Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-08

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not elude Peyton, who. as you know
lives In the house"
"Is your name Peter Hennig?"
Yes, it is, and 1 amt ashamed Of it
Well, I ANA sergeant of police. and
you are my prisoner"
Prisoner! What for2."
Burglary
Burglary. An whose house has l.
bin a-burglan', pray?"
Mr. Compton's, Of Plessis Park" y
Tom Smith, who was at breakfast
with old Peter, started up and demand
ed an explanation of the sergeant. We.
hemently protesting that the whole
thing was a mistake and a blunder.
The officer, who was accompanied by.
TWO other constables, took no notice.
of the young mans protest. Z!
Your name. 1 take it," he said. 'is
BASH Keith Darlington. alias Thomas
Smith. and you are also charged as an
accomplish of this man" !
The sergeant, with one OF the con-
stables, then proceeded to thoroughly
search the van. =
Whats this" said the former press
emily. as he dragged from under Peter'g
bunk" the bag left the night before
by the stranger from Redhill.
That! replied the old cheap-tackA
that's somethin' I'm a-takin' care on
for a friend O. mine"
oh, Is it?" answered the officer.
We'll, If you and your friend nave no
objection, III open 1t. and see what's
In It,"
Without any ceremony they forced
the bag, n turned out upon the floor
OF the van a heap OF plate and yalu-
BILE jewelry of all kinds.
"Hennig" said Tom Smith, half an
cry, half mystifed. what does this
mean?"
Mate replied Peter, Tn as much
in the dark as you are"
Then, while the police were bundling
the stolen property up into the bag
again, he related to his partner how
1t was the goods came there.
Smith; but 1t is clear that the plot
to ruin me has taken a fresh turn;
n how to circumvent the scoundrel
who is at the bottom of it all I am
at my Wits end to think
well. I've got an idea," whispered
the old man. that there ~letter'll not
only be the means o clearin' his up,
butu also put that other matter we
know OF straight an true"
The result Of the preliminary exami-
nation before a magistrate Of Peter.
Eennig and his partner was a fore.
gone conclusion: inasmuch as a. set of
ASyo WS1S lOu110 III IuS kEdSS
under the van: while a knife, known
to be Peters, and with his name
scratched Upon 1t, was picked up out.
side the window Of the buffers pantry;
at Plessis park. f,
The accused were, therefore, COM.
mitted to the next Guildford Assizes;,
the ball, however. Of the solicitor, en-,
ployed by Ethel to defend them, being
accepted for their appearance.
During he interval between the ex-'
animation and the trial Of Basil Dor
rington, to call him now by his proper
name. lid not once see Ethel Compton,
He heard from her frequently through.
the solicitor for the defense.
The day before the trial he received
a letter from her. which would have
told him. even II he had not known 1t
only too we'll before, that her love and,
trust were his more han ever.
MY dear" she wrote, II cannot for
many reasons. exactly explain how, butt
all will come right. Do more han hope
be sure" /,
With unblushing %effrontery Bernard,
Peyton sat in court at the solicitors
table to see and to enjoy his rivals
degradation. i
There were. however, two unpleasantl
surprises in store for him that day.
The first was When, at the bidding of
the counsel for the defense. the usher
OF the court called ETHEL Compton" as
u W1lIleSS. -
Without a trace of or
false modesty, she admitted having
written to Basil Darlington, appointing
a meeting at the usual place on the
night of the robbery. This letter she
gave to her maid to post. Mr.. Dorring-
ton did not keep the appointment.
Then the maid was called,
She said that on her way through
the a to post the letter Mr.. Compton
called her into the library. Throwing
the letter onto the hall table she found
on returning in less han five minutes
that 1t was gone.
She heard Mr.. Peyton speaking to
the butler, and pass out while she was
engaged with Mr.. Compton in the H.
brary. The time was II o'clock in the,
morning.
More h a n person In court now
notlced That Bernard Peyton's face was
! white to ghastliness.
Call Richard Drake"
The witness. a low-browed indiyi-
dual. with a stoop, had evidence to give,
which was certainly. though brief. to
the point. He declared that he had
crack the crib" n SO dispose Of
the "swag" that the cheap-jack and
his partner should nave the credit of
1t. The knife he had picked up when
Peter Hennig dropped it, during the
heat of auction time, three evenings.
peIofe, ana had placed it where the
police afterward found it. The set Of
skeletons" We're his, and he supposed
he must have maislaid them on his
night visit to Peter. They were not a
plant" Peyton was to have given
him a hundred pounds for the Job, but
all he got was a "1ver'' on account"
A couple of policemen had by this
time placed themselves one each side
OF the wretched schemer. Bernard Pey-
ton, who was in a state of complete
collapse.
In the case of the two men at the bar.
a formal verdict Of acquittal was i'm
mediately entered. ).
Richard Drake. though arrested with
ms employer, was ultimately allowed