St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-10-24


n looking over my rath-
er meager notes often
find it difficult to select
among the countless
cases in which l have
- ~ been associated with
LIZ IL * ), Carlton Clarke the one
~ that will best make
story. At the time of
which this story deals his fame as an
untangier of mysteries had gone far
and wide and our Oak street quarters
of clients as early and as late as
Clarke was willing to receive them.
Many of my readers doubtless will
recall when the city was shocked by
the mysterious murder of the Honor
able Algernon Sydney Hoppington.
Such was the sensation at the time
that it seems almost unnecessary now
to 60 into the details The crime for
crime 1t was upon the face, was dis
covered about four o'clock in the
morning, and so great was the figure
that the Honorable Algernon Sydney
had cut during his three years resi-
dence in Chicago, where he had come
from England to claim the fortune
running well into the millions gra-
ciously founded there by a great.
uncle, that the newspapers held on
their entire mechanical force for
double-column extra.
opened the door to admit our old
end, late Inspector, now Chief,
80. 1t was not his first call at
ale&quarters, for he had long
where to come for
Qanded none of the
IN. and many a
aid before
dining.
81
his
hief
81 you
Z tell
the Hop
l will have
the affair l
b Mr.. Sexton,
VI it looked then.
Kven't the servants
ut track?"
thousand miles of the
Don't know anything.
as writing in his library
lock. He called the but
B get him a bottle of wine.
hr later he came out to the
In, where Bifin was with
e other man servant, and
EN- the bottle one-fourth full
hem to finish it. They did
ia the last they remember.
d, I suppose. | have the bottle
the few drops that were left and
Ahaye them analysed. The three
aSasAA had been entertaining company,
san,e s my men, it appears, in the
i,ttcben They had just let them out
no hack way and had gone into the
buffers pantry to get bite to eat be-
fore going up to bed when the door
slammed and Sbey heard the bolt shot
and they We're SQcked in. About an
hour afterward. az. near as can
gather from their historical memory
OF what happened they heard a pierre
ing female scream rag through the
house a4s. 44t
And look heret found, it on the
lower step of the stoop," and the chief
dew from hisspocket b bundle and on
urn ,,ines-fC ufseldyad a tiny white
e#tH slipper, No. ! A. 1t was llt-@-
uliy soaked in blood
"A veman's work, you think?
queliel Clarke
AT the Hoppington number we found
one of those square red stone man.
sions typical of the period immediate
ly following the fire.
"Ah, he was a fancier of orchids, l
see" remarked Clarke.
"Humph!" snorted the chief I'm
sure I don't know what you are talk,
fng about but if you're looking. for
clews there are the knife and the slip.
Der, that are WOtlu more tldu ali your
old orchids put together for my pur.
poses"
Once out of the house Clarke ex
claimed:
Quick, Sexton. a cab. Well beat
the chief at that little game"
hailed a passing hanson and
Clarke directed the driver to get to the
Audi orium hotel in the quickest pos
sible time.
Aud can you really lay your hands
on the couple within an hour?'
"Oh. of course it is always well tt
make these things strong when talk
ing to one of the chiefs caliber, bu
here is the case as [ see it. 1t may
need several revisings before we come
to the end. | admit, when confronted
with the evidence of the knife through
the table. the blood-stained slipper ant
the mysterious telephone call, to sa.
nothing of the drugged wine and tn
servants carefully rendered hors d
combat, | couldn't see a ray of Igh
from them. It was evident Hopping
ton had been entertaining man AM
a woman; that either he disposed 9
the servants himself in order, 20 carr.