The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-06-28
The Hanpden
Murder


avenue leading to the great stone
building that had stood on Hampden
Heights for hundred years. Il -,
He had been buried three weeks,
when they tslsgraphcd for me. and,
on my arrival. ! went to the house, up
into the room where they had found
MIN lying 90 CHASTITY and grim.
The best detectives in the city had
: sxamined the house, and failed TO ind
. clue. could hardly hope to do
better than they had done. but I made
the circuit OF the apartment three
times, examined, the doors. then tho
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 70 the broad stone hearths and
wide chimneys Of ancient days.
For q moment was startled at
what ! saw, but recovering myself
stopped down and examined II.
There, firmly stamped in the half
baked ashes. was the imprint of a
foot, singulariy made affair, looking
as though the foot that wore It was
,deformed.
Invent out Of the house and passed
round to the eastern side. aS
A horse had been tethered in
cluster Of trees not far away, and
there, hidden in the rotten end Of a
decaying log. found the boot itself,
stiff with human gore.
The name of the manufacturer was
stamped on the inside, and taking the
down train the next morning, / called
at his office.
I described the article, and asked
him the name of his customer.
His name is Hughes" replied the
bootmaker, "and I 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"
I said.
"By what right do you command
such thing?"
"This."
I opened my coat and showed the
glittering badge that shone brightly
as the sunshine rested on 1t.
A shadow fell for 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
lively felt to be the one for whom
was seeking.
He suspected my object, for as ad-
vanced toward him he turned and fled
down the street.
''That was the very mani" cried
the dealer
'T thought So" replied, and hast.
lily leaving the shop, I hurried to the
chief OF police. Like a swift flash
the wires OF the telegraph had carried
q 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.
I often sent up fruit and little dell.
cacies to tempt his appetite. and once
went to his door; but he declined to
see me, stating that he was really too
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 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 his body
buried In his native state. Yielding
to. an uncomfortable impulse, I fol.
lowed the body, and seated myself
near the coffin after It had been de.
posted in the baggage car.
His wife wept 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 IL 1t would not
be pleasanter for me to sit with the
other passengers. But preferred to
remain where I was. My eyes could
not and would not leave that dismal
CONN. and I looked at II so long and
attentively that 1t seemed as II every
maitland curve would be branded on
my memory forever.
At last walked up to 1t, and was
about to turn back the reversible lid
that covered the glass over the face.
when she sprang at me with wild
cry.
What before had been in my mind
only a vague something shaped itself
suddenly into strong suspicion, and
throwing back the lid. pushed her
OF and looked In.
There, with his mouth and nose
pressed closely to small aperture In
the side of the coffin, his eyes staring