The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-06-19
BY,
HORACE
HAZELTINE

There was still another feature OF
the revelation, however, which held a
contrasting pathos. The letter which
carried conviction beyond all possible
dispute was from Donald McNish's
aged mother. And while II tempered
In measure the harshnoss OF my
Judgment against the son, It was 0i
tragic import, IN that Il was one po-
tent piece OF evidence in his undoing.
seycrlng the last link in the chain
which connected his identity with that
OF the shamefully mallgned Cameron.
Evelyn wept over this letter. and
am not sure but that my own sight
grew hazy, too. as | read the fond.
quantity couched phrases OF endear-
ment, penned half a year back In Dun
dee, by this God.fearing old Scotch.
woman. to that Infamous, blood-stained
reprobate, who, 10 her, was still her
ain bonnie BARN"
II all came out. eventually, that Nc.
/ Nish had Travelled the world over in
the sixteen years Intervening since the
| coolie massacre, employing score or
/
avoiding the name by which he had
then been known, as to have almost
forgotten &, FTcbably, himself. until
yielding TO the call OF home, he had at
some early period OF the last twelve
month returned for brief visit to his
native town and his septuagenarian
mother.
II was then, most likely, that he
gave TO her the address Of the New
York hotel. Fate influenced the moth.
er TO write, and Fate sent the son
there six months later to get the let.
ter, and so carry upon his person the
coniigmatory evidence Of his identity,
Just at the time when Il would prove
fatal
How did It happen" have been
asked, that you didn't examine imme
dlately the clothes that the supposed
Cameron wore. when you found him."
In view OF subsequent events 1t is
very easy to see what an important |
bearing such an examination would |
have had But at the time, there was |
no one who thought OF It. Our chief |
purpose then was to get the injured |
man to bed. and to secure physician
and nurse to minister to his recovery !
II he had been found dead, then, OF |
course, wo should have cleaned what |
information we could from his pockets. |
But We daily expected him to be able |
to tell his own story, and in the anx-
lety and confusion OF the moment the
possible pregnancy of the disclosures
that lurked in his apparel was entire
ly lost sight Of.
When We did make the examination,
on the morning following the episode
Of the letter, Il was TO discover that
the suit and overcoat worn by McN!sh
were OF Scotch manufacture, having
been made In Dundee. according to
sewnin labels. early in the current
year.
The contents OF the pockets We're
not significant. The letter he had
been so anxious to secure and destroy
was the only letter, apparently, he had
carried. There was a chequebook on
n Chicago bank, and there was wal.
lot containing small sum OF money
In bills, and few business cards of
importing houses, which we took TO
indicate that the possessor was stll
dcsultorily engaged in trade, or some
fPaniAs Of smuggling. with the Malay
states and the Straits settlements as
hts field, since most of the cards made
reference to goods OF such origin.
That morning, which succeeded the
night OF exciting events already de.
tailed was crowded with another sue
cessIon OF happenings scarcely less
sensational.
At seven o'clock, O'Hara, in obedi.
ence to my instructions came TO my
room In the Loyalton, rousing me out
Of n heavy sleep; for | had not got to
bed until four. and then had lain
awake with teemlng brain until after
five. | received him in bath robe and
moles. sitting on the bedside, and sip.
ping coffee. while he. perched on a !
low, brass.bound clothes chest, poured ]
forth his story.
"Sleep!" he echoed. when | had !
made my apologies. Il haven't had q :
wink, myself. I've been with the boys !
Ill night doing as pretty roundup
rs you ever see. We've got the bunch I
right this time. Mr.. Clyde, and therell
be a clearin' out down there In China. q
own such as hasn't been known since I
he Chinks discovered Doyers street" O
Yes" said. encouragingly. '
"lt's another war OF the tongs," he !
vent on. They have EN- periodically. t
you know. and there's always few OF c
he moon.faced boys snuffed out, which
lint much loss nohow. But this time 4
hey interfcred. you see. with you and I
Miss Grayson. and they beat up that a
lriver of our buzzcarriage something B
ierce; and the Commissioners issued u
,rders to put the whole yellow popula. !
ion on the pan II necessary to get the
mes what is responsible"
Were any arrests nader" I In. Z
Iuired. o
O'Hara smiled. Were any arrests a
nader" no repeated In tone that in I
Heated supreme pity for my ignorance. c
Why, we took 'em In by the whole 7