Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1911-05-26
BY oRvILLE GRANT

citation. 1911.
ssssssssssesssssssssssssss
One evening in the early pert Of the
last century man aIighted from the
daily mail coach before the Royal
Arms. in Londonderry, Ireland. The
porter took down a large trunk. or.
rather. ironhound boz such as was
frequently used by travellers in those
days. and carried II into the inn.
The man was dressed In the costume
OF the period-a beaver hat, the crown
J., sloping toward the top: a "spiketaIl"
green coat. with snuff colored knee
breeches, ruffied shirt and shoes with
silver buckles His face was cleanly
/ shaven.
The stranger entered his name as Al
gernon Perkins and was assigned to
room No. 26. on the second floor.
Drawing out bis wallet. he counted out
100 sovereigns ts50W and deposited
them with the landlord for safe keep
/ ing. He then went to his room, order
! ing his supper to be sent up to him.
/ About 10 O'Clock the same night
man with a fiery red beard. a beaver
bell crown bat. buff coat with Cow
I ing skirt and trousers. recently in
fashion, tight to the skin and strapped
over his instep. entered the same inn,
gave his name as David Brough and
called for room.
II should like my old rooms," he
said. mos 25 and 26"
The landlord failed to remember the
man, but, not caring to admit the fact.
4, told him that No. 20 was occupied.
but % was vacant. with an express
sion Of dissatisfaction at not getting
both rooms he accepted the substitute.
Then he went upstairs.
Later Mr.. Brough in his nlghtshirt
opened bis door. called porter who
was passing through the hall. slipped
half sovereign into bis hand and
said to him:
"I'm to go of in the Royal mail ear
ly in the morning and wish my trunk
to be ready to lift on to the coach.
Carry 1t down and leave 1t In the hall
below, near the front door"
The porter pocketed the tip, car
ried the trunk downstairs and placed
1t beside the front door. The landlord.
who was nodding behind the bar.
reused himself and asked what be was
doing. The porter told him that
gentleman who was going early in the
morning had ordered him to place the
trunk where 1t would be ready. The
landlord soon after took up a candle
and went to his rooms.
At 5 O'Clock in the morning milk
man. stopping at the Royal Arms to
deliver milk, saw a man with a red
beard emerge from the front door Of
the i'm carrying heavy trunk under
the weight Of which he staggered and
pass down the street. The milkman
delivered the inns morning supply Of
milk and drove away. thinking no
more Of the matter.
At 10 O'Clock the same morning
housemaid reported to the landlord
that the gentleman in 26 had not left
his room: that she bad listened at the
door without hearing any sound. and
sh, believed the room was vacant. The
landlord went to the room with her,
knocked and, receiving no reply. kick
cd open the door.
The room was found vacant and in
confusion. 1t communicated with No.
rs, that had been taken by Mr.. Brough.
and as no one remembered to have
seen that gentleman since the night
before the landlord tapped on the door
between the two rooms. Receiving no
reply. he opened the door. went into
the room and found that the bed had
not been slept in. Bloodstains were
found on the towels.
Subsequently the porter told how he
had been paid large fee by the oc-
cupant of No. % to carry down his
trunk. and he landlord remembered
that No. 25 had no luggage. Their
came the mIlkman and told Of having
seen a man in bun suit carrying
trunk out Of the inn early in the morn
ing. Lastly the landlord remembered
that he had a hundred sovereigns of
Mr.. Perkins money in his strongbox.
The case excited great deal Of at
tention In the country roundabout.
Peculiar circumstances connected with
It contributed to fire the public curl
osity. Did Mr. Brough go to the ho-
tel purposely to murder Mr.. Perkinsl
Who was Perkins. and who was
Brough? Did Brough get sufficient
amount to pay him for killing man
and forever after being hunted by the
police and haunted by his conscience:
The favorife theory was that Brough
knew that Perkins had a hundred SOW
ereIgns on his person; that he had fol
lowed him to the inn. taken room
communicating with Perkins room.
entered the latter during the night.
murdered Perkins. packed the body
in Perkins trunk and carried 1t away
the next morning. But Brough was
probably unaware that Perkins had
deposited the money with the land
lord and probably after all missed
what he was after.
Since no one knew where Mr..
Brough had gone-and there were no
trained detectives in those days there
was nothing to do but wait for In
formation to come of itself. 1t was
learned in few days that a gentle
man carrying his own trunk outside
the city had stopped the coach going
northward and been taken on. The
man wore bur suit and had red
beard He was believed TO he BrouRh.