Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-12-31
True
Detective Stories
NUMBER 2695

in dying condition. bullet
having drilled a hole through his lung
1t was only natural that Dennis
Tracey should take up the trail of the
murderers. Tracey was Lawrence's
closest friend on the force.
No one knew anything about thu
circumstances which led up to the
crime, and, apparently, there was lit
tie hope of discovering any clue, be-
cause Lawrence, though not dead when
discovered on the following morning,
was extremely weak from exposure
and loss of blood. According to the
physicians, It was practically GER
tainty that he would die without re-
covering consciousness.
After leaving orders at the hospital
that he was TO he notified Mt once If
his friend showed signs Of being able
to talk, Tracey visited the scene of the
shooting in the hope of being able to
find footprints or other evidence which
would assist him IN the search which
he intended TO make. The investiga-
ton, however. was entirely fruiuess.
The dying policeman's revolver had
been fired three times, bur without
ef'ect-for Tracey found the bullets
lodged in the rafters Of nearby ware
house, sufficiently close together to
provide a hazy outline OF the place
from which Lawrence's assallant must
have fired So far as Tracey was able
to reconstruct the affair, Lawrence had
come upon~some one trying to break
into the warehouse. had probably
warned him by shot over his head
and followed that by two other shots
which failed to take effect The burg
lar had then turned and fred point
blank at the policeman, dropping him
where he stood.
But who was the other MANI
This was the question to which
Tracey determined to devote as much
time as necessary, the problem with
out clue.
1t was late the following night he
fore Lawrence's condition showed any
signs Of change, and then only for the
worse The physicians gave him only
few hours to live, and Tracey hung
continually over the bed, hoping Cor
some word or sign which would pro-
vide an indication Of the murderer's
identity Finally 1t came.
With an almost superhuman effort
the dying officer raised himself on one
elbow, and gathering every ounce of
his fast-faling energy whispered the
single word
Wilkinson"
Then he fell back, dead.
But that last word was enough Had
II not been Tracey who heard It, It
would have meant nothing for the
two officers had been secretly working
on n number of recent warehouse
burgarios and they alone knew OF the
suspected connection Of Daniel VII
kinson, son Of prominent New Hamp-
shire family, with the oneman thefts.
Now Tracey knew that not only was
Wilkinson guilty Of the burglaries, but
Of fnr greater crime-the murder Of
Policeman Lawrence.
Putting himself in the place of the
criminal. Tracey felt certain that the
latter would not remain In or around
Bath. He must have known that Law.
renee had recognized him, and would
fear that the dying man would find
some way Of iinpartlng this knowledge
It was probable therefore, that he
would head for some hdlngplace
where he would be comparatively safe
Knowing that Wilkinson's family. in
an effort to whiten the character Of
the blacl; sheep, had sent him to sea a
number of years before, Tracey
thought # likely that the fugitive
would attempt to Join the crew Of a
sailing vessel and lose himself In n
foreign port He accordingly warned
the authorities Of all the New Eng
land sea ports 10 be on the watch
for man Of Wllkinson's description,
and then, securing leave Of absence,
he took up the search--combing the
waterfronts Of every city and town
from the Canadian border TO Boston.
1t was nearly six months later. af-
ter he had almost abandoned hope.
that Tracey wandered along the
wharves at Bangor and spotted the
man he wanted porting" lumber into
the schooner Good Intent, at the foot
Of the Railroad street wharf. With
out a sound the policeman edged his
way along the dock until he was be-
hind Wilkinson, and then dropped on
top Of his man, nattening him to the
deck Almost before he knew what
had happened the fugitive found him
self handcuffed and or his way back
10 Bath, there 70 he convicted Of the
murder Of William Lawrence, after
one Of the hardest fought legal battles
in the history or the state.
The fact that. IN tine shadow Of the
state prison wall az Ihomaston there
stands to-day a hredstone bearing the
numerals '.2G95," does not close the
case. for there are many who claim
that the murderer had powerful friends
who succeeded I'M saving him from the
eallows and helped spirit him ont II
the country into the Canadian North