The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-01-02
Nv.
CECILY SAYS GoopBY.

-
CECILY SAYS GooDBY.
The cold light of the morning brought
with ii a profound skepticism. God
frey's theory no longer seemed SO con-
vincing; In fact; II did not seem con-
vincing. at all. Many objections oc-
Cured to me: i saw that the whole
elaborate structure was built upon
quicksand--there was no proof that any
OF the clippings referred to Tremaine
Thompson had gathered them with
elaborate care and of set purpose, there
was no proof.
Y~es-there was one point susceptible
or proof; by ii the whole structure
would stand or fall. =.
Mr.. Royce" / said to our junior in
the course OF the morning. IT wonder II
I could be spared this afternoon? rye
some business of my own which I'd
like very much to attend to-"
Why. certainly" he answered in
stantly; SO when l left the office at
noon, i took the elevated to the Grand
Central station and bought a ticket to
Ossining. Once there, 1 went so the
grey old prison and stated my errand
to Mr.. Jones, the sub-warden, whom l
found in charge.
i've come up from New York" I be-
gan, after giving him my card, "to
see II you can identify this man." and
l handed him the photograph Of
Thompson.
He looked at 1T long and searching
ly. seemingly for a time in doubt, but
at last he shook his head.
NO L don't believe ! cam he said.
There's something familiar about the
face, but ] can't place it,"
How long have o been connected
with the prison. Mr.. jones'" l asked.
Il began thirty years ago as guard.
| R1t what lnn6n VpIl fhjnl I npt,ld ilap-
tify this fellow?"
We've rather imagined" l answered,
that his real name was Johnson and
that he served a term here for rob-
berry, beginning in 1885"
He looked at the photograph again,
with a sudden flush of excitement in
his face.
II believe you're right he said.
Lets look at Johnson's photo
He consulted the index, then turned
to one OF the wall cases.
Here he is" he said, opening a COM
partment and pointing to a photograph.
Its the same man, sure, only changed
a lot. 1t would be easy to prove it.
l suppose they toe his ,Bertfllon meas
urements at the morgue. and we've My
to compare them with ours. They'd be
the same, no matter how much he'd
changed"
And he had changed. indeed! The
SOiiiISSh vi TIC pflSOIl photograph Was,
of course, smooth shaver; his face was
alert. Intelligent: there a no scar
upon the temple. nor did the features
show the subtle blOating Of long con-
tinued dissipation. But il was the same
undoubtedly it was the same. There
was no need to apply any Fl Ter tests.
Il remember him now said Jones.
looking from II photograph to the
other" very well. He Was a quiet, well
behaved ~chap-had been captain Of Il
little tramp steamer 1 believe. Had a
perfect mania for cutting pieces out
of newspapers and pasting them in a
scrap book. He spent all his leisure
time tina way. Oh. yes; l remember,
too. he tried to escape. but his pal
went back on him and left him layin'
out yOnder by the wall. His val was u
bad one, he was; he got away and
I've often wondered what become of
him. Here he is.
He swung open another compartment
and found myself staring at Ire
maine!
Not until I was quite near New York
did l recover sufficiently from the eff
Iects of this discovery to heed the cry
OF the train boy as he went through the
coaches with ire evening papers.
"All about tn Edgemere murder
he was crying, and the name caught
IEy ear.
"Edgemere.'" | repeated to myself.
"EdgemeTe. rye heard that name
somewhere
hen in q flash / remembered: and
In a momen more the whole story OF
the tragedy Of the night b~efore-the
murder OF Graham and the theft OF
Mrs. DelrOy's necklace-lay before me.
with what intensity Of interest I read
Il can be easily imagined: I was shaken.
nervous, hOrrOr-stricken. That there
was some connection between this sec
OEd tragedy and the one. in suite four
teen | did not doubt; and | read and
re-rcad the details with the greatest
care, in the effort TO find whore that
connection lay,
But 1t was impossible to see how
Tremaine could be implicated N the
EdSemere mystery even in The least
dFgrce--hiS alibi was perfect. On the
other hand, the evidence against young
DrySdale seemed complete in ever;
link. Certainly, none Of the papers
doubted his guilt, and they handled his
past career and his family history with
a minuteneSS and freedom which must
have been most trying to his fri. n9s.
Coroner H~effclbower Cumr in for the
lions share of praiSC-eVaiyOne agreed
that he had conducted the case with
rare Skill and aCumGn. OF course, the
Record had his photograph, US well as
those of his wife and six children. and
as | looked at his round face, fanCicd
him %strutting back ana forth in his sa-
loon, inflated with pride, and listening
a~pprOvingly to the constant ringing OF
the cash register. It's an i'll wina-but
certainly there vas no denying that he
a handled the case adrOilly.
Drysdale, it appeared, had been
lodged in the jail at Babylon, and
steadfastly refused to make any state
ment, or to explain hts absence from
the house. No reporters had been ad-
mtttod to JGdCcmere-thOugh tina fact
did not prevent two or three Of them
from writing minute descriptions OF the
condition of affairs there, and publish
ms interviews with the members Of the
family. Marvellous were given
of the exquisite beauty and immense
value Of the missing necklace, and the
Record published Il drawing OF it from
a description by Tiffany
We pulled into the station and l took
a car down to rsy rooms, turning this