The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-01-21
The Pawned
Watch
By EuNl1 BLAKE

One morning q man entered a pawn
shop in the town of Huntsville and
offered a good watch as security for a
loan. The broker examined the watch.
then looked up at the man who had
brought it in. The latter, though fair
" well dressed, had a troubled look In
his eye.
"Whose initials are theseY asked
the broker, referring to some letters
engraved on the case.
"Oh, If you're going to hunt up my
ancestors it'll take too much time,"
replied the man, and he reached for
the watch. The broker surrendered 1t,
and the man departed.
Now, it happened that the broker
was In touch with the police and was
giving them information as to suspect
ed stolen goods offered at his shop.
He telephoned the incident, describing
the man, and q detective was put on
his track.
Let us go back three years.
Hiram jerks, q bachelor with no
relatives, one day called his clerk,
Thomas Wentworth, into his private
Office and said:
atom, I have something important
to say to you. When I first went into
business I associated with me a man
named Perkins. He speculated with
funds belonging to the firm and sank
money for me as well as himself. Aft
era quarrel I put him out of the firm,
and when we parted, giving me the
ugliest look I eve received from q
man, he said that he would get even
with me some day. Since that day l
have at times been fearful that he
would keep his word. I suppose it is
weak and foolish In me to brood over
1t, but I can't help it. At any rate, I
wish to make provision in case any
thing happens. You will find a will in
the safe leaving what little I have to
you, and you can run this business
just as I am running it now"
jerks and Wentworth lived in rooms
arose to find his employer murdered III
his bed. Whatever valuables were IN
the room had been taken, leaving the
impression that the murder had been
committed for plumber. No clew to the
murderer could be found, and when
Wentworth presented q will in his ia.
vor for probate q suspicion was arous-
ed that he had murdered the testator,
who was still a young and healthy
man, that he might enjoy the bequest
in reality instead Of In prospect. Up to
this time no evidence whatever pointed
to Wentworth, but now the police, who
had been blamed for not hunting up
the murderer, began to pick up threads
and in time concocted a scheme to fix
1.-The murder upon him. It Is astonishing
how by constant digging and putting
this and that together an apparently
good case may be made against any
accused person. Although this EVIL
dence against Wentworth rested on
the aimsiest foundation, it was enough
to set tongues wagging, and when the
structure seemed to the state attorney
to be complete the young man was ar
rested.
Wentworth was taken all aback at
the accusation. He was incapable Of
doing anything to work up a case III
his favor, but he had a sweetheart
who, after the first shock, being salts
fed Of his innocence, went to work dill
igently for evidence to prove his limo
cence. Tom told her what his en-
ployer had said to him when at the
time he informed him that he had made
him his heir and his fears that the
man who had asserted he would get
even with him some day would make
his words good. She began first to
learn something about Perkins from
the time he and his partner had sepa-
rated. She finally located him one year
after his threat and by dint Of follow
ing up different leads kept on his track
to q short time after the murder.
When the case came to trial the pros
ecution brought forth the evidence that
had been adduced by the energetic po-
lice-he was relying on the political in
duences of the force in q coming cleo
tion-bringing forth testimony of neigh
bors to prove that no one entered or
came out of the store between 10 y. m.
and Z a. M. that a voice believed to be
jerks had been heard to cry, You un-
grateful villain"!' and that Wentworth
had been seen a few days before the
murder to steal into the house with u
bludgeon.
The defense took no trouble to refute
any Of these charges. The sweetheart
Of the accused, Miss Marian Thorn
dyke. was the only important witness
on the other side. and her testimony
was elected. 10 usual, by questions Of
counsel. He led her to state how she
had hunted for Perkins. how she had
finally got on his track and how she
had located him not q week before the
trial. Then he produced q gold watch
bearing the initials IN. I. j." and
he proved by those who had seen Il In
jerks possession that 1t had belonged
to him.
This evidence having been introduced.
counsel proceeded to show how Miss
Thorndykethad located Perkins and was
watching him when he tried to pawn
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