The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-28
Copyright, 1911 by w. G. Chapman in
the United States and Great Brittany

Copyright, 1911, by w. u, chapman IN
the United States and Great Britain)
~ NE of tho last cases which Peter
England sS'S rsH sosns ns S%r ~ses
" called THE Broken Heel" The
murder was not cunningly planned,
but the criminal had almost escaped de-
lection through the stupidity OF the local
acty fitted in with his desires; and. hay
Ing formed il. with characteristic OBJ
stinacy they stuck To 1t until it became
untcnablc by reason OF the confession or
the murderer himself
Sir George Taunton had been client
Of mine, having extensive interests in
with him concerning these that ! had
joined Crewe i'll London. The news OF
Sir Georges death shocked me great
", for only the week previously we had
lunched together at his London club when
he appeared TO be the picture OF health
and destined for ripe old age When.
therefore. I read OF his murder in the
newspapers I Immediately telephoned
Crewe and met him al the railway sta
ton. from which we rode down to Little
Whittlefield together
Sig George Taunton had been a retired
Egyptian official For nearly twenty
years he had given UP brain and body
TO the good government OF Enslands
protectorate; and. with characteristic
ingra titude. the Egyptian agitators had
selected him as the butt of their ridicule
and vltuperation. Even when he retired
TO his country estate, TO end his days In
seclusion among his neighbors. his work
in suppressinG the mutiny at Awarba had
not been forgotten, At The height OF the
recent agitation threats of murder which
had been made in the native press. had
penetrated To Little Whttleiield, For
some reason Sir George was more hated
in secusion than lie had ever been in the
activities OF his official career. and his
death was looked upon as the one thing
necessary TO crafty the longing for Eng
lish blood which seemed TO possess por-
tion of the native press.
The Taunton estate was situated In
lonely and remote part of the west couT-
try. The highroad led past 1t from the
nearest town Quantock eleven miles
away. On the other side of the Queen
Anne mansion was a deep lake. about
mile in width. and covered with snow;
beneath which lay. at this time, good
been exceptionally severe. Where the
high road was fronted by the great gates
stood the lodge of Evans, The porter.
man who had been FOR some years in
dicted To liquor was considered trust
worthy. II was Evans, together with
Fisher. the local police chief. who met
us at the station and told us the facts
concerning the tragedy.
On the morning of the previous dav
his servants had found Sir George W.
Ing dead in his bed. a knife in his heart.
Upon his breast was a clipping from 2
newspaper. detailing briefly the threats
that had been made against the eN-oth- J
cal by member Of the Egyptian revo-
lutionists. Furthermore, stranger, a
South European had at first Dcen
thought. but, in the light Of later facts
obviously an Egyptian had been seen
during the preceding week in Quanlock,
although he had subsequently, disap-
peared. There was no doubt. said Fish
er. that this man was an agent OF The
revolu,ionists. and that. having scaled
the park wall. he had entered Sir
Georges bedchamber and murdered HIM.
afierward looting tho house and cscap-
ing. No trace Of him had yet been
found
s.r~t. III, .1.f Il
"Wc think i, was an afterthoueht.'
said Fisher. ''or perhaps he may have !
after entering the estate. He removed
all the silverware quantity of the late
Lady Taunton's jewels. which Sir George
kept in q safe. and
''fiow did he know that they were in
the safe7" asked Crewe. turning his saze
full upon Evans.
The porter flushed. Tho safe was
in the bedroom he said. denanty. 1T
was. easy 10 suspect there were jewels
inside"
''is that he took the things away in
Wheelbarrow.
"a wheelbarrow?" said Crewe. musing;
''Well must examine the premises.
THAT won't do YOU any good. gentle
men said Fisher. The man is dead
and his barrow. is with his body"
mo doubt about il, though were bound
TO make Investigations on the off
chance. Come With me gentlemen. and :
I'll show you just how he entered and
how he died.
Fisher led us TO the side entrance. |
All around the house were the tracks
OF the harrow-a single line. cut by the |
front wheel in the snow.
HAS il showed since the murder2"
Crewe den1anded.
Not a particle"
Then" said Crewe. emphatically. 'if
these arc wheelbarrow tracks where are
his boot prnrs2'
THAT puzzled us far long time, sir.
said Fisher. Finally we decided that
he must have sat in the barrow and let
il slide down this incline, You sec the
ground slopes consdera be'
"Theu there would be marks of the
barrow legs. How could he slide In IL
and hold il up at the same tlme?
He must have balanced himself be-
fore he started" Fisher replied. "And
you see. Mr.. Crewe. every few yards the
tracks cease and begin again ward or
more on one side. That's where the legs
fell down and ne covered up the tracks
with snow. There was slight thaw
Yesterday. and that hid the traces Of his
work"
Crewe grunted but said nothing Fish
er led us around The house The track
OF the wheel ran down to the frozen sur
face of the pond and thence across the
ice in a series of curves Interrupted every
tance away. In the middle Of the pond l
saw a gap Of black water. Tho wheel