davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16
CHAPTER XIV.
Who Fired the Shot7

VINO FIRED the Shot1
The next morning at an early hour
pistol shot rang out sharp and
quick on the still air surrounding the
upper portion OF Grovedale. 1t was
heard by many and commented upon:
One or two heard the shot with some
dismay. and made their way at once
in the direction of the sound.
II appeared to be, as | have said,
at the upper end of the village, and
two or three men turned into the
street approaching Mr.. Hamiltons
house and walked toward T.. together:
These were the men who had followed
the sound.
When they reached the grounds of
the house they saw a group of people
standing about figure lying On the
grass. The group consisted OF Mr.
and Mrs. Hamilton and Mr.. Carter,
who stood back at their approach and
plainly revealed to their gaze the form
OF Primus Edes lying, face upward.
on the ground.
who did it," asked one Of the men,
Mr.. Green, excitedly.
That's more than we can tell said
Mr.. Carter. Il heard a shot and
jumped into my clothes and came
down. Vane had got here. somehow,
before ! did. and my niece followed
me. That's all we knew about the
matter"
Shot himself. most likely" said
Mr.. Dawes, grocer on Main street.
Fades has looked down-hearted for
long time. l wonder where the pis-
tol is? 1t cant be great ways off, II
he did 1t himself
That's So said the other man.
looking about.
But the grass as short. there was
no place where a pistol could be hid
den from direct gaze except behind a
row of rosebushes few feet away.
Green moved toward them to look,
and, to his surprise. saw a small pis-
toll plainly in sight in front of, not
behind. the rose bushes.
1T is a wonder we didn't see 1t the
first thing" said he.
1T is a wonder" said Mr.. Hamil-
ton. taking the pistol and looking it
over. There is no mark on it."
NO; but II don't mistake that pis-
toll belongs to Dan Fry" said Mr..
Green. II sold him one like it not
long ago.
You don't think Dan shot him."
said Mr.. Carter, aghast.
mo, I don't; l think he shot him
SELF
well. l am sorry to have had it
occur here" said Mr.. Hamilton. glanc-
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

watched too carefully. Gray fell in
with the game at once, and the two
went back to Dallas, where Gray's
lumber Office became shortly their
headquarters. Gray used to hear from
Richardson how 1t wasn't really neces-
sary to bride a doctor in an insurance
case. but simply to take dummy be-
fore the medical man to pass the
physical examination. and Richardson
had Just the dummy that filled the
bill. young fellow named Mason.
once a miner in Chihuahua.
So the months went on. and 1t was
in October of 1909. The Gray-Riehard-
n-Mason combination was now in
good running order. and It was
planned that they should go to Ell
Paso. where Mason would take out
500, 200 insurance in the name OF
Marshall d. Sanguihetto. an individ-
uai whom Richardson said he knew to
be dying OF consumption In Mexico.
They were to make Gray the bench
ciary of the policy. walt until Sanguin-
etto died. and then collect the $780,
900. But a hitch arose. Richardson
one day that mis- friend
was young man Of
middle age. whereas Mason was but 4
of %. Why not. then. have
Gray take out the policy as Sansuin-
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16
"Are you my shost?"

ing at his wife's terror-stricken face.
Hitherto she had not spoken, but
now her tongue was unloosened.
why don't some of you see If he is
really dead?" she cried. Because
man is shot it is no reason for think
ing that he is dead"
Mr.. Hamilton quietly knelt and laid
his hand on his breast.
1T beats feebly. He may rally. 1t
is not cold here. We will not risk
disturbing him until the doctor comes.
Help me with the harness. Green.
Working together, one OF his horses
was quickly harnessed, and the quar-
ter of a mile distance to DR.. Peck's
quickly covered.
The doctor was at home and re-
turned in the buggy. and in few
minutes was kneeling beside the re-
cumbent figure.
THE wound is bad one, but not
necessarily fatal" he said, after he
had examined with great care the
hole made by the bullet in the tent
pie. HE will have to be taken some
where"
He boards at Mrs. Fry's." said Mr..
Carter.
Very we'll. He must be removed
there at once" said the doctor. land
then l will probe for the bullet"
A door was taken from its hinges
and four men carried the insensible
form to his boarding-place. where he
was tenderly cared for by Mrs. Fry.
The bullet was extracted by DR.. Peck,
and the wound thoroughly attended
to. Then the physician left the house.
saving he would look in at his patient
in an hour or so.
Meanwhile an excited group RI men
were searching the grounds and
woods about the Hamilton place for
traces of a would-be murderer. sup
posing the a Sair not to be an attempt
at suicide. Many declared 1t most
certainly was that, the inclination OF
the wound being upward proved that
his own hand fired the shot, unless 1t
was done by some person who stood
| near him at the time.
On the other hand. the river was
near. and there were indications of
boat having been lately drawn up
among the alders that frinsed the
| bank, and later one was found little
| tSlow the village, where 1t had come
| to natural moorage under an over
hanging limb of an immense tree. The
river was much shaded; it was not
| impossible for a person to have es-
capped that way while attention was
being paid to the wounded man: and in
| that case he had most "lely taken TO
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

