The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-01-17
The Hunchbach

named George Melville, aged twenty
four He was not only hunchbacli,
but there was cast in one eye, he
was almost bald, and his voice was as
harsh as a ravens.
How Melville became possessed Of d
large sum of money was another mat
ter that was never fully explained. His
arrival in London was one Of the. most
brazen things a man ever did. He had
dozen forged letters. and. giving out
that he was immensely wealthy. he
rented large house and installed him
self and began to mingle in society.
He was called delightfully."- eccentric"
his gross ignorance was termed pic
turesque," and inside of month he
had the run of three or four clubs and
! had been taken up by society.
He determined to marry. Perhaps
he fell in love. perhaps not. At any
rate. he selected the daughter Of a
member of parliament and made love
to her so fast that she was swept off
her feet and gave him her hand.
A certain widow not yet thirty years
Of age had set her cap for Melville.
and when she had made sure that she
had lost him she determined on re-
venge. She had cousin who was an
officer in certain regiment then sta
toned in England. and she knew he
had served in New Zealand. She went
| to him for information, and the cat
was soon out Of the bag. Captain Bur-
ton had read and heard of the million
! aire hunchback, but owing to illness
had not met him. He had never met
any one of that name, but when asked
! to set his memory at work he recalled
certain incident. Ten years previous
while on a hunting expedition on the
| Ashley river on the east coast of New
Zealand, he had trouble with a squat
| ter and his son. The latter was a
hunchback and had shot at him.
The captain had little idea that the
| millionaire and the sQuatter's son were
one and the same, but he took his
! chances that they were. He threw
himself in the way of the man and at
once identified him, both by his voice
and his deformity. Forty years ago
| New Zealand was a long way of
from England. There was no cable.
few steamships, and letters took
| months to go and come. Their idea
was to expose the man at once. The
captain made up his mind to bluff him
| down in his own house. He would
either compel him to leave London or
expose him. The officer did not figure
that the hunchback would attempt to
strike back, but went almost at once
and secured an interview. He was
graciously received, and he felt that
he had made no mistake in the identi-
| fication. The boy Of fifteen who had
| held a rife within ten feet of his head.
finger on the trigger and eyes blazing,
had simply become ten years older and
changed his squatter's dress for fash
ionaDle clothing.
There Is no doubt that tine SO called
Melville also recognized the officer.
This the latter had not counted on. He
gave not the least sign, however. The
captain had plenty of moral courage,
and as soon as he could bring it around
/ be boldly charged Melville with being
All impostor. His charges were met
with smiles. Instead of being offend
| ed, the hunchback said that he was
only too glad that the officer had come
to him. II there was the slightest
doubt in the mind of any one. that
| doubt must be set at rest. He would
! welcome tn fullest and closest inves-
tigation. If Captain Burton would cali
at q certain hour next day, birth GER
| tificate, title deeds to lands, letters
from prominent people, and SO forth
and so forth, would be placed before
| him. The New Zealander would also
! have present banker and two prom
| inent merchants to vouch for him in
his faroff home.
| What we are the most certain of is
the very thing we can be tripped up
on. Let the man who has lived at 2G4
Blank street be told that the number
! is 26S and that the other will bet him
| 10 to and he can be bluffed out. He
! is too sure to be sure. The too sure
witness is spelling cases in court ey-
cry day in the year. The captain was
sure and not sure, and the result was
| that he was soon wishing he had not
meddled with the case He had made
his charge, however. and must go
through with the affair. He was at the
house at the appointed hour and there
found two respectable looking men who
were introduced to him as the mer-
chants spoken of. On the table were
many papers, and the hunchback ex-
planned tina the banker was expected
| every moment. While the four waited
it was only natural that the wine
should be passed around. All were
laxative and friendly, and all drank.
Then one the merchants began to
| talk about III adventure he had had
with the natives of New Zealand. The
! captain WAS following him closely
when ali 1T once he lost the run of the
remarks Then the room began to
dance around with him. Then wheels
/ began 10 turn in his head, and he lost
consciousness.
The wine had been drugged. 1T was