Evening journal., 1912-08-30

main WITHOUT. ms huueu 10 my rear
that was 70 be implicated.
The two men remained inside quite
awhile. When they came out the sher-
IN walked straight up to me. 1t was
all / could do to stand steady. l 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 your" asked
falterlngly.
He conferred with Robbins apart
then returning to me said that during
my absence my shoes had been taken
out to the tracks Robbins had discov-
cred and the soles and heels fitted the
tracks exactly.
my Godw was my only reply.
Furthermore. added Robbins, your
shoes had on them dirt taken from the
field"
What shoes7" I asked.
1--WE found them on the FIRST floor in
the hail."
II have not had them on since before
supper last night. l always put on the
shoes / now wear in the evening"
/ spoke In a pleading tone, for !
! did not expect my words 10 be be-
lieved. Indeed. neither Of the men paid
much attention to what l said. but be-
gan to devise n way to make a record
of the tracks so they could be used as
evidence. A notary was sent for; then
several persons took the shoes out 60
the field. and they we're 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
a 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.
As have said. they were turned to-
ward the Morton house. Whoever had
made them had evidently endeavored
to conceal them, keeping as best be
could or the soft ground and skirting
the field. Nevertheless the print OF his
shoes could be picked up here and
there TIL 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 ind third track"
'Why soY" asked Robbins.
But the sheriff did not reply. He
evidently had formed theory and
hunted for nearly an hour when be
found pointing in still another direc
ton the impression Of a barefoot. II
had been made on a spot in the YARD
which was covered with grass. Tit
sheriff hunted In vain for a repetition
of 1t. but was unable to find one.
Nevertheless. he knew he could lear
where the person who had made tina
one imprint had gone. He telephonet
at once to the county seat. where few
bloodhounds were kept. directing thai
they be sent Immediately. When they
came he took them to the footprint ant
held their noses down on it. then le
them 90. They started or over tbs
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 1t 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.
Wen, the subsequent development
are too complicated to give singly. The
dogs scented the steps TO house
where a man had stopped that morning
and asked for something TO eat Ht
appeared very much agitated and wher
given a breakfast could not eat 1t
From the description given Of him h'
was tracked. arrested and 5000 found
on him that Morton had drawn from
bank the night before The man had
seen Morton draw the money and re
solved TO possess himself Of il. Fl,
had gone to the house over ground tor
firm TO leave a print After the muir
der and robbery. seeing my shoes. hs
had put them on. crossed the field t.
the other side. then resumed his owr
and carried mine back to the house
leaving the tracks | had discovered
His last exit he had made IN his bare
feet.
bad narrow escape from the gal
lows to find myself in possession Of
the Morton farm and considerable Sc
cdrities besides. Morton had married
young girl whose parents had urged
the match upon her She was not of @
suitable age for him. but she was fol
me. l married her. and in this way
we both came into our own