The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-04-03

CiSu SctiltIl iHu'eil tNiS some
where"
Ten or twelve days passed, and It.. II
came "A terrible tragedy.
The richest man in BlisSfieId was
Squire Higgins. He owned the wooden
mills. a store and several houses and
had money to lend. He was Il widow
err. but lived with his son and wife.
His room was on the ground floor.
while all others slept upstairs. He
had no safe, but kept his money in a
tin box on Il shelf in a closet. He had
q bank account over at Medina. ten
miles away, but often had $1,000 or
more in the house. One evening when
the others were ready to go to bed he
announced that he had some business
to attend to and was seated ut his
desk in the sitting room when the 9th
ers retired. About midnight the daugh-
ter-in-lav heard a fall and a groan
downstairs. and when her husband
went down to Investigate the squire
was found dead on the floor, having
been stabbed no less than Eve times
in the body,
House and grounds searched,
but the murderer had escaped. and he
had also taken with him the cash box.
which contained about 500.
Gordon seemed to take u lively inter.
est In the murder. No outside help
would have been called in and the
murderer might have gone bis way
but for the arrival Of another stranger.
he was. as it happened. a first class
detective. who was just then employed
In tracing a missing man. The crime
was q day old when he reached Bliss.
field. He heard all the particulars
from the Ioungers at the inn and then
volunteered to look the ground "
This IA a courtesy on his part
which the sheriff could not refuse. and
after supper he was taken to the
house.
The tracks in the garden were still
fresh when the detective took hold Of
the work, and in three minutes be had
made up his mind to something. He
had little to say to any Of the men.
explaining that he had not yet com
pleted his Investigations. but as he left
the house to return to the inn. while
l followed at q respectful distance. he
turned down a quiet lane, beckoned
me to follow. and when we were alone
he lighted his pipe and asked:
boy. do you know any man in town
who is lame in the left Ieg"'
l answered in the negative. but add.
ed that there was a man with q wood
en- leg at the inn. He at once began
to question me about this man. not yet
having seen him himself. and | told
him all l knew and all | bad heard.
OF course he told me nothing in re-
turn, though | heard him rhuckling to
himself. and his face betrayed the fact
that he was pleased about something.
| acted as his guide to the Jail. and
when in the presence OF the sheriff he
said:
Il want you to 60 with me to over.
haul the man with the wooden leg at
the tavern"
The sheriff, detective and constable.
with two or three other citizens. pro-
ceeded to the inn and to GOrdOn's
room. He was cool and quiet and Of.
fered cigars all around. but those who
were watching him saw him grow pale
as the sheriff began by begging his
pardon and hoped no Ofense would be
taken. but would he let them look al
his wooden leg.
Gordon faltered and bluffed and was
reaching for his pistol under his pillow
when the detective seized him. When
they had him securely bound they I'M
strapped his wooden leg, and. 10. bis
left foot was there as right as any
mans.
Yes. he was the man who had robbed
the merchant and the postmaster. and
he was also the murderer Of Squire
Higgins. On the evidence worked ur
by the detective in a couple Of hours
time Gordon was tried. convicted and
hanged. and every dollar Of the stolen
money went back to the rightful own
ers.
intermittent.
Knicker-Any luck?