The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-06-30

death In the electric chair. AS soon
as could sufficiently compose myself
/ read every word there was in the
newspapers about this new tragedy
smiling grimly ut the thought that at
least they could not blame this mur-
der on me.
Mr.. CASTOR, 1t appeared, had come
to the Granddeck about ten o'clock in
the morning and had gone ut once to
his apartment. On his arrival he had
been greeted by the telephone girl and
mad Informed her that he was only in
the city for n few days and was stay
ing at hotel. He had added that he
would not be occupying the apartment
for several weeks until his wife's re-
turn to the city. About hulf.past
twelve sthere had come telephone
call for him. The girl had been un.
able to get any response from the
apartment. Knowing that he had not
gone out, and fearing that he might
haye had sudden attack Of Illness,
she had become alarmed and notified
hir. Wick, the superintendent.
The superintendent. the account
Kent the owner of the Granddeck
apartments. Together they had gone
to Mr.. GastonS rooms. Seing unable
to get any reply to repeated rings and
knocks they had finally let themselves
In with Il pass key in possession of
the owner Of the building.
In his study in the rear of the
apartment they were Mortified to find
old Rufus CASTOR, fully clad, lying on
the floor, face down, stone dend. A
great wound on the back Of his head
showed that he had been killed, prob
nbly instantly, by Il terrific blow from
some sort of a blunt instrument. A
search of the rooms failed to show
any sort OF weapon.
The police theory was that the crime
was undoubtedly the work Of a bur-
glar who had been trapped by the re-
turn of Mr.. Castor so unexpectedly
to his apartment. How the murderer
escaped after attacking Mr.. CASTOR
was n puzzle to the detectives at work
on the case. The superintendent of
the building expressed the opinion that
the murderer had gained access in the
guise Of meter inspector. Attend
ants in the hall recalled that there
had been such man in the building
that morning AS he wore the usual
uniform and presented the customary
credentials. he had been permitted to
enter and leave the. building unmo-
Tested.
There followe long review OF Ru-
fus Customs bus. ess career and an
estimate Of some of his extensive hold
ings In stocks, bonds and real estate,
from which 1t appeared that his for
tune was likely to run to over ten
million dollars 1t was with some SUR
prise that l learned that n score or
more of years ago the old man nppar-
emily had been n powerful figure in
the life of the metropolis, active both
In Its business and social life.
What Interested lie most was the
attention paid to the remarkable CO.
incidence that only few weeks be.
fore murder had taken place in the
apartment just below, under practi-
cnlly the same circumstances. The DO.
lice. the account stated, were inclined
to believe that the murderer was one
Of the gang to which young Nelson,
now In prison charged with the muir
der If NnsS Lutnn. undoubtedly be-
lOngcd. Their theory was that Il bur
glar gang succeeded In planting Mel.
son In the apartment ag caretaker,
and that this enabled them To get
their bearings in the building and pro.
vide themselves with false keys for
ranSncking the rooms at their leisure.
The guilt Of young Nelson, the police
say, Is established beyond question.
and they are hopeful OF being able to
round up his associates
There was also n brief interview
with Wick In which he was quoted as
saying:
II was suspicious OF Nelson from
the start and tried to keep an eye on
him. He was very sccrctivc about his
comings and gOings and was always
prying about trying to learn some.
thing about the other tenants. How
Mr Castor came to employ him ns
cnrctakor never learned, hut It would
be no hard matter for Il slick young
crook like him to impose on so old
man as Mr.. CASTOR with cock and
bull story"
shifted Indignantly as I read this.
Knew that Wick was deliberately try
inb 20 SIN further diScrcdit me.
recalled that he himself had told me
thrt Mr.. Castor had mentioned our
relationship. 1t was obvious that he
was deliberately Withholding this in
formation With Il SimiStcr nllrpoSe