Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-11
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I A Mystery Solved.
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Ioriginal

no fellow can find out. All sorts o;
ncs-lnccndlarlsm. cattle killing.
damaging water malns-n are committed
at night. and the people OF the town
can't find out who Is the culprlt."
reached Eninglnm that afternoon
and concluded To get the facts lncog.
None OF the people suspected Was
reporter and talked freely with me
about the case. They were all very
much excited over It, asked them
why they didn't set Il watch. AMI they
said they had. but the crimes were
committed vt such long Intervals that
the watchers got tired and gave Il IN.
One OF the citizens OF the plnce. ii MIR
Harrison Barker felt sure had seen
before. That clean shuven face, those
archec brows and high cheek bones
We're certainly familiar 10 me. but hi,
countcnnnee was serene. aud Ii seemed
that when ! had seen the man before
lie had been In trouble. In vain put
my mental machinery In motion to
recall the circumstances under which
J had seen him. The mental cogwheels
worked we'll enough, but nothing was
ground out chattcd with him and
asked him II he remembered having
met me before. He looked me over
carefully, but said lie had no rcmem
brance OF me whatever.
Nothing bothers one so much us fail
ing To recall what he Is sure he has
been familiar with. II makes him feel
as if something Is wanting ~ him.
tried 10 get starter for my rcmcm
brancc by finding ont all about MIR
Barker and learned thai he was one OF
the most respectable citizens OF Effinr
nam. had lived there u long while. had
an excellent wife ana sons ana daugh
tiers, who were II credit to him. Fur
| thcrmore, he had never hccn to the
!, city In which l lived, had never been
In trouble and had thus far passed
m uncvehtful life. My inquiries gave
Inc no clcw whatever.
| Why connected Mr.. Barker with
the mystery Ind come down TO write
up cannot even imagine. Perhaps It
WAS something In his eye. But IL /
noticed anything peculiar In It no one
else did. One OF the things | learned
about him WAS that he suffered from
Insomnia and would often get up when
Others were asleep and walk the
streets. Possibly these two facts talk.
en- together may have givcn me n
vague Impression.
\ sent In II couple OF columns OF copy
to my paper full OF incidents connccted
with the mystery and wrote that
would remain at Dillingham; for awhile
with II view to sending some cxplana-
ION y detective was expected. and
was curious 10 know what he would
say about H. Meanwhile there was no
repetition of the mysterious crimes.
On. think. the third night or nv
stay IN Hlinsham WAS sitting alone
every one but myself was In hcd-on
the porch Of my hotel smoking. heard
footsteps, ana presently light fixed
TO the porch sh1 wcd me the face OF Mr..
Rarkcr who was walking along the
sidewalk. The expression was not only
that OF one suffering from insomnia;
1t was strained loo! as OF one in men
tai distress AS soon as hc had passed
arose and followed him
Not IL person except he and was
In the streets. | saw him pass TO the
outskirts Of the town. ! lost him In
the shadow OF barn. and he did not
emerge for several minutes. When he
did he turned to come back, and hid
myself behind a fragment of fence.
he passed very close to me, md was
about TO follow him when saw a
light In the opposite direction. In an
other moment small flame appeared
Mt the base OF the barn. Instead OF
following Mr.. Barker rushed TO the
barn. 10 find that 1t had been set on
lire nj three different places ex-
tiagulsliea the inc'pIent fires, then
went TO my hotel. The mystery was
solved
Before retiring telegraphcd stick
frl OF news TO my paper, merely stating
that prominent citizen OF bingham
was the guilty person In the matter OF
| the mysterious crimes and n solution
OF the mystery would be given In the
next issuc--Sunday morning
| How Harrison Barker proved to be
insane. his insanity appearing only In
his Insomnia: how he was gent to an
asylum, so far as this story Is concern
cd, is unimportant. but there IS one
feature or the case that gives remark
able ending. Several years before
Young man named Cavity had been
tried and convicted OF committing these
| very crimes He was torn from
young wife and babe AMI sent to prison
for term Of fifteen years. When HAIR
rison Barker came into court was
there. A man standing by me said to
another. Hes the image OF Cavity,
who was convicted OF the same crime"
In twinkling 1t flashed through my