The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-22

is dark to me-
y Proceed, them
"Some years ago-to be definite, IN
May, 1SS4-there came to Lee gentle
man, Neville St. Clair by name, who
appeared to have plenty Of money. He
very nicely, and lived generally in
good style. BY degrees he made friends
in the neighborhood, and in 1887 he mar
ried the daughter Of local brewer, by
whom he now has two children. He had
no occupation, but was interested in sew
eral companies, and went into town as
a rule in the morning, returning by the
5:14 from Cannon street every night.
Mr.. ST. Clair is now 81 years Of age,
husband, a very affectionate father,
and man who is popular with all
who know him. may add that his
whole debts at the present moment, so
far as we have been able to ascertain,
amount to 98s los, while he has f220
standing to his credit in the Capital
and Counties bank. There is no reason,
therefore, to think that money troubles
have been weighing upon his mind:
"Last Monday Mr.. Neville St. Clair
went into town rather earlier than
usual, remarking before he started that
he had two important commissions to
perform, and that he would bring his
little boy home a box of bricks. Now,
by the merest chance, his wife ceived
a telegram upon this same Monday,
very shortly after his departure, to the
able value which she had been expect
ing was waiting for her at the offices
Of the Aberdeen Shipping company.
Now, if you are well up in your Lon
don, you will know that the offices Of
the company are in Fresno street, which
branches out Of Upper Swandam Lane,
where you found me tonight. Mrs. st.
Clair had her lunch, started for the city,
did some Shopping, proceeded to ths
found herself at exactly 4:35 walking
thru Swandam Lane on her way back to
the station. Have you followed me SO
far9'
cit is very clear.''
eff you remember, Monday was an
exceedingly hot day, and Mrs. St.. Clair
| walked slowly, CHANGING about in the
the neighborhood in which she found
herself. While she was walking in this
way down Swandam Lane, she sudden
| ly heard an ejaculation or cry, and was
struck cold to see her husband looking
down at her, and as it seemed to her.
! reckoning to her from a second floor
window. The window was open, and she
distinctly saw his face, which she de-
scribes as being terribly agitated. He
then vanished from the window so sud.
denly that it seemed to her that he had
been plucked back by some irresistible
force from behind. One singular point
which struck her quick feminine eye
was that, altho he wore some dark coat,
such as he had started to town in, he
had on neither collar nor necktie.
"Convinced that something was
amiss with him, she rushed down the
than the opium den in which you found
me tonight-and, running thru the front
room, she attempted to ascend the
, stairs which led to the first floor. At
the foot Of the stairs, however, she met
this Lascar scoundrel of whom have
spoken, who thrust her back, and, aided
by a Dane, who acts as assistant there
pushed her out into the street, Filled
with the most maddening doubts and
fears, she rushed down the lane, and
by rare good fortune, met, in Fresno
street, number Of constables with al
inspector, all on their way to theil
beats. The inspector and two men &C
companied her back, and, in spite Of
the continued resistance Of the pro
prietor, they made their way to thu
room in which Mr.. ST.. Clair had las
\
there. In fact, in the whole of tina
floor there was no one to be found, saw
crippled wretch Of hideous aspect
; who, it seems, made his home there
Both he and Lascar stoutly swore tina
, no one else had been in the front room
during the afternoon. So determined
, was their denial that the inspector wa
staggered, and had almost come to be
!, lieve that Mrs. ST.. Clair had been de
|, luded, when, with a cry, she sprang a
small deadlock which lay upon tn
table, and tore the lid from it. Gu
! there fell cascade Of children g bricks
, It was the toy which he had promised t.
:, bring home.
| "This discovery, and the evident cor
! fusion which the cripple showed, mad
}, the inspector realize that the matte
8 was serious. The rooms were CAREFUL
examined, and results all pointed to a
/, plainly furnished as a sitting-room an
Z led into small bedroom, which locke
j out upon the back Of one Of tn
wharves. Between the wharf and tn
bedroom window is narrow stri]
E which is dry at low tide, but is COY
v cred at high tide with at least fou
l. and half feet of water. The bee
room window was broad one, an
opened from below. On examination
VI WcIo 10 De seen upon
q windowsill, and several scattered drop
were visible upon the wooden floor {
the bedroom. Thrust away behind
= curtain in the front room were all tt
clothes Of Mr.. Neville st. Claire, wit
the exception of his coat. His boot
II his socks, his hat and his watch-a
II were there. There were no signs {
4. violence upon any Of these carmen
" and there were no other trace
,r Of Mr.. Neville st. Clair o.
Of the window he must appa
,. emily have gone, for no other ex
~ could be discovered and the omino1
a bloodstains upon the sill gave lit
il promise that he could save himself /
/. swimming, for the tide was at its vel
ar highest at the moment Of the TRACED
al ''And now as to the villains WI
Il seemed to be Immediately implicated
,e the matter. The Lascar was known
a. be man of the vilest antecedent
ia but as by Mrs. st. Clair's story he W.
k known to have been at the foot Of II
,d stair within a very few seconds of h
ID husband s. appearance at the windo,
Il. he could hardly have been more tbs
Id an accessory to the crime. His d
a tense was one of absolute ignorane
T and he protested that he had no know
atl edge as to the doings of Hugh Boor
81 his ledger, and that he could not q
ct count in any way for the presence
of the missing gentleman's clothes.
al So much for the Lascar manag,
he Now for the sinister cripple who liv
Is. upon the second floor Of the opium dc
lis and who was certainly the last hum
he being whose eyes rested upon Nevi