Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-01-29

dt uNc dl tuiS tihlS
of year, and he
was in n hurry.
The stiffness was broken by the
policeman. Drawing his revolver he
tapped with it lightly on the glass.
calling in loud voice:
Hi. there! You in there! 1 see
YOU Hold, up your hands and come
on out o that! Come out 1 say!"
well. well. well! 'Tis poor old
Swartz-he's hung himself!": the po-
liceman whispered in ave-. Then he
remembered that the door. OF the shop.
fastened on the outside. was secured
must have been put In place by.some-
body with Swartz in the shop! Then
who could that somebody be II not
the murderer! Yes. 1t was not suicide.
It was murder, and II murder, who
could the murderer be but Flanagan.
the only person besides Swartz pos.
sessing a key to the paddock?
With the fash OF this obvious Sc
Quence into his mind. the policeman
hurried to the store telephone and
called up his station. notifying It that
Swartz was murdered. that Flanagan
. clerk. had done the deed and was
missing.
From the evidence not man OF the
force present entertained the slightest
doubt OF how the crime had occurred.
nor who the criminal logically must
be. Flanagan. Just before closing
time on Saturday night when. trade
over and the shop deserted. the
door was closed and the shut
It on all but the back window.
OF some reason throttled his
with his powerful hands. slipped
g rope around his neck and noisted
lim up there to make It appear to be
q case Of suicide. locked up and fed.
Flanagan was thick-witted. and 1t
would never occur to him that he had
left all the signs pointing to himself.
and only to himself. As long as no
body had seen him do It he would feel
safe: for he was one Of those people
who are continually repeating for the
Information Of their audiences that
what you don't see you don't know"
Ohicers were at once dispatched In
several directions for the man. The
fact that he was not at his boarding
house. but must have returned to his
room from the shop and changed his
clothes at some time between six
o'clock on Saturday evening and eight
on Sunday morning. was precisely the
evidence that the police looked to find
there, and they found 1t. Flannisan's
lodging mistress said that on going to
his room to put 1t In order on Sunday
morning at eight, the usual time, she
saw that the bed had not been slept
in. and examination showed that his
everyday clothes hung in the closet
while his best suit was missing from
its accustomed hooks. And he had
not been seen in the vicinity since
Saturday morning, when he left the
Geuse for his days work. To this in
fdfmation the police. making a search
5Dhis room on their own account,
added certain other suggestive items.
A badly soiled shirt. torn up the back
as II discarded In d hurry. was crowded
: behind the bureau; razor. unwiped
after using, and shaving paper with
dried lather on It, as II the shaver
was in such haste that he could not
stop to clean away the traces Of his
work, were on a little table near the
gas jet; a travelling bag. which the
lodging mistress asserted that he
owned, was not to be found; there was
no linen in the bureau drawers. In
fact, all the evidence tended to show
that the man had left suddenly for
parts unknown, saying nothing to any.
body Of his Intended absence, taking
with him what few valuable effects he
possessed. II the razor remained be-
hind It was because in his excitement
he had forgotten It.
Inquiry in the neighborhood soon
brought to light a man who had seen
Flanagan late Saturday night with
suit case and a big roll Of bills stag
gerin6 from one saloon to another on
the way down to the south station
and 1t presently being learned that
F1annigan had relatives In the little
country town of Fairview. which was
hts native place. the rest was easy
He was Just the type OF man who
having committed n crime. would I'm
mediately make for the vicinity OF his
old home, having neither sense mol
general information enough to steel
as widely away from that particular
spot as possible. Connections were
made by telephone. with the police o
riview, and within two hours from
TINT time Flanagan was undergoing
eaamination at station flve.
He was very muscular ssIto~ O.