The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-04-24
BY ORVILLE GRANT


daily mail coach before the Royal
Arms. In Londonderry, Ireland The
porter took down large trunk, or,
rather, ironbound box such as was
frequently used by travellers in those
days. and carried 1t into the Inn.
The man was dressed in the costume
of the period-a beaver hat. the crown
sloping toward the top; a 'spiketail"
green coat. with snuff colored knee
breeches. ruff1ed 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. 20. on the second floor.
Drawing out his wallet be counted out
100 sovereigns $500, 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. beaver
bell crown hat, buff coat with t1ow-
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. % and %"
The landlord failed to remember the
man, but, not caring to admit the fact,
told him that No. 26 was occupied.
but 25 was vacant. With an express
sion OF dissatisfaction at not getting
both rooms he accepted the substitute.
Then he went upstairs.
Later MIR. Brough In bis nightshirt
opened his door, called a porter who
was passing through the hall. slipped
a half sovereign into his hand and
said to him:
I'm to go of in the Royal mail ear
" In the morning and wish my trunk
to be ready to lift on to the coach.
Garry 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
IT beside the front door. The landlord
who was nodding behind the bar
l
| doing. The porter told him that
gentleman who was going early in tn
morning had ordered him to place tn
| trunk where 1t would be ready. TIL
landlord soon after took up candle
| and went to his rooms
AT O'Clock in the morning a milk
| man. stopping at the Royal Arms TO
deliver milk. saw man with req
beard emerge from the front door or
the inn carrying a heavy trunk under
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 70 had not LETT
his room: that she had listened at the
door without hearing any sound. ana
she believed the room was vacant Inc
landlord went to the room with her,
knocked and. receiving no reply, KICK
ed open the door.
The room was found vacant and In
confusion. 1t communicated with NO.
Is, 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 nao
not been slept in. Bloodstains were
found on the towels.
Ia arfa how
had been paid large fee by the oc
cupant Of No Is to carry down his
trunk, and the landlord remembered
that No. 25 had no luggage. Ihen
came the milkman and told Of having
seen a man in q buff suit carrying
trunk out of the Inn early In the morn
ing. Lastly the landlord remembered
that he had hundred sovereigns OF
Mr.. Perkins money in his strongbox.
The case excited great deal OF al
tention In the country roundabout
Peculiar circumstances connected with
IL contributed to FIRE the public curl
osity. Did Mr. Brough go to the no
tel purposely to murder Mr. Perkins
Who WAS Perkins, and who was
Brougb? Did Brough get suthcient
amount to pay him for killing man
and forever after being hunted by the
police and haunted by his conscience
The favorite theory was that Brough
knew that Perkins had hundred SOY
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
proba bly, unaware that Perkins mad
deposited the money with the land
lord and probably after all missed
what be was after.
Since no one knew where Mr.
Brougb 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. II was
learned In a few days that gentle
man carrying bis own trunk outside
the city had stopped the coarb going
northward and been taken on The
n ..A