etto, making Mason the benelciary,
and then collect in the usual way?
Gray Marked for Murder.
Gray was not overanxious TO make
his death a possible source of profit to
Richardson and Mason, but he con-
scented to be Sanguinetto for the pur-
poses of the policy. and to own Mason
as David Sanguinetto, his son aud
heir. After various introductiOns the
policy was made out and the deal
closed-apparently. What introduced
new element into 1t that Rich
ardson and his friend Mason had not
counted on was the fact that Harry
Bottome and couple of detectives
had been keeping in nightly touch
with Gray and incidentally had been
doing little work on the side, listen
ing to conversations between Rich
around. 1t was in one Of these con-
versations that Richardson gleefully
remarked that Gray had been the cas-
lest thing imaginable in the Sanguin-
etto case, and added:
I'VE won't do thing to him when
we get him over the border
Bottome and his men decided that
matters had gone far enough. They
laid their information before the dis
trict attorney of Ell Paso county, and
warrants were issued for all three, in
Guiding Gray, for 1t was inexpedient
Just then to have an exposure of the
part which the lumberman- detective
had played in the case. Gray, however,
was soon released. and the next step
was q charge filed in the City of Chi
huahua accusing Richardson and Ma
son of the murders of Mitchell and
Devers. In the preliminary hearing
DIR. Harle was called as a witness. and
testified that Mitchell did die of strych-
nine poisoning instead of spinal men,
nights, but that Richardson had told
him that the case was one of sui
eide, and wanted to have things hushed
up. Devers, Harle still declared, died
of dysentery. Harle said that he had
been called in to attend him ny half
brother of Devers. William Meredith.
Harle was not cross-examine,l. and he
left the stand thinking he had got
away with the goods"
Confession from Harle.
At this point Bottome from Ell Paso
telegraphed Harle that he was COM
ing to chihuahua and wanted to see
him. Harle thereupon started for Ell
Paso. and Bottome. when he was well
on his way to the Mexican town, got
wire on his train that lie would
pass the train on which Harle was
travelling in mid-route. Bottome left
his train at a convenient station and
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

who may remain nameless, got busy
on the case.
! 1t was discovered that Devers had
been in Chihuahua a few weeks before
his death, and that nothing vas known
about him except thar he was hard
drinker and Of a type of social out
cast common enough in that territory
This strengthened theory that the
very possession of a $4,000 policy by
such man required some further
explanation. let alone possible suspI-
cious circumstances attending his
death. So the Investigators turned to
the payment of the Dcvers policy at
the Ell Paso office, after the company
had unsuccessfuily tried to have the
check sent from New York Intercepted
in transit.
First Evidence Secured
1t appeared that the check had been
forwarded from the CT Paso Office 10
the Fort Worth office dt the request of
Meredith. and when 1t came back after
collection through Fort Worth bank
1t bore Meredith's Endorsement for de-
posit. Inquiry at the bank in ques-
ton developed that soon after the
claim had been fled on Devers' death
Meredith had called at the bank in
company with Richardson, and had
obtained there loan of $4,000 upon
Richardson's assurance that the COM
pany had admitted the claim under
the policy aud was about to pay the
money. This loan was paid In part in
cash and in part by draft on the
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

