Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-07-28

shouted:
"You want to know where Tom Chill
dress is. You'll never know where he
is IT don't tell. But I'm going to tell.
I'm not going to keep that vision with
me any longer. Tom Childress is at
the bottom of the water works well.
I killed him.
The conspirators started back in
amazement. It almost sounded like
the truth. so well was it done.
Magnificent" returned Linton.
Hes done us. I didn't think he had
it in him. But let's carry it out. Go
on, Chester; tell the whole story"
"The Pawn" had sunk down in his
chair and buried his face in his hands.
Eyes, I'll feel better to tell it ALL"
he continued. II made up my mind
to kill him when I left the Office. I
waited for him in the alley and when
he passed on his way home followed
him. When we got to the dark place
by the water works we'll I caught up
with him. We had some words.
dared him to throw away the gun I
had seen him flash and fight me fair.
All the time I had the knife in my
sleeve. Then he struck me and I let
him have it. He dropped. bent over
him and he was dead. Then I found
heavy rock and rope and tied the
rock to him and dropped him over into
the well. There's wasn't much blood
and what there was I washed away
with the hose they sprinkle the flower
beds with. saw nothing of the
Waterman and thought I was safe.
I didn't know what terribly relent-
less accuser conscience is. wish tho
court to bind me over without BAIL"
Justice McCurdy looked up gravely
from the docket.
'The decision Of this court" he said,
lis that the prisoner at the bar has
played his part nobly, and that he be
elected to full membership in the Gen.
tlemen's Club" and his face broke
into broad smile.
There came a loud knocking at the
door and excited voices demanding ad-
mission. It was opened and the chief
of police rushed in.
"Tom Childress has been muir.
dered!" he shouted. Ellis body has
just been found in the water works
well. Do any Of you know how he
came there?"
The smile died from McCurdy's lips.
There is your man." he said, pointing
to "The Pawn" "He has just con-
fessed it all to u.s."
With eyes that looked neither to the
right or the left 1.-THE Pawn" placed
his arm in that of the chief and walk
ed out and to the Jail. Already the
news was on the streets, how it had
been found necessary to drain the
well, how the body of Childress, dead
from a knife wound and weighted
down with a stone, had been found at
the bottom. It was all too horribly
true.
A scared and horror-stricken band Of
conspirators fled out of McCurdy's
Office and gathered the news from *
cited groups. While the first shock
was still tingling in the nerves of the
public a second one ran like electricity
through the town. A terrible sequel
to the tragedy had been recorded.
Chester Easter had committed suicide
Immediately on being placed in cell.
The provincial search had failed to
discover in his shoe the very k.lfe
that slew Tom Childress.
The last meeting of the Gentle
mans Club" took place that afternoon
in the back end of the Gold Eagle
Exchange" when the members with
sad and troubled faces took a solemn
oath never to disclose the true facts
Of the proving Of 1.-THE Pawn"
Copyright, by w. G. Chapman.)