The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-03
A Mystery Solved.
LorigInnLl

torignnLl
"John," said the managing editor,
they've got n sensation down at Eff
hngham, aud want you TO go there
and write 1t up. It's mystery. and
nothing will sell papers like something
no fellow can find out. All sorts of
crimes-incendiarism cattle killing
damaging water malns-are committed
at night, and the people of the town
can't find out who is the culprit.'
reached Eflingham that afternoon
and concluded to get the facts incog.
None OF the people suspected ! was a
reporter and talked freely with me
about the case. They were all very
much excited over It. asked them
why they didn't set watch, and they
said they had. but the crimes were
committed at such long intervals that
the watchers got tired and gave 1t up
One of the citizens of the place. n Mr..
Harrison Barker, felt sure had seen
before. That clean shaven face, those
arched brows and high cheek bones
were certainly familiar to me, but bis
countenance was serene. and II seemed
that when had seen the man before
he had been IN trouble. In vain | put
my mental machinery In motion to
recall the circumstances under which
l had seen him. The mental cogwheels
worked well enough. but nothing was
ground out. | chatted with him and
asked him II he remembered having
met me before. He looked me over
carefully. but said he had no remem'
brance of me whatever.
Nothing bothers one so much aS fail
ing to recall what he is sure nc has
been familiar with. 1t makes him fee
as II something Is wanting In him.
tried to get starter for my remem
brance by finding out all about Mr.
Barker and learned that he was one OF
the most respectable citizens of Efllng
ham, had lived there n long while, ha(
an excellent wife and sons and daugh
ters, who were credit to him. Fur
thermore, he had never been TO the
city In which | lived, had never beer
In trouble and had thus far passed
an uneventful life, My inquiries CAV,
me no clew whatever
Why | connected Mr.. Barker will
up cannot even imagine. Perhaps /
was something In his eye. But If
noticed anything peculiar In It no on,
else did One of the things l Learned
about him was that he suffered fron
Insomnia and would often get up whei
others were asleep and walk tn,
streets. Possibly these two facts talk
en- together may have given me I
vague impression.
/ sent IN couple of columns of cop!
to my paper full of incidents connecte,
with the mystery and wrote that
would remain at Ehingham for awhile
with view to sending some explana
ton. A detective was expected, and
was curious to know what he woul'
say about it. Meanwhile there was II
repetition OF the mysterious crimes.
On, think, the third night of IN.
stay In Efiingham ! was sitting alon
every one but myself was in bed-ol
the porch of my hotel smoking. l hear
footsteps. and presently a light fixe'
to the porch showed me the face of MI
Barker. who was walking along th
sidewalk. The expression was not onl
that OF one suffering from Insomnia
It was a strained look as Of one In men
tai distress. AS soon as he had passe
arose and followed him.
Not a person except he and ! wa
In the streets. l saw him pass TO th
outskirts of the town. | lost him 1
the shadow of barn, aud he did nc
emerge for several minutes, When h