The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-02-08
By The
Tie of a BOOtlaCe.

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1t was little village in Yorkshire;
there had been a murder, with eX-
tensi-e robbery. | was wired for, and
FASTENED to attend. The local inspec-
tor informed me that they had arrested
a man on suspicion and that the EVIL
dence was very black against him
The murdered man was very eccen-
trio character. aged about fifty. With
the exception of an extremely ola
man, who waited on him, he lived
alone, being a confirmed woman-hater
''The old man" burst in, have you
arrested him?"
The inspector shrugged his should
ers. "He is eighty years of age; it is
not possible for him to kill man in
his prime; besides, there are signs OF a
severe struggle. No, we have not ar
rested him"
On the morning the old servant, as
was his usual custom, took his master
some warm water He knocked twice,
but, finding there was no response,
opened the door, intending to stand
the jug inside. An awful sight met his
eyes. The master was dead, and he
had evidently fought hard with some
powerful assailant.
'In the library there was rather
superior man Of the mechanic class;
he was lying unconscious.
"There was nothing to be got out
of him yet, though, so | went and
examined the garden. 1 found foot
prints leading to window which had
been forced, and closely examined
them. Then went back and measured
the arrested mans boots; they cores
pended exactly with the footprints
That's my case; what do you think of
it?"
Il see," i replied "By the by,
should like to have an interview with
the arrested man"
/ found him an ordinary type of the
better class British workmen. Some
how, the moment set eyes on him l
felt sure that he was innocent. He swore
that he had no knowledge of the
crime or of how he entered the room.
"Well," l said you must tell me
everything you know l shall possibly
be able to arrive at some conclusion
II know very little, sir. | was walk
ing along the road in front of the
house when, without a seconds warn
ing / received a severe blow on the
head. l remember nothing more"
what seems strange to me-, l said,
"is the fact of your footprints right
across the garden"
"My footprints, sir! What do you
mean?"
l told him that he had been traced
over the garden, and he looked rath-
err perplexed; then he looked down at
his boots, and blurted out:
Sir, some one has taken my boots
off and put them on differently"
'How?" I said
81 tied them in a bow-now they are
in hurried knot. See!'-and he held
them up for my inspection. He was
quite right; they were tied in knot
as he said.
Are you sure you tied them differ
ently?" inquired.
Positive could swear it in law
court"
l put that down in my note book; it
was one point in his favor Another
thing that impressed me was, where
could he have put the stolen property
If he had fallen suddenly after partalI-
ing of the drugged wine? The spoil
ought to have been in that room. It
was not, for | had examined it.
All this time the man had been 81
lently thinking; now he said: Look
here, sir. In front of the house the
grass is rather long. I was walking on
it at the time, and when l received
the blow | was right in front of the
gate. You examine that grass and see
if there are any signs of a fall on the
grass, or if any one has been dragged
along it, for | feel sure that / was
carried from that spot into the house.
Il will go and examine il, | said.
much struck by his intelligence; and
now good-by for the present, and don't
get down-hearted."
reached the front Of the house and
carefully searched the grass. Soon
found a place where it looked disar-
ranged, and getting out my lens
carefully examined it. Yes, there was
the mark of the fallen man; a little
farther back was the mark of a2ether
man who had evidently stood there