The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-28

have opened the window and stepped
out He could have gone home, COM
mitted the deed and returned without
anybody being the wiser. Indeed, the
fact Of his staying at the hotel was a
black thing against him It looked like
a. plan.
The little man went with the officers
to examine the room at the hotel, and
here again it was seen that ne was
more critical than the officers. Mid
way between thes house and the river
was sandy spot The officers followed
the trail across this. The little man
did more. When. the officers retired he
took plaster casts of some footprints
Then he returned to the house and
quietly possessed himself Of a woman S
shoe. When Harry SHELDON was
removed to jail there was not a person
belonging to the village that did not
believe him guilty. Two days later,
when arraigned for examination he was
promptly committed to the assfzes.
OF course the river had been dragged
for the body Of the victim. Not being
found after a days search word had
been sent on down the stream. A thous-
and people, perhaps, looked for the body
along the banks as far down as Bridge
north, but it was not to be found. A
WOnan's dressing sacl. with one of the
1 sleeves torn out was discovered hitched
to brush, and was identified as belong
! ing to the missing wife,
Skeldon's lamentations and protesta-
I ti0ns had no effect. upon any one save
the little man. Although a perfect
stranger he promised his aid. He left
/ the village within a week and was not
seen again until just before the assizes,
\ He employed counsel for the prisoner
/ and it was whispered abc1S that the
/ counsel expected to clear him, though
] it was generally asserted that the muir
/ derer hadn't a leg to stand on. Bets
We're made that the jury would convict
him without leaving the box. It was
/ referred to as the crime of the decaue
! and people Travelled a hundred miles t.
i be present at the trial The puzzle u
4 the case was that no body had beer
found, but that matter was explained II
| several ways. The popular belief wal
/ that it had sunk to the bottom. Of sQin'
deep hole and been caught on 8 snag.
/ The prosecution made out str0nl
! cireunstantiaI case. There were pe0pl.
who swore to hearing SHELDON theratel
/ to murder his wife, and others tina
they had seen him skulking on tn
streets at midnight of the night of tn
murder. Not witness for the crown
was cross examined. When the prose
cutor was through the defense began
| exploding its bombshells. 1t proves
that the blood came from a sheep; tina
the smear on the ak was the same; tina
the weight dragged across the GROUND
1 was coal in a bag; that 1t was Wo
| man who dragged it; that no body hat
| been cast into the river. As q grant
| climax Mrs. Shelton herself was pro
duced and admitted that she had pu
up the job in hopes to get her husbant
| hanged.
It was simply a good 5pieea of detec
tive work on the part of the stranger
f, Who he was even SHELDON never ascer
tanned. He was some amateur who wa
unattached and worked for the fun o
it. In this instance he spent tw'
| months time and 8100 to carry out hi
| theories, and the fact that ne saved
human life by so doing was doubles
some consolation to him. The wife wa
found a hundred miles away, employs
in a family as seamstress. She ha'
| bought the blood of a local butcher
and yet he was too thick headed to re
member it. Lastly, the window o
/ Ske1don's room at the hotel was naile'
down, and he could not have got GU
by it had he wanted to.-(Copyrighi
/ 1906 nv Mcclure Phillips e COD