Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-05-06


citation. 1911
Ssosossesseeee
One evening in the early part OF the
last century man alighted from the
daily mall coach before the Royal
Arms. In Londonderry. ireland. The
porter took down a 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; "spiketaiP'
green coat, with snuff colored knee
brooches, ruffied shirt and shoes with
silver buckles. His face was cleaniy
shaven.
The stranger entered his name as Al
gernon Perkins and was assigned to
room No. 20. on the second door.
Driving out his wallet, he counted out
100 sovereigns ,$5O0l 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 a
man with fiery red beard. beaver
bell crown hat, a buzz coat with dow.
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 a room.
III should like my old rooms" he
said, "Nos. % and e."
The landlord failed to remember the
man, but, not caring to admit the fact.
told him that No. 20 was occupied,
but Is 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 nightshirt
opened his door. called porter who
was passing through the hall. slipped
half sovereign into his hand and
said to him:
"Pm 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 Il down and leave It 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.
reused himself and asked what he 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 candle
and went to his rooms.
At 8 o'clock In the morning a milk
man, stopping at the Royal Arms to
deliver milk. saw q man with red
beard emerge from the front door OF
the inn 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 20 had not left
his room; that she had listened at the
door without hearing any sound. and
she believed the room was vacant The
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.
%, that had been taken by MIR. Brough.
and as no one remembered to hnve
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 the landlord remembered
that No. % had no luggage. Then
came the milkman and told of having
seen a man In q bun suit carrying a
trunk out of the TIM early in the morn
ing. Lastly the landlord remembered
that he had hundred sovereigns OF
Mr.. Perkins money In his strongbox.
The case excited a great deal OF at
tention In the country roundabout.
Peculiar circumstances connected with
1t contributed to FIRE the public curl.
osity. Did Mr.. Brough 60 to the no
tel purposeiy to murder Mr.. Perkinsf
Who was Perkins. and who was
Brough? Did Brough get sufficient
amount to pay him for killing a man
and forever after being hunted by the
police and haunted by his conscience7
The favorite 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 It away
the next morning. But Brougb 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 a bur suit and had red
beard. He was believed to be Brough
VI