The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1907-09-04
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The Man Who Meddled
[copright, 1905. by Ruby Douelas.l

tour of Spain on foot.
From a fellow student Fowler had
picked up a pretty fair knowledge Of
Spanish, and when his pilgrimage had
begun he had no trouble in making
himself understood by the people he
encountered. For three weeks he had
no adventures worth recording. Then
they followed thick and fast. One
night at village inn he was awakened
from sleep by three men who entered
the room next to his and began talk
Ing and drinking The partition was
Of boards and full of cracks, and the
student had no difficulty In tearing
every word that passed. When he
came to get sight of the men he saw
that they were hard cases. They had,
as was soon related; committed rob-
berry and perhaps murder on the
highway a few miles distant. They
had shot horseman out Of his sad
die, plundered his person and left him
where he fell. The money taken from
hln udu UcSu COuCcdlcu III u ucocIlcu
hut, and over and over again the trio
pledged themselves at their dagger
points to be faithful to each other In
the division of the spoils No single
one OF them was to visit the hut with
out the consent Of the other two. If
one proved traitor the others were to
hunt him to his death. After the hue
and cry was over they were to divide.
The manner in which those fellows
talked Of the crime made the Ameri-
cans hair stand up. and he was only
too glad when they finally left the inn
Without knowing that the next room
was occupied. When they had gone
Fowler lay awake for hours wonder
Ing what he had best do in the matter.
He had heard the men call each other
by their first names. He could give
the police minute description Of
them. he knew that they were to sep
arate and where each one was to pass
the next month. They had even nam
ed the man they had robbed and per-
haps murdered. The student had only
to go to the police and state his case,
and all the clews would be in their
hands. He had about decided to do
this when he went down to breakfast.
but a little circumstance changed his
mind. The landlord himself brought
his breakfast and after word or two
about the weather carelessly observed:
II trust that the senior slept well last
night%
every well, indeed" was the reply.
'There were some late travellers.
hope they did not disturb your"
mot at ALL"
The landlord looked at him sharply
and then seemed satisfied. After that
there was no doubt in Fowler's mind
that his host knew of the crime and
was accessory before or after. 1t was
already known In the village that
prominent citizen of the province had
been fatally shot and plundered on the
highway the night before, but the land
lord said nothing about 1t. An hour
later Fowler got the information from
others. He now decided to say moth
ing TO the authorities about the affair,
and in setting off on his daily tramp
he babe the landlord such cheerful
adieu and spoke so many words in
praise Of his house that the man could
have no suspicious of him. Neverthe-
less he had reasons to believe that he
was logged and kept track Of for the
next three days.
The crime had excited widespread in
terest. The victim was prominent in
church and state, and the money he
was carrying belonged to the former.
This made the crime a heinous one in
the eyes of the masses. A large re-
ward was offered, the police melted to
do their best, and 1t was believed that
the criminals would soon be captured.
Fowler heard everybody talking about
the affair, but had little to say about
1t himself.
The crime of the highway was a
week old when a strange freak seized
the American. He decided to go back
over his road and visit the hut In
which the plumber was concealed. The
men had located 1t SO closely that he
knew he could find it. He wanted to
see II the plumber was really there. 1t
was the most extraordinarily foolish
thing he could have thought Of, but he
yielded to the impulse. In returning
he took the train instead of making
the journey on foot, and, leaving 1t
about six miles from the hut, he cut
across the country. He found the hut.
but when within ten feet of It was ar
rested by gendarme. Three hours
later he was In prison charged with
the crime. Then several other things
happened him. When he attempted to
prove an alibi by the landlord at
whose inn he lay that night the man
kicked 1t all over out Of revenge. When
he said the money was concealed in
the hut he was charged with an inten.
ton to secure 1t for his own use. Hav.
Ing overheard the talk of the murder
ers, 1t was his duty to have informed the
police at once. In not doing so he was
made accessory after the fact. From
his description the three men were
soon arrested. They combined to swear
the crime on Fowler.
The case dragged along for two
years and was then set for trial. A
witness died, and it was postponed.
Again a Judge was taken Ill. Once
more something was found wrong In
the Indictment Then the matter was
forgotten. At the end Of seven years
something was done, but it was fully
eleven years before the case was final.
ly tried Rnd Fowler was discharged
from custody and warned to keep out
of Spain IN the future. His curiosity
had brought terrible punishment. He
went to Spain an athletic young man
with rosy future before him. He
same out Of prison gray haired, bent
and hopeless and did not live a year
after landing on American soil.