must have been
either mad or dreaming. He was re-
moved, loudly protesting to. the police
station, while the inspector renamed