The Meeker herald., 1912-08-10

the job and threw these fellers into
Jail. Oh. We don't need you over
here"
Have these negroes confessed?" /
asked.
mo, but they will after few days
of what we're giving 'em," laughed
the sheriff. "Oh. we'll get 'em all
right"
He readily agreed to 1t us talk
with the prisoners. To us they told
the same story they had told at the
time of their arrest: at the time the
murder must have been committed
they were busily engaged in shoot
ing craps in a colored poolroom in
the poorer part of the town.
Where did you get the money to
shoot WITH" asked Cluffer. suddenly.
WED been wuhkin' for Mr.. Brooks
who runs the brickyard, wheelin'
bricks all day." was the instant an
swer. "He done paid US OF and we
goes over to dis place and shoots
little craps all svenin'. We got folks
can swear to dat"
where were you between the time
you quit work and the time you were
arrested?" I shot at them.
I'VE went straight to dis poolroom."
they answered. I'VE wuz dere all deb
time"
Next morning we Investigated their
story quietly. We found Brooks at
his brickyard, and he substantiated
the negroes story about being paid
of. They had left the brickyard at
Ave minutes after five. and at the
poolroom 1t was said they had ar
rived at 6:15. and had remained until
late at night when they were ar
rested.
Gross of the coons," said Clutter.
"They never hau finger in this pie.
knew 1t the minute I saw 'em; coons
always try to look foxy when they're
lying. Those coons were just plain
scared. Let's 60 look at the situa-
ton"
The Bauder home we found to be
exceptionally striking even in that
town of prosperous homes. Bauder
was florist who had become a mill
lionaire by investments in oil. but he
still conducted. in the fields, imme-
diately back of his house, the florist
establishment that had given him his
start. In front of the house was the
great, well kept lawn upon which the
IL year old son had been foully done
to death.
"Mr. Bauder," said. did your lit
tie boy have any possessions on his
person or elsewhere that might tempt
q robber?"
Him? That little fellow" burst
out the old man. mo. he didn't have
q thing-not thing. o. hold on"
He stopped as II something had come
forcibly to his mind We'll, now"
he said, II never thought of that. He
had savings bank with $50 in 1t.
and / haven't seen 1t since he-since
we found him on the lawn"
A hurried and thorough search of
the house was made for the bank. 1t
could not be found. 1t was not in its
accustomed place in the childs room.
or elsewhere. 1t could not be found.
There" said Cluffer as we left the
place. sis your motive. Let's get
away and smoke and think 1t over"
We went back to the hotel, and pro-
ceeded to lay out our theory. Hav-
child's bank with $50 in 1t had dis
appeared on the same night as his
murder it was apparent that the two
were connected: the boy had been
killed for the bank, slain by some mis-
creant who valued that paltry sum
beyond a child's life. But how was
this connection to be established in
way to further our work? The boy
had been put to death out on the
lawn. The tank usually was In his
room. There had been no burglary
Of the house. No one had entered it
to take tn, bank. How could the per-
son or persons. who killed the boy.
get the bank7 Did they get 1t before
they committed their savage crime, or
afterwards? Was the murder the
main crime. or merely an incident to
= robbery? Or was the robbery
mere incident to the murder?
The chief had said that we prob
ably would md robbery to be the mo-
tive. II this was 30. then the person
or perEons who killed the boy did co
because he stood between them and
the bank They had to get lin out
Of the wey to get that fifty dollars.
They wouldn't have killed him other
wise. But the hank was-or usually
was-up in the boys room in the
house, where no intruder had entered.
Why should they kill the boy out on
the lawn to get nifty dollars in one
of the upper rooms Of the house?
Either" said /. "the boy had
caught them taking the bank-or he
had the bank with him."
Clutter sat up rigidly.
"Wow!" he said. That's some
bunch. Either someone had taken
the bank, and he knew who It was
and was going to tell on them. and
they killed him to keep him quiet
or he had It with him. believe we