El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-06
Why John Laughed
BY Paul Wright

THE desk upon which inspector
Hodge recorded the charges al
Little Popplebury police station
| was a small one, only just large enough
to accommodate the elbows of the port
| ly chief. His subordinates, Sergt. Pott
and constable Rudge. who were looking
at a letter grasped in his trembling
| hand, were obliged to lean on their
chiefs shoulder in their eagerness to
| get their noses close to the remarkable
| document.
| 1t was an anonymous communication
sent by post, and written on a half
sheet of note paper in a scrawling, IL
literate hand, and ran asIfollows:
This is to give information to
the police that John Jones, what
killed his wife's mother with a
| 'atchet in Brick Lane ten years ago
as come home. I ave seed I'm in
the market place with a beard
The three men read the communica-
ton again and again. Then inspector
| Hodge spread himself and cast off his
| interiors from his shoulders
How shall we nab him. he asked,
with the air of a general taking counsel
with his staff.
Sergt. Potts, raw, red faced, chin
less, country yokel, enclosed between
his finger and thumb the chin that was
not there and looked wise. Constable
Rudge, a puffy checked, thickset, short
man, rasped a tune on his chin bristles
also, and there was pause
At last Sergt. Pott uttered words OF
wisdom.
II think the best thing We can do Is
to call at the Rose and Crown and
ask If anybody of the name of John
Jones is staying there"
AM gasped constable Ridge, daz-
=
Very Well, aSsented the inspector
sagely. with the air of a general anx-
ious TO encourage initiative. do that"
The crime was ten years old, and
occurred in the time of their prede-
cessors, for all three policemen came
from another part of the country.
Sergt Pott and constable Rudge set
out for the Rose and Crown" They
deployed their forces. Ridge waited
round the corner, while Pott strobe
into the hotel front entrance.) The
first person Pitt met was the head wait
er (alSo boots, hotel clerk and hall pOr-
teri, flat footed. elderly. double joint
ed man, wearing the dress suit of a
giant.
rs anybody staying here of the name
of John Jones?" asked the strategist
John Jones?" murmured the head
waiter, thoughtfully.
"A man with beard, added sergt.
Pott.-
We had gentleman with a beard
come last night, but what his name is
wait a moment That's his bag over
tnere. He's going off today"
The sergent's eyes CLEANED as he be-
held the initials y J." in brilliant
black letters on brand new kit bag
Sergt. Pott had a wonderful inspira
ton He looked inside the hat. Lo and
Ill. =, Of TOfr xr-oQ
written on the lining inside. He went
out and beckoneded to constable Ridge.
What's the matter?" gasped the
waiter.
we are going TO open that bag if
it amt locked. It's case of murder"
Forthwith Sergt Pott unclasped the
bag, and it flew open. The linen in
side was all marked John Jones" and
there was a packet of newspapers, ten
years old, held together by an elastic
band. These last contained a full story |
of the murder of John Jones's mother |
inlaw.
Hist whispered the head waiter. !
Hes coming down the stairs
John Jones was pairing his nails as /
he slowly descended the stairs, and |
walked right into the arms of the police |
men, before he was aware that he was !
Yes Jonn Jones with beardt" They /
leaped upon him and shook him roughly. /
"Nabbedr' he gasped despairingly, as
he made Il frantic lunge to the right /
Let me go"
It was a valiant struggle, and If
John Jones had not been so eager to /
damage the canstables he might have
made his escape several times. As it
was, he fought until his coat and waist
coat were torn off and all the men about
-ba inolndiDc~ toe 1adS-frOm the ]
stable arrived to secure him. Then he
surrendered with palpitating resigna-
ion.
What a sensation the capture created.
The papers were full Of the story OF
he old crime, in spite OF its horribly
grutsome nature. The whole thing was
aked up again in extenso. 1t appeared
hat John Jones' the farmer butcher, and
Ills wife's mother were continually war
ing. He was a heavy, gloomy. sullen,
Iuarrelsome fellow. who was never
Known TO smile; but the mother owned
little money, and was tolerated in
Ter daughters house. One day she
vas discovered. killed by a Ratchet
stroke in an clubhouse, and the drawer
containing her money was found to have
,een ranSacked. After that John Jones
vas never seen again, although all Eng
and was secured for him.
W
ng Importance to our story, for it is
more with the demeanOr of the pris
ner during the trial that we are con-
erned.> 1t was an extraordinary thing
hat from the moment he was locked
n his cell his whole manner changed,
nd he developed signs of indecent lev
-y
The long waiting for the trial at the
Ssizes must have damped the murder
rs spirits, for when he entered the
ock he was very pale; and his step
7as decidedly weary.
There were many proud people there |
no had bought meat of John Jones
felOng customers, relatives, fellow
1wnsmen, strangers, accusers. He
miIed at his relatives, who looked down
Dashed and shocked, and he winked at
everal strangers.
The prisoner took a very intelligent
lterest in the evidence. OF course, ne
lughed sometimes-so did the judge,
D did the counsel
Then came the address to the jury.
mr. VII ar i /