The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-02-06

fOriginal.l

psychological puzzles that soine feois
sneer at as fraudulent, some tahe
oreat interest in, and to which most
people are Indifferent.
Michael Keenan,, one Of the mes1
desperate of burglars. having just peeh
discharged from state prison after
serving a ten years term, was prowi-
ing at midnight on the outskirts OF
town looking for an opportunity to re-
n,enish his exchequer. He surveyed
several houses from their back yards
to make a selection for burglary when
no espied figure walking In rear OF
a house that fronted on another street.
Keanan laid low and watched. was
the person bent on the same purpose
as himself? He soon discovered that
the figure was man and was Walking
TO and fro keeping an eye on an upper
rear window of the house he was Dc
hind Keenan, found loose fence
nickel and with it stealthily approached
the figure. There was thud, muir
| dered man, rifed pockets and body
thrown in an open bunker OF the
house the figure had been watching.
Then Keenan, went off with gold
watch and chain and a hundred dol
lars in money.
| Not long after the murder keenan,.
who was In a distant city, saw 1t stated
in newspaper that Hugh Gregory,
the owner of the house In the bunk
er of which the body had been found,
had been arrested for murder. The
article also stated that Gregory was
| rast fifty, the murdered man under
! TWENTY-FIVE The young man was Ev-
eret stusgga and a visitor at Gregory's
! house. The chaiss of evidence connect
.ng Gregory with the spyrder was not
given. Those sly fellows-taa police
were too emArt to give anything away
before the proper time.
| 1t was this matter Of the police that
interested keenan, They had once
proved him guilty of crime he had
rot committed, and he was curious to
know how their ingenuity would work
in proving man guilty OF erims
that he (Aeenan) had committed. 30
| he laid low. living on the proceeds OF
the murder ard taking 10 great risks
TO get more. He was absorbed In
what was called the Sturges murder
case. Some Of the papers sneered at
the police accusing tnsW Of endeavor-
Ing to find in Gregory q victim In
whom to hide their stupidity. When
Keenan, read THIS he chuckled. He be-
lieved that was their object.
Then came reports of the trial, which
the real murderer read eagerly. 30
convincing were the arguments Of the
prosecuting attorney that Keenan, al
most believed himself innocent Of tho
murder and Gregory the guilty one.
But when the prisoners counsel took
UP the case he could see no possible
chance Of tie prisoners conviction.
One thing puzzled him-all the reports
stated that Gregory locked and acted
like guilty man.
The next statement Keenan, read All-
ed him with wonder. Gregory had
been convicted, and soon after bis con-
viction he had confessed. Sturges had
been a sutton for his daughters hand.
Gregory had bitterly opposed him. On
gone to bed, to awake at midnight
| with an Unexplainable conviction that
| Sturges was prowling near the house
for the purpose Of clipping with the
| girl Gregory for some time thought
he had dreamed that he saw Sturges
walking without, but SO strong was
the conviction that this was really 50
that he got up, dressed, went down.
stairs. took a stout cane from the hall,
went out, found Sturges and struck
him blow, from which he sank down.
He had no remembrance of putting the
body in the bunker and supposed Stur-
ges must have dragged himself there
and died.
When keenan, read this confession
he gave a long low whistle of astonish-
ment. Then he began to wonder If he
had not been dreaming himself and
| Gregory had not, after all, killed Stur-
ges. However, he still had Sturgee'
watch, which be had not dared to sell
or pawn, and it was convincing proof
that he was the murderer. He pug
Zled for weeks what he had better do.
Ha had no idea Of giving himself up
to save an innocent man, butshe hated
the police and burned to show up what
| he considered their ineff1ciency.
One night keenan, cracked crib and
made fine haul of ready cash. Then
be: laid 4 plan. He bought a second
class ticket on steamer bound for
Chile. Just before the steamer sailed
he expressed a small package to the
Judge before whom Gregory was tried
and at the same time mailed the Judge
q letter. In half an hour after doing
this he was out on the Atlantic ocean.
This Is the letter he wrote the Judge:
Dere JGge.-The police is lot o. blokes.
l got out from behind the bars wan day,
and that mite was lookin fur a CRIB to
crack. I spotted man watchin'. killed
MIN and took the swag and dragged him
| INTO the bunker. I'm givin' you by ex-
| press the watch of the man I killed.
The man convicted must a been dreanins.
l m off for turin parts. Yures,
| MIKE KEENAN,.
The watch was identified as having
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