Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-23

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 summary at this hoar of the
night. but affairs Of great moment
You want to know about Eormly 90
I'VE do"
Well, what is it,"
Read this" said the editor.
Colonel BIZ fshed pai< Of spec
tacles out Of his side pocket and de-
hberately perched them astride Of his
nose. He read the letter through very
slowly The night editor was in a
fever of Impotence. Even the imper-
tuI D&Ele editor-in-chief was consider
ably more agitated than usual.
q s'pose I'm partly responsible for
IT," said old Hamilton; for / was
down at the city hall the other night
when they had that big meeting. and
I happened to mention that GormIy
reminded me of young felter 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 a couple
of drinks together and let out more'n
I'd ought to. Since then, however,
I've been dom a little quiet investi-
gatin on my own hook, and I've hers
in this tin box, which l brought down
with me and which I 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. "Ain's sick,
are you?"
mo, no." was the answer.
But go on, please, Colonel Hamil-
ton" said the editor; land 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 alI the
| truth"
Would you mind telling US what
has been suppressed or left out?"
1.-THE mans wife was run away With
as Gormly, or FOrdyce as knGwed
him, says on that night he indicates,
that the woman's husband vas left
dyin' on the cabin floor"
Yes"
Mex mornin', some of US, su5pi-
cionin' that there might've been some
trouble, after the storm died out, got
up a crowd and went over to che
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
a worn envelope he drew forth a worn
piece of paper, on which was written
in pencil that was very much faded,
but still sufficiently legible, brief
message. Colonel Bill unfolded the
! paper, yellow with age, and handed 1t
/ to the editor, who seized it, turned to
/ the light and read,
4 killed him. but it was in self de-
fense.-Fordyce."
That's the first bit of evidence, -
he said
The editor nodded. THAT settles
| it."
| mo, it don't" waY the reply. "Fo:
when we got there, as I said, he warm
| dead, and we managed to revive him
with q good drink of liquor, which
| Pete Breaden-that was his name
always would respond to-" he inter
| polated And he managed to say a
| few words"
What were they?"
He said that his wife shot him and
run off with Fordyce."
| Anything more?"
! Then he died"
'EI see," said the editor. "Gormly
| took the blame upon himself to shield
| the woman"
at will be Colonel HamiIton's IN
supported statement against this writ
| ten confession, though" interposed the
night editor.
We'll. as it happens" was the re-
| ply, "the statement amt unsupport-
| ed"
What more?" asked the editor
| This"
Colonel Bill from the same tin box
| fished out another object wrapped in
piece of paper He unrolled the
| paper and exhibited q fiattened leaden
| bullet.
"This come from a thirty-two cali
| Der revolver Doc Johnson, who was
| the only medical shark we had in
| them days, he performed an autopsy,
or somethin' like that, on the body of
Breeder. and he got this from It. No
man in the territory ever carried a
| thirty-two. Forty-flve's the usual
weapon for a gent out there, and this
| come from the woman's gun. I'd often
| seen her use it, and she could shoot
| most as straight as a man could, thai
! woman"
| (gO BE Continued