snatching at the bedclothes. Am I
dead. then. and you my other self
come to haunt me-"
mo, no." said Mrs. Fry. soothingly.
"nobuddy sha'n't ha'nt you, not il |
know 1t. He just come to see how YOU
was. that's ALL"
His name is Hamilton. you say"
"Lor'. now. did 1? It's Hammerly.
l meant, our minister" said Mrs. Fry,
alarmed at the growing excitement of
her patient and lying with a glibness
surprising to herself.
Mr.. Hamilton, meanwhile. had left
the room and stood waiting for Mrs.
Fry at the outer door.
odd what ideas sick folks take,"
she said. He amt as well as 1
thought he was"
NO. l am afraid his brain has been
permanently injured" said Mr.. Hamil.
ton. who seemed to be not a little dis.
turbed. Il will not go in again, my
presence seems to agitate him."
Mrs. Fry kept out of her boarder's
room for an hour. and when she en-
tered she saw that he was asleep. He
slept long time. and appeared drow-
sy for awhile upon waking. but after.
wards he looked about the room,
clear-eyed. though silent, and Mrs.
Fry softly went out. fearing that he
would question her. But he did not
try to talk with her at all until the
next morning. when he said to her,
quietly:
II want to talk with you. Mrs. Fry.
Why am I sick here instead of at
homer"
"Oh. twas more convenient"
II should hardly think so. Such a
short distance. Who was that man
who called to see me yesterday"
"Mr. Hammerly. our minister. He's
a dreadful nice man."
IL mistook the name at first, or yor
did. Any way he looks enough like
me to be my twin brother. Where is
Constance-and the children"
Constance" said Mrs. Fry, star.
ing at him with all her might.
Yes; is there anything strange
about my questions?"
NO; oh. no. not a mite. Constance
is over home, an the children, too,
most like
You say Constance is over home.
Why does she not come to see me?'
She's dreadful busy"
He started up in a moment and
asked. keenly. Are you deceiving
me? Is she dead or very sick? Has
anything happened to her, or the chill
dren?"
NO. they are all right. all Of them.
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16
HURLBERT. MITCHELL AND HARLE
UNDER FOR COLD
FLOODED MURDERS.
were GANG OF LIFE INSURANCE SwINDLERS
Killing of Their Victims Part of the Scheme
by Which They Had Made Large Sums
Had Another Victim Marked
for Death.

Seaboard National bank. OF New York.
and 1t was this draf. for $1,000. to-
gether with Its Endorsement to Rich
ardson, that forms the first link in the
chain of evidence that was to connect
him with the crime.
So the search led back to chihuahua.
and when more light was sought on
the manner of the deaths of Harry
Mitchell and Devers 1t was found that
in the first case death had occurred
in the house in which Richardson and
his wife lived and within half an hour
after Mitchell had talked with a
friend in the street, apparently in
perfect health. This was hardly con-
sistent with the theory of spinal men
nights advanced by DR.. Harle. the
physician signing the death certificate.
who happened to be also the physician
who had examined each applicant for
insurance upon his admission to the
company. In the case of Devers it
appeared that death was due to dysen-
terry, as might easily have occurred
with man of Devers' dissolute man
ner of living. OF Richardson nothing
could be learned, except that he had
appeared in Chihuahua in the sum-
mer of 1901. with his wife, Helen
Richardson, as an American looking
for business opportunities in Mexico.
and had secured an appointment as
agent for the life insurance company
in the territory.
Gray's Entry Into the Game.
1t was at this stage of the case that
there came to Dallas. where the Rich
ardsons were living in style. a pre-
possessing citizen named w. ]. Gray,
dealer in lumber londs. who opened
an office of some size and took a house
in the best part of the town. The
Richardson's happened to be in Hot
Springs, Ark. at the time. and SC
Gray. the lumberman, who wasn't In
any hurry to get his Dallas AFFAIRS NOV
ing anyway. took trip over to the
Arkansas resort and registered at the
same hotel with the former life in
surance agent. his wife and child.
The two got acquainted and became
famous friends. Then one lay Rich
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16
MAID WAS TOO TRUTHFUL.
And the Result Was Family We
Without Sunday Dinner.

