Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-07-10
DOCS
EVIDENCE.
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u family adjoined, and Walter Rudd
and l grew up together, bosom friends.
Walter was fond of animals, l OF
books. Among his pets was a yellow
collie. the most intelligent being Of the
brute creation l ever knew. They are
talking nowadays about animals not
having any reasoning powers. If that
dog didn't reason | don't reason.
I remember especially an instance In
evidence of this. One rainy day, need
ing exercise, l concluded to walk
around the house. Dick, the dog, was
with me and, seeing me getting on my
hat and coat, inferred that | was going
for a stroll and was rejoiced at the
prospect of going with me. There
were two gates to the place, and when
l came to the path leading to the near
est Dick was there. l kept on. Dick
looked up, surprised; but. inferring that
l was intending to go out of the other
gate, Immediately went to it. When
1 passed the path leading to that gate,
too, Dicks establishment was beyond
bounds. what does the fellow mean?'
he said plainly with his attitude and
expression. Then, seeing that I was
not leaving the grounds, be went away
disappointed.
One morning / was awakened by a
scratching mingled with a dogs means
at our front door. | went downstairs
and found Dick. He ran down toward
the gate, indicating that ! was to fol-
low him. | was not long in under
standing him and after getting on some
clothes went with him to a wood sew
eral miles away. He led me to a
point near a brook, but when he got
there looked about him surprised and
disappointed, moaning ~piteously. Then,
putting his nose to the ground. he fol-
lowed a scent to the brook, where he
lost II.
Ali this was unintelligible to me.
After waiting developments and get
ting none l went home.
l found there q messenger from the
Rudds to ask If Walter had spent the
night with us, since he had not come
home. At nee l began to suspect that
something was wrong with him and
the dogs action might be an explana-
ton. Possibly there had been foul
play at the spot where Dick had led
me and some person or persons to con
ceal their tracks from the dog had gone
away, walking in the brook. / took
Dick back to the spot and led him
both up and down the stream in the
hope that he would pick up the scent,
but Notwithstanding a patient effort o.
the part of both of us he failed.
The case of Walter Rudd was one of
those mysterious disappearance that
occur every day, the bulk of them new
er being explained. Dick, being de-
prived of his master, adopted me as
such, l being that masters most init
mate friend. l became very fond of
Aim- never went anywhere iscouidi
take him without doing sc. The first
winter that | went to the city | left
him behind, but the caretaker of the
house wrote me that he was pining
away, and l was obliged to send for
him. l inferred at the time that he
had transferred his affections from his
late master to me.
Walter Rudd had been teller In a
bank. The cashier was Edward Grit
fin, a young man who a couple of years
later became rich as a promoter. l
knew Griffin, but had only a speaking
acquaintance with him. One day while
in the city walking with Dick on the
street l saw Griffin approaching. Sud
denly Dick gave a growl, darted for
ward, jumped upon Griffin, and only
great effort N my part kept the dog
from taking the man by the throat. !
caught Dick by the collar and dragged
him away, striking him with my cane
at the same time. Griffin seemed very
much affected by the encounter, paling
and trembling like a leaf, but / was
not surprised at this, as 1t Is no light
matter to have a dog suddenly spring
at ones throat. / did not have an OPP
portunity to apologize to the man, for
Dick was SO eager to get at him again
that I was obliged to drag him away
by main force, and Griffin hurried on.
Had Griffin been some rough I'M
known man / might have suspected
that the dogs action had something TO
do with the mystery attending Walter
Rudd's disappearance. As it was, /
put 1t down to one of those u~naccount-
able dislikes a dog will take to some
especial person. But some months
after this, when Grifin's schemes
turned out bursted bubbles and he no
better than q common swindler, the
thought came upon me that while he
and Walter were in the bank together
the cashier might have had some
reason for getting rid of the teller.
l asked the president of the bank for
information bearing IN the case and
was confdentially informed that dur
ing the time referred to Griffin had
been carrying a large ~defalcation,
which was discovered only after it was
made good.
After consultation with the Rudd fam
lily l was authorized to employ a de-