Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-08-27
A CASE OF HEDGING,
BY GEORGE HERBERT HoHN.

| Copyright. 1909 by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
When | was studying medicine, one
afternoon was in the dissecting room
hurrying to get through with a subject
before the building should be closed for
the night. An examination was be-
fore me the next morning and there
would be no opportunity to return to
The dissecting room for some time to
rome. had finished every member
Except a foot when time was up. and.
Btuffing it in n hand bag used to carry
needed articles between the city and
the place lived in the suburbs. | left
the room, intending to finish my work
at home.
On my way made one of a game Of
whist in the smoking car with three
strangers. Finishing q rubber just as
my station was called, hastily picked
up my bag and left the train. On
reaching home / tossed my satchel on
a table, made my toilet and went down
to dinner In the evening ! went up
to my room to go to work. What was
my establishment and chagrin on TAX
ing up the bag to discover that it was
not mine.
was in a pickle. Whoever had
taken my own satchel on opening it
would be Mortified to discover a hu-
man foot. The fact would be reported
to the police, and if the owner could
be identified I would be subject to a
charge of murder, followed by an eff
fort to get rid of the corpse piecemeal.
The wise thing to have done was
to report my loss to the police at once.
] thought of this. but before doing so
concluded to look into the bag | had
taken with view to discovering the
owner. 1t was locked, and l was
obliged to force it.
The only articles in it were burglars
! tools.
"Well," l said to myself. whoever
has taken my satchel is not likely to
report his find. since by doing so he
will incriminate himself. There is no
necessity for my giving the subject
any further attention"
Were it not for one of those strange
pening my story would end here. A
year after my exchange of satchels
my house, or, rather. my fathers, was
robbed. I followed one of the men
downstairs, where they had turned on
the lights, and caught him by the
coattail just as he was going out the
front door. He turned and gave me n
blow which knocked me down. He
made his escape, but during the brief
instant | saw his face l recognized
my partner at whist on the journey
when l had exchanged satchels.
wondered whether he had recognized
me, but it occurred to me that he had
not, for the light was at my back.
| Two more years passed. One day
while on a train a man took a seat
beside me. and when looked at him
l recognized my partner at whist and
in the same man the burglar who had
robbed my fathers house My first
thought was to summon the conductor
and have him telegraph ahead to the
police. My second was to turn up my
coat collar and pull my hat down over
my eyes so that the burglar would not
know me. Then l remembered that he
| had only seen me once, since when
had grown beard Thus treasured.
made remark to him. He replied,
and we entered into conversation
Now, it occurred to me that should
l make a charge of burglary against
him would stand in vulnerable po-
sition. He had been possessed of my
subjects foot. and ! was uncertain
what, if any, use he would make Of it
to establish countercharge. | con-
cluded to discover If possible what his
intentions might be in this respect.
told him the story of the exchange of
satchels as having happened to a
friend of mine. He turned and after
fixing a sharp glance on me said cool
ly:
II see You are the man with whom
/ played whist and who went off with
my satchel."
and you are the man who robbed a
house in NJ. two years ag6and whom
caught by the coattail and recog-
nized as he passed out Suppose give
you away?"
You'll stand trial on a charge of
murder"
81 can easily prove that | was a
medical student and was taking the
foot home for dissection"
'Not so fast. please. To head you
off ] learned Of Il missing man and
| secured evidence to prove conclusively
that man of your description was
seen to murder the person who had
disappeared. Then turned over your
&6atchel with the foot in it to the po-
Mice
| Suddenly it dawned upon me how
foolish | had been not to report the
case myself. 1t would have blocked
my opponents game. y
"If you. report me-" he continued,