Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-08-28
A CASE OF HEDGING.
BY GEORGE HERBERT BONN.

When | was studying medicine, one
afternoon was in the disSrcting room
huIrying To get through with subject
before the building should ice closed for
the night. An examination was be-
fore me the next morning and there
would be no opportunity 10 return 10
the dissecting room for some time to
come | had finished every member
except foot when time was up. and.
stufling 1t in 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
mt home.
ON my way made one of II game OF
whist in the smoking car with three
strangers. Finishing II rubber just as
my station WAS called, ! hastily picked
up my bag and left the train. On
reaching home | tossed my satchel on
n 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 1t was
not niue.
taken my own satchel on opening 1t
would be Mortified to discover II hui
man foot. The fact would be reported
To the police. and If the owner could
be identified 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. II was locked, and | was
obliged to force II.
The ouly articles in 1t were burglars
tools
"Wcll," I said to myself. "whocveI
has taken my Satchcl Is not likely to
report his find. since by doing so he
will ncriminate himself. There Is no
necessity for my giving the subject
any further attention"
Were 1t not for one of those strange
condolences that are continually hap.
pcning my story would end here.
wear after my exchange of satchels
my house. or. rather. my fathers. was
robbed. 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
blow which knocked me down. He
made his escape. but during the brief
instant | saw his face recognized
my partner at whist on the journey
when had exchanged satchcls.
wondered whether he had recognized
me. but Ii occurred to me that he had
not for the light was ateny back.
Two more years passed. Gle day
while on a train 4 nan took seat
.heSi,aIt me. and when ! looked ut him
recognized my partner mt 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 I remembered that he
had only seen me once. since when !
had grown II beard. Thus treasured.
made a remark to him. He replied,
and we entered into conversation.
Now, 1t occurred to me that should
| make charge Of burglary against
him would stand i'm 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
.laI. Inn 4, ,nI fD a
friend of mine. He turned and after
fixing sharp glance on me said cool
, ly:
81 see you are the man with whom
| played whist and who went off with
my satchel."
"And you are the man who robbed Il
house in NJ. two years ago and whom
| caught by the cOattail and recog-
nized MS he passed out. Suppose | give
you away?'
you'll stand trial on charge OF
murder"
II can easily prove that was a
medical student and was taking the
foot home for dissection"
"Not so fast. please. TO head you
Off I learned of missing man and
secured evidence to prove conclusively
, that a man of your description was
seen to murder the person who had
disappeared. Then turned over your
satchcl with tho foot in II to the pc.
lice
Suddenly it dnwncd upon me how
foolish ] had been not to report the
case myself. 1t would have blocked
my opponents game.
"If you report me-" he continued
persons Supposed to be unknown to
me will inform the police of your iden.
tty with the man whom my witnesses
! saw you murder. You will be arrest.
cd, tried and the best of Circumstantial
evidence furnished to prove TINT you
had Grudgc against him. murdered
him and intended to protect yourself
in case of discovery by the fact that
You were n medical student studying
anatomy"
A mental vision Of one OF those cele-
DRAFTED murder cases of which | would
he the central figure and wherein half
the people believed in the accuscd's
guilt ana the other half In his inno-
ccncc came up before me.