Without Sunday Dinner.
David Wilcox, the president OF tn
Delaware and Hudson company, wa
opposing the idea that coal strib
would occur again.
There will be no danger of
strike" he said, "as long as the ope
ators and the miners are perfect
open and fair and reasonable wit
one another. And they must not su
denly leap up with unexpected d
mands that require immediate al
swers. They must give one anotht
time for thought; they must Civ
plenty of warning when they have
contemplation any change.
Should they make sudden. une'
pected demands. it should not do fC
them to excuse themselves with sue
specious argument as that which
certain kitchen maid employed upo
her mistress.
This maid said. calmly, one SUI
day afternoon:
81 don't see how | am going
cook the dinner, ma'am. There is n
COAL
mo coal?' cried the mistres
Good gracious. Maria, why didn't yo
tell me before?'
THE maid answered, calmly:
"'I couldn't tell you there was n
coal, ma'am. when there was coal.
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

ardson proposed that he should insure
Gray's life. Gray demurred. but he
recalled that his wife had a brother
betes. and several other troubles, and
it occurred to him that IL there were
any way in which a policy might be
issued on the life of this unfortunate
brother-in-law as security for some
money he Gray mad advanced, he
might contemplate with more equa-
nimity his relatives approaching end.
Richardson thought he could fix 1t.
and the brother-in-law was sent for
from st. Louis.
Now. the convenient orother-in-law
was about as much a relative CT Gray's
as Gray was himself a lumber mer-
chant, but he was indeed suffering from
consumption and diabetes and was SC
i'll when Richardson wrote his $50. 600
policy that he had to ne propped up
in bed in order to sign 1t. Richardson
announced that he had bribed couple
of doctors to sign the physical exam
ination papers, and the sick brother
in-law was shipped back to St Louis.
whence he went out to Arizona a year
later to die.
Dallas Made Headquarters.
Greatly did Gray admire the skilled
manipulation of tho brother-in-iaw
case by his friend Richardson. SO
when the latter suggested that there
was plenty CT easy Honey 70 be made
by similar undertakings down in the
border country where people are not
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

chihuahua, Mexico.-Through a skein
OF plot and counter plot, that, IL
evolved by a writer OF fiction. would
have been considered extravagant, the
story runs OF the crime of the three
men. Hu-lbert. Mitchell and Harle.
nov under sentence OF death here.
The crime for which these three
men are 10 die is murder. an incident
OF their series OF carefully planned life
insurance swlndles.
The particular company victimized
10 one OF the greatest In the world. and
only carelessness on the part of the
piOtters. resulting from over conf
dence. saved 1t from heavy loss.
Practically In Its entirety the AFFAIR
IL as follows:
Commenced in 1909.
| II was In the spring of 1902 that
life Insurance company was called
upon to pay two death claims In Chi
huahua, the first on the life of Harry
n. Mitchell for 5000 under a policy
assigned to his sister, Helen Richard
son, and the second on the life of
James Devers for $4,000 under pol
icy of which one Willis Meredith was
the beneficiary. Mitchell had died
ON February II OF that year. ami
'Devers on March 90. and the agent IN
both cases had been c. 7. Richardson,
who had formerly been in the employ
OF the company at chihuahua. but was
now living In Dallas. Tex.
Now. life insurance agents in Chi
huahua, Mexico. even those who sub
sequentiy move to a town like Dallas,
do not. as rule, support private
teams. nor drive out in style with
aegro cOachman and footman or two.
All these things were included in
Richardson's establishment in Dallas,
TO the great amazement OF repre-
sentative of the life insurance COM
pany, who went down from the Ell
PasO Office, where the check for .he
Devers policy had been forwarded, to
Hook into the matter. These things
were reported to the home office. and
under the direction of Second Vice
President Kingsley. Harry II. DO ;tome.
a lawyer of New York, and a detective,
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

A certain preacher in a small tow
had reputation for his long and dry
sermons. One Sunday he was livir
well up to his standard and one by OF
his congregation left the church. u
dismayed. the preacher continued. u
til finally all had left but the faithf'
sexton. At last the old sexton can
forward and, putting the keys on II
pulpit. said:
Say, doctor. when you're throug
lock up, will ye?"
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

Last October Thelma Thornton
Denver. four years old. swallowed
nail. 1t lodged in the lower part
the left lung. Since then the docto
have been treating her for pneumon
and bronchitis and would not belle
the little sufferers story of til ha
Finally an abscess formed and wh'
:. broke the nail was coughed No.
The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1906-05-16

Bess-were you angry because /
kissed you?
Nell-No; but was when he apo!
gized for 1t later.
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
WANTED.

