The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-02-07
THE TRAGEDY OF
THOMAS HEARNE

all mankind?" suggested.
It was a bitter night, and the in
spector and / were blowing our to-
bacco from seats confronting before a
roaring fire. The wind rafting at the
hasp OF the window added the luxury
of a reminder that 1t must be ex-
tremely unpleasant in the sleet-swept
streets outside.
"Not how bad men are; 1t is how
good they are that Is surprising"
quoted Peace, with a nod Of his
head.
We sat in silence for while before
he spoke again.
II have let a breaker OF the law
go free In my time-perhaps more
than once" he continued. The law
cannot take cognizance OF all the
tricks that Fate plays on man."
I smelt tale, and remained silent.
Peace laughed.
"You think you have driven me
into story-telling?" he said.
II am at your mercy; but I hope
So told him.
He leant forward, tapping the ashes
from his pipe against the brass of the
fender. Then he began
About year ago received a
message from Guys hospital that
there was patient lying very Ill who
wished to see me. l recognized him
the moment set foot in the ward-a
gentleman born and bred who had
slipped down the ladder from running
his own horses to lodging the police
as a bookmaker's tout. He was
half-and-half man-too lazily clever to
be quite honest, and too honest to be
quite a criminal. Poor Jack Hender-
son! A good man gone wrong-let
that be his epitaph when 1t comes to
setting up his headstone.
"'Well, Henderson, said, what's
the trouble?'
"I'm done, Peace he whispered.
They've no more use for me this side
of the black river; but 1 wanted to
see you before answered the CALL
"'You mustn't talk like that I
said, though he was looking pretty
bad. They'll put you on your legs
again In a month. You can bet on
that, my lad
"'It don't matter much either way
he smiled. in a quiet way he had
so let us get to business. You had
your share Of trouble, understand, in
the matter of julius Craig last spring.
II nodded.
"T was In that job he said; and
after what happened should like to
tell Won the truth about 1t. may have
been q pretty bad lot In my time. In
spector; but l had my limits. and
murder was one of them
II won't try to give you his exact |
words. for the poor fellow spoke very
slowly, with big pauses In between.
But this Is close upon the story as he
told It to me.
/ expect you know the Blue Shield
IN Percher street. Take them one
with another, the customers are about
The worst crowd In all London. One
Saturday night, towards the end OF |
year, had joined the |
gang there, hoping to meet some
friend with the price Of drink upon
lim, for was broke to the wide, wide
world. Bill Redman, who was after
wards Jagged for bank note forgeries
n Manchester, had just ordered me
whisky, and l was sitting on stool
the barman reach down the
special Scotch, when in walked
noon-faced fellow, very fat and pros
porous, with dark blue overcoat and
! diamond in his necktie. He looked
about him. screwing up his eyes as
,ear-sighted man will do, and then
,ame over to where I was sitting.
Mr.. Henderson, believer" he
laid.
That's my name," I told him, won.
lering who he might be.
Il have been recommended to you
~ a-by a mutual friend" he said;
but cannot discuss my business
,ere. My carriage is waiting. II you
Will give me your company for ten
hesitated moment, until Redman,
Who seemed to know him, leant
across. whispering that should be q
DOL to refuse. The stranger pushed
ne into a brougham that was stand
ng by the pavement opposite the door
md We started off at smart pace.
Once In Regents park, however, the
iriver pulled his horse to walk,
ind my companion began to do his
alking.
Five hundred sovereigns would be
Useful to you these days-eh, Mr..
There was smile all over his fat
ace as he said the words, and he
,huckled softly to himself with
sound like water coming out OF bot
lie. It seemed an offer of life to me
"a promise Of everything the lack OF
which makes each day a torment to
he man who has known clean COM
ort.
rs It MURDER" I asked him.
"Oh. my dear sir. you surprise mel"
le cried, lifting his fiabby hands.
What a horrible suggestion! Allow