Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-02-03

.te officers by whom they flashed In
~. night and the efforts that we're
made to report them and stop them.
"Tbis way, SIR" said the cub re-
rorter. plotting him into the elevator
=, once. Here you arel" he ex-
claimed after a wild sweep upward.
he led him through a couple Of
doors and ushered him into a big
h-,ghtly lighted room where two men
sat
col Bill Hamilton. SIR said Alb
bott breathlessly. He almost felt like
salut,ng and saying, Come aboard.
sir"
oThirty-two minutes" said the night
editor. looking at his watch. VERY
well done"
"Mr. Abbott, you may remain here,
II you WISH" said the editor to the
cub ut will be interesting for you
to hear"
Thank you, SIR" said the delighted
young reporter, making himself small
and inconsiderable in a corner whence
he could hear and see everything.
you must excuse me- said the ed
itor, "for having brought you down
here so summarily at this hour Of the
night but affairs OF great moment"
you want to know about Gormly?"
I'VE do"
Well, what is it?"
Read this" said the editor.
Colonel Bill fished pair of spec
tacles out of his side pocket and de-
liberately perched them astride of his
nose. He read the letter through very
slowly. The night editor was In
fever of Impotence. Even the imper-
turbable editor-in-chief was consider
ably more agitated than usual.
Il s'pose I'm partly responsible for
IT," said old Hamilton; "for l was
down at the city hall the other night
when they had that big meeting, and
| happened to mention that Gormly
reminded me of a young Teller I used
to know out at the camp named For
dyce, George Fordyce, to a fellow
there. He was slick, smooth and
agreeable enough and we had couple
of drinks together and I let out more'n
I'd ought to. Since then, however,
I've been dom little quiet investi-
gatin' on my own hook, and I've here
In this tin box, which / brought down
with me and which l keep locked all
the time, some documents you might
like to see.'
The night editor groaned over the
long windedness of the frontiersman
What's the matter, sonny?" asked
Colonel Bill solicitously. Amt sick,
are your"
mo, no." was the answer
But go on, please, Colonel Hamil-
ton," said the editor; and will you be
as explicit as possible We are hold
ing up the paper in the hope that you
may be able to throw some light on
this matter, and time is of the great,
est importance"
81 see,' was the reply. well, then,
all that's written in that papers true
enough; but he amt told all the
truth"
Would you mind telling us what
has been suppressed or left out?"
The mans wife was run away with
as Gormly, or Fordyce as / knowed
him. says on that night he indicates,
That the woman's husband was left
dyin' on the cabin floor"
Yes"
Mex mornin', some of us, suspi-
clonln' that there might've been some
trouble, after the storm died out, got
up a crowd and went over to the
mans shack. We found him there"
"Dead?' asked the editor.
Not yet, but mighty nigh gone"
colonel Bill drew from his pocket a
Key and unlocked the tin box From
worn envelope he drew forth worn
piece OF paper, on which was written
IN pencil that was very much faded,
out still sufficiently legible, brief
message. Colonel Bill unfolded the
paper, yellow with age, and handed 1t
10 the editor, who seized it, turned to
the light, and read:
4 killed him, but 1t was In self de-
fense.-Fordyce."
That's the first bit of evidence"
he said.
it."
No, 1t don't" was the reply. For
"hen we got there, as said, he warn't
uead' and we managed to revive him
with a good drink of liquor, which
Fete Breeden-that was his name
Always would respond to-" he inter
polated. And he managed to say q
few words"
What were they?"
He said that his wife shot him and
run off with Fordyce."
Anything more?"
Then he died"
| see,' said the editor. "Gormly
.Vok the blame upon himself to shield
The woman"
II will be Colonel Hamilton's I'M
supported statement against this writ
Yen confession, though" interposed the
night editor.
~, Wen, as 1t happens" was the re-
ny the statement amt unsupport-