Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-22

sheriff inside, motonin- to me TO re-
main without This added TO my fear
that was to he implicated
The two men remained inside quite
awhile nen they came out the sher-
iff walked straight up TO me 1t was
all could do to stand steady. was
conscious OF turning white He put his
hand on my shoulder and said:
Young man. shall have to hold
you under suspicion"
What proof have you?" l asked
falteringly.
He conferred with Robbins apart,
then returning to me said that during
my absence my shoes had been taken
ont to the tracks Robbins had diScov-
cred and the soles and heels fitted the
tracks exactly.
My Cod" was my only reply.
Furthermore" added Robbins. "your
shoes had on them dirt taken from the
field"
What shoes?" / asked.
I'VE found them on the FIRST floor IN
the hall"
Il have not had them on since before
supper last night. | always put on the
shoes I now wear in the evening"
| spoke In n pleading tone. for |
did not expect my words 10 Ne be-
lieved Indeed. neither OF the men paid
much attention to what | said. hut be-
gan to devise p way to make a record
of the tracks so they could be used rs
evidence A notary was sent for; then
several persons took the shoes out to
the field. and they were placed in the
tracks. and each person present made
an affidavit that the shoes fitted the
tracks. This having been done. they
took such other action as they deemed
necessary, which consisted Of notify
ing the coroner and securing the serv-
/ ices of an undertaken.
The sheriff was about to take me
to the county seat to put me in Jail
when | remembered the tracks at the
edge of the field that l had seen when
: on my way to Mr.. Goodwin's. 1t didn't
occur to me that they would do my
case any good; but, ready to catch at
straw. | told the sheriff about them.
He directed me at once to show them
TO him. and / led him to the place
where / had seen them.
ward the Morton house Whoever had
made them had evidently eudeavored
to conceal them, keeping as best he
could of the soft ground and skirting
the field. Nevertheless the print of his
shoes could be picked up here and
there till they were lost in the road be
fore the house and discovered again in
the yard. The wearer of the shoes had
climbed the fence and left faint print
under a window. The sash of that
window was found TO be unlocked.
The sheriff who conducted the in
vestigation thought for awhile, then
said:
I'VE must find third track"
why soY" asked Robbins.
But the sheriff did not reply. He
evidently had formed a theory and
hunted for nearly an hour when he
found pointing in still another direc
, ton the impression of a barefoot. 1t
had been made on a spot in the yard
which was covered with grass. The
sheriff hunted in vain fer a repetition
of it, but was unable to find one.
. Nevertheless. he knew he could learn
where the person who had made that
one imprint had gone He telephoned
at once to the county seat. where few
, bloodhounds were kept directing that
/, they be sent Immediately. When they
came he took them TO the footprint and
, held their noses down on 1t, then let
them go. They started of over the
, grass till they came TO the fence which
was topped by a fat narrow board
. There they lost the scent. The sheriff
led them to the other end OF the fence,
where they picked it up again. Fol-
lowing it across the road. they traced
, it through a wood Whoever it belong
, ed TO probably had not thought of be-
ing followed by dogs. He had walked
, on the fence top to avoid making
tracks
= Well. the subsequent developments
, are too complicated to give singly. The
dogs scented the steps 10 house
, where a man had stopped that morning
and asked for something 10 eat He
appeared very much agltated and when
I given a breakfast could not eat It.
4 From the description given Of him he
: was tracked. arrested and 5000 found
3 on him that Morton had drawn from
bank the night before. The man had
seen Morton draw the money and re-
I solved to possess himself OF IT, He
I had gone to the house over ground too
0 firm 10 leave a print After the muir
. der and robbery. seeing my shoes, he
had put them On. crossed the field to
the other side. then resumed his own
I and carried mine back to the house.
I leaving the tracks | had discovered.
X His last exit he had made In his bare
feet
r had a narrow escape from the gal
;. lows 10 find myself IN possession Of
O the Morton farm and considerable So
r curities besides Morton had married
, a youn: girl whose parents had urged
/. the match upon her She was not Of a
suitable age for him. but she was for
1 me married her. and in this way
r we both came into our own.