The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-08-22
The Hampden
Murder
Old IIampden was dead-murdered,


that morning as | walked up the wide
avenue leading to the great stone
but di' g that had stood on Hampden
Heights for a hundred years.
Pc had been buried three weeks.
when they telegraphed for me, and,
ii my arrival, went to the house, up
into the room where they had found
him lying 30 CHASTITY and grim.
The best detectives in the city had
examined the house. and failed to find
clue. could hardly hope to do
better than they had done, but made
the circuit Of the apartment three
times, | 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 fondness for old-time ways
chung to the broad stone hearths and
wide chimneys of ancient days
For moment | was startled at
what saw. but recovering myself I
STORED down and examined It.
There, firmly stamped in the half.
baked ashes, was the imprint OF a
foot, singularly made affair." looking
as though the foot that wore II was
deformed.
went out of the house and passed
round 10 the eastern side.
horse had been tethered in a
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 manufactr"rr was
stamped on the inside, and taking the
down train the next morning | called
at his office.
/ described the article and asked
him the name Of his customer.
His name Is Hughes" replied the
bootmaker, "and ] am now making
him another pair. He will call for
them in less than an hour"
please detain him until | return,
II should not be In when he comes"
l said
by what right do you command
such a thing?"
"This."
opened my coat and showed the
glittering badge that shone brightly
as the sunshine rested on 1t.
A shadow fell for a moment on the
door-sill and half-suppressed impre-
cation reached by ears. / looked up.
and standing before me, his eyes
riveted on the glimmering badge of
my office, was man whom | instinct
lively felt to be the one for whom
was seeking.
He suspected my object, for as / ad.
vanced toward him he turned and fed
down the street
That was the very mani" cried
the dealer.
81 thought So" ! replied, and hast
lily leaving the shop, | hurried to the
chief of police. Like a swift fash
the wires of the telegraph had carried
a minute description of the assassin
to all points in the city, and the out
let's OF escape were effectually guard
ed
But like fox under cover, he kept
us at bay. and 1t was two weeks and
over ere. in the densely populated
city, | found him.
One evening a lady and two gen.
tlemen stopped at the hotel where
boarded, and engaged rooms. One of
the gentlemen was very Ill, and muf-
fed completely in shawls and comfort
ers.
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 too
III and dispirited to see any one.
The next thing I heard was his
death and his wife, young and ele-
gant-looking lady. wrote me a 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 II had
been his request to have his body
buried in his native state Yielding
to an uncomfortable impulse, ! fol-
lowed the body, and seated myself
near the coffin after It had been de-
posted in the baggage car,
His wife went profusely, and would
not leave the corpse, so the officials
made her as comfortable as possible
where she was.
The lady seemed very nervous, and
after a while asked me If It would not
be pleaspnter for me to SIT with the
other passengers. But | preferred to
remain whera ! was. My eyes could
not and would not leave that dismal
coffin, and | looked at 1t so long and
attentively that 1t seemed as II every
nail and curve would he branded on
my memory forever
At last ! walked up to It, and was
about TO turn back tho reversible lid
that covered the glass over the face,
when she lang at me with a wild
cry
What before had been in my mind
only q vague something shaped itself
suddenly into a strong suspicion. and
throwing back the lid, ! pushed heI