The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1912-12-11
The Hampden
Murder

avenue ledOln8 TO the great stone
building that had stood on Hampden
Heights for a hundred years.
He had been buried three weeks.
when they telegraphed for me. and
on my arrival. went to the house. up
into the room where they had found
him lying SO CHASTITY and grim.
The best detectives in the city had
examined the house. and failed to find
q clue. I could hardly hope to do
better than they had done, but made
the circuit of the apartment three
times, l examined the doors. then the
windows. and finally, without the
least idea Of finding anything. glanced
behind the screen that half concealed
the fireplace; for John Hampden. hav
ing q fondness for old-time ways
chung to the broad stone hearths and
wide chimneys of ancient days.
For q moment 7 was startled al
what I saw, but recovering myself ]
stopped down and examined 1t.
There, firmly stamped in the half
baked ashes. was the imprint of 8
foot, a singularly made affair. looking
as though the foot that wore 1t was
deformed.
I went out Of the house and passed
round to the eastern side.
A horse had been tethered in .
cluster Of trees not far. away. and
there. hidden in the rotten end Of
decaying log. found the boot itself
stiff with human gore.
The name Of the manufacturer was
81 ~, tha tpofAo opd failing the
down train the next morning. I called
at his ONCE
I described the article. and asked
him the name Of his customer.
His name IL Hughes" replied the
bootmaker. land l am now making
him another pair. He will call fol
them in less than an hour"
please detain him until ! return
U should not be In when he comes
{ said.
by what right do you command
such . thingf"
"This."
I opened my coat and showed the
giittsring badge that shons brightly
- the sunshine rested on It.
A shadow fell for . moment ON ths
aoor-silI and . half-suppressed imprs
cation reached by ears. I looked up
and standing before me. bis eyer
riveted ON the glimmering badge Of
my once. was . man whom instinct
lively felt to be the one for whom J
was seeking.
He suspected my object. for a. ad
vanced toward him he turned and lied
down the street
THAT was the very mani" cried
The dealer.
Il thought So" I replied, and hast
rly leaving the shop. hurried to the
chief of police. Like a swift fash
the wires of the telegraph had carried
. minute description Of the assassin
to all points In the city. and the out
let's Of escape were effectually guard
ID.
But like q fox under cover. he kept
10 at bay. and It was two weeks and
over ere. in the densely populated
city. I found him.
One evening q lady and two gen.
tlemen stopped at the hotel where ]
boarded, and engaged rooms. One oil
the gentlemen was very Ill. and muf
aed completely in shawls and comfort
ers.
I often sent up fruit and little deli
cacies to tempt his appetite. and once
went to his door; but he declined to
see me. stating that he was really toe
Ill and dispirited to see any one.
The next thing I heard was his
death, and his wife. a young and ele
gant-looking lady. wrote me q note,
asking me to send an undertaken to
them.
watched the hearse drive up to
the door the next morning to convey
the corpse to the train, for It had
been his request to have bis body
buried in his native state. Yielding
to an uncomfortable impulse. I fol
lowed the body, and seated myself
near the comm after 1t had been de-
posted in the baggage car.
His wife wept profusely, and would
not leave the corpse, 80 the oficials
made her as comfortable as possible
where she was.
The lady seemed very nervous. and
after q while asked me II 1t would not
be pleasanter for me to sit with the
other passengers. But I preferred to
remain where I was. My eyes could
not and would not leave that dismal
"a a