AT oNCE-Experienncaed scrau ,.a.,,,
hands. Good wages Apply ia ma
ton,Cole g. Durham Company. S1o
Main street, Bridgeport, Conn. II n
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
New Hnven Theater.

Little Buster Brown, With his jokes
and songs and wit, and his funny dog
Tige, and host of pretty and clever
associates, won the hearts Of a large
at the New Haven theater last
night. Many successful plays have
built around imaginary characters that
have been made popular in the funny
pages or the great daily newspapers,
but none would appear to have as mneh
genuine attractiveness as Buster
Browni whom Richard f Outcault for
the New York Herald.
Laughter reigns from start to finish,
and, singular to state, the numerous
show girls are pretty and can sing and
dance to perfection.
The title is so widely known that al
most every one will recognize the fact
that 1t is a play founded on the adven-
lures Of that funny little fellow with
the innocent ook and the infinite capac-
itv for mischief, known In the pages OF
the New York Herad, The enterprising
manager, Mr. Raymond, has acquired
members of his family and his dog
Tige.
They have all been incorporated into
very amusing farce, with music that
has proved equally attractive to audit
ors of all ages. There is a bevy Of girls
who have been CARRIED in the latest and
most luxuriant style. Buster IS an APP
.pealing and amusing little fellow, and,
with his dog Tige, is the moving spirit
in a vast number Of humorous eom-
plications and side-splitting adVen-
lures.
The atmosphere Of the house last
night was cool and pleasant The per-
Torrance will be repeated tonight, to-
morrow night and Saturday night, with
a matinee Saturday, and these will DC
the last opportunities to see Buster ano
Tlge. Seats now on sale for all the
performances.
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07

amendments greatly enlarging its
scope, and these amendments were
adopted. All the so-called conservative
republicans, one excepted, all whom the
public had counted on the side of the
railroads, finally came to the support of
the bill, with the radical provisions
which with their consent, had been
added to it. What caused this interest
Ing change in the space of less than
three months?
1t was due chiefly to the men with
the muck-rake. But we would ascribe
greater influence to the official muck
rakers than to the unofficial exposers of
corruption, political, copoate and legis-
lative, Each group of rakers had a
shae in the work. While some senator's
were restrained and chastened by the
seachlights of publicity shining upon
the records of their lives, official inves-
LEGATIONS were emphasizing the need of
the proposed legislation. While the I'M
Worthiness of some had been exposed
by the inquiry into the secrets of great
life insurance companies, and some
knew that the people were reading the
story of their political and commercial
and legislative intrigues, others felt the
compelling weight of new evidence.
Grand juries and the keen counsel of
the interstate commerce commission
were raking up the muck of fraud and
crime in the raiload seryiee.-Independ
ent.
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
TRIUMPH OF MUCK RAKERs.


Less than three months have passed
since Mr.. Aldrich and those ither re-
publioans of the senate committee who
agreed with him intrusted the railroad
rate bill and the defense of it to a par
tisan opponent and personal enemy of
the President. They did not like the
bill They knew, as everybody knew,
that it was satisfactory to the Presi-
dent and was practically his bill, en-
bodying the views to which he had CIV
en- the foremost place in the programme
Of his domestic policy. By their action
it was placed In the hands of Mr.. Mill
man, who was not only, as we have
said, personally hostile to the President,
but also a representative of the demo-
cratic minority in a senate where the
Presidents party had a majority of
nearly two-thirds. This curious move
lnent was generally regarded as
somewhat defiant exhibition of their
disapproval of the measure, and OF
their esire that it should enjoy no po-
litical advantage to which it might
fairly be entitled.
1t is this bill but much strengthened
and otherwise improved that the SEN
ate has now passed by a practically
unanimous vote. The gentlemen who
gailv placed 1t in Mr.. Tillman's hands
have voted for 1t. Some of them have
proposed and vigorously supported