The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-05-08

IOdhunter, ana that's all Cnere Is 10 IL.
l started drinking because had lost
well, | didn't care what happened to
me. SIR" Tom concluded.
You were armed, Of course, when
you went to meet STAN and have 1t out
with him?"
YES, sir: had my pistol on me-"
well, then-well. then, TOm-when
you were arrested this mornin' after
STAN fuckers body was found on the
side of the road halfway between his
home and the town, what story did
your gun tell, boy? II you had had
shootin' scrape durin' that time your
weapon would have said so-a man
| in your condition. with this difficulty
settled. wouldn't have reloaded his gun.
| What fix was yours in. TOm?"
THAT was the first thing the deputy
sheriff looked at when he placed me
his eyes dumby perplexed. Colonel
| T0dhunter, one chamber Of my pistol
was empty. l reckon | must surely
have met STAN on the road and killed
! him."
Tom" said Colonel Todhunter, al
most peadingly, "whatever way STAN
| Tucker was killed he got one shot at
| the man that killed him. His own
weapon was a-layin' right at his hand
when they found him, and one bullet
| had been fired from it. In Gods name.
my boy, if you was that other man
J ,S,t j. n
| ton of the shoOtin' scrape. It's the
| truth I'm tryin' to get at, Tom; the
| truth of how STAN Tucker came to his
death II you killed him we've got to
| know it, because the whole line Of de-
Tense has got to be based on absolute
knowledge Of the truth Of whether OF
| not it was you that shot and killed
STAN Tucker last night. Dig down in
your mind. Tom. My God, boy, you've
| got to remember everything you did
every minute of the time you say you
was out lookin' for STAN Tucker!"
Tom Strickland drew a deep breath.
1T must have been me that killed
him." he said 81 was on my way to
do it. And who else wanted to kill
him? But l can't remember anything
about it, Colonel Todhunter. I'd be
glad if could"
Colonel Todhunter sat helpless for
moment. Finally. Ibid you go home
after the hotel bar was closed?" he
asked.
NO, sir slept at the hotel last
night"
What time were you arrested"
About O'clock"
yesterday afternoon, when you had
been to Nick Bledsoe's barroom for the
first time, did you then go out to see
Lottie-May Doggett. as you told Nick
you was a-goin' to do?'
Yes, sir"
did you see herr"
Yes, sir | asked her to tell the
truth and acknowledge that had
nothing to do with her disgrace. /
told her if she didn't was going to
see STAN Tucker and make him do it
or else kill him"
| What did size say to that?"
"She laughed at me. That girls
she devil, Colonel Todhunter. She
wouldn't even acknowledge to me that
she had lied in telling Mrs. Todhunter
what she did She just laughed"
You also limited to Nick Bledsoe that
there was some serious trouble brewin'
between you and STAN about Lottte-
May. didn't your"
Il believe did. SIR"
And you told him you were bound
for STAN fuckers when you left his
barroom last night?"
! II seem to remember saying some
thing Of the sort. Colonel Todhunter
I reckon gave him a pretty good Ink
ling Of the whole affair"
THE man you sent to tel me Of your
arrest says that STAN fuckers mother
and sister says that STAN left his
home about the same time, accordin'
to Nick Bledsoe's story, that you left
Nick's place to go out there"
Its likely, sir, that he was coming
in to meet me in answer to my letter."
! tom, that would have brought you
and Siam Tucker together about half
| way between his home and the town."
| Eyes, sir"
"And STAINS body was found beside
the road just about halfway between
his home and the town"
| Il know it, colonel. The evidence
against me is about as complete as it
could be, unless somebody saw me kill
STAN. wish they did. if killed him.
It wouldn't look so much like a cold
bIooded murder in the dark then"
Colonel Todhunter went direct from
the jail to the home Of kottieMay Dog
gett. This time he found the girl there.
She met him with defiant look in
her eyes, but it seemed to Colonel Tod
hunter that there was something Of
dread as we'll. and her manner. despite
a certain bravado. suggested haunt
ing fear
IF it's grandfather you want to see.
Colonel Todhunter," she said. her voice
not quite steady. ''he amt at home
| ,srl,@ no,1, III ~rot So,no wOrl- haly1in'