Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-12-07

it, I'VE shall probably find tie murder
| er. 1t is a good clew.
He placed the button carefully in his
! pocketbook and turned TO the WINDOW
II tink II iss light enough" he said
| to take look at tie scene of tie crime
! shall ten return TO Babylon
/ Il have thought" remarked Delroy
of calling In a New York detective
! should YOU object
! Not ina tie least" Heffeibower broke
! I'm. i shall welcome eferyting II VIII
! assist In bringing tc guilty person to
/ justice. only" he added pompously,
: wit te clews which ] already possess,
] and wit tie ot'ers which / expect 10
4 find. / believe it will be unnecessary.
TIE guilty man win not escape I'll
! promise you tat Mr Delroy," and he
opened the door and stepped out upon
the pier
Dawn was in the sky, a clear. warm.
Joyous dawn. In tree and bush and
hedge the birds were welcoming IT, All
nature was rejoicing, quite Indifferent
To the human tragedy which had
marked the night
They went together down the pier to
the spot where Graham had fallen. The
rain had washed away nearly all thu
blood stains His rife lay on the pier
beside the chair i'm which he had been
sitting. The chair was overturned.
said the coroner, when Delroy pointed
out that the overturned chair suggest
ed struggle "Or maybe he knocked
IL over when he fell. Let's have look
at tat little cage"
He pulled up the rope The lid OF
the cage was open, but IL did not seem
to he injured.
Maybe tie waves proke IL open"
suggested Heffelbower
They couldn't have done that" OBJ
jected Delroy "Sec-heres how II
fastened"
He closed the lid and snapped into
place three small but very strong
hooks, which locked automatically.
The only thing that could open It,"
he added. was human hand"
And an intelligent one. at tat" con
cluded the coroner. 1t would be very
hard To find tosc little hooks in te
dark, unless one ilnowcd just where
tey were"
yes" admitted Delroy, That's
true"
Hemelbower opened his lips to say
something more; then changed his
mind. closed them, and turned away
with a significant smile. He examined
the knots i'm the rope the pier. the wa
ters OF the bay on which just beyond
the pier, a small boat was riding at
anchor.
/ e Dbal II yours NupllOSts MI,
DelrOy"" he asked.
"Yes-it has been there ready for use
since saturday
As he spoke "A gust Of wind swung
the boat in towards them.
Young Graham, who was standing
on the extreme edge of the pier. glanced
down into it, and uttered a sudden ex-
clamation.
What's that" he cried. with arm
outStretChed.
The others followed the gesture. but
a second gust SWUNG the boat away
What was it?' asked the coroner.
Without answering, Graham sprang
reached the boat He climbed into II
and united it from the buoy Then.
at the instant another gust OF wind
came from the ocean. he released his
hold. The boat was swept against the
pier; ne Tended her off with the boat
hook and made fast.
This is what / meant" he said, and
pointed to a pistol lying at his feet
They stared down at it. amazed II
was the coroner who spoke first.
Pass it up he said.
lie turned it over carefully i'm his
hand 1T was a fine type OF the Smith
& Wessou. 1; was fully loaded; none
Of the chambers had been discharged.
"Ah," he said see tere" and he
pointed TO a Clot of blood on the butt.
TIE butt iss very heavy" he added.
turning It up. And see-here are
some initials. Il. ID. Whose are t'ey?"
They are John Tolbert DrysdaIe's.
answered Delroy in a low voice
CONTINUED Next Week1