Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-03-25

IL planned dnodu! because you
killed Tuckleton yourselfw
The district attorney sat perfectly
still. His eyes stole toward the bed
room door. What on earth was the
matter with Jack Murray? Why
didn't he shoot?
II don't know why you killed
him." went on the ineXorable voice,
but you did. I've found out that
early last spring you went to Nate
Samson and borrowed his hardware
catalogue. l sent a telegram to the
supply house getting out this cata-
logue, and their answer stated that
you had ordered from them back in
February, a butcher knife, paying
for it in stamps. They gave the
catalogue number of this butcher
knife, and the catalogue number is
the same number as that of the but
cher knife with which Tuckleton was
killed. You cut T w on the handle
of this knife, rusted it little and
ground it some, and then you
Rale, you rat, I've got you right
where you can't even wliggle,'
Billy leaned across the table to
emphasize what he was saying,
heard Slight sound in the bedroom
and promptly blew out the lamp.
With a heave of one arm he slammed
the table over on the district attor.
ney. The latter, taking the table to
his bosom, went over backward, to-
gether with the chair he sat in, and
wallowed on the floor.
Both guns exploded simultan-
eously. What happened next has
never been clear in Billy's mind. He
only knows that his head rang like
a struck bell at the shot, and burn
ing powder grains stung his ear and
neck. He fired blind. A voice above
his head cried aloud on the name of
God, a hot and sweaty body col
lapsed upon him, and he dragged
himself out from under precisely in
time to glimpse the district attorney
who, having torn open the door into
the hall, was silhouetted for an in
slant against the dim radiance
emanating from the kitchen.
Billy hunched his right shoulder,
took a snapshot, and drove an &C
curate bullet through the right leg
Of the district attorney.
Hes comm around" said Shot
gun Shillman. ''Now he'll be a in
valid nuisance for a while, like
Rale."
whats Jack trying to do?" Riley
Tyler asked. Here, take that out
of your mouthp'
II was Billy who reached Jack
Murray first. He snatched the
wadded ball of paper from Jack be-
fore he could close his teeth over it.
Billy smoothed out the crumpled
wad. 1t appeared to be letter and
a promissory note.
Billy read:
Judge Hiram Donelson,
Hillsville
Dear Sir: The man who killed
Rafe Tuckleton is the county prose
cutor, Arthur Rale. Rale owed
Tuckleton five thousand dollars on
a note and couldn't pay it. RATE
wanted his money. Early in the
evening on the day he was killed,
Tuckleton came to Rale's house
where was at the time, and de
manded payment. He brought the
note with HIM Rale refused and
they quareled. Tuckleton had been
drinking Before Tuckleton left
he said he was going to the Walton
ranch. After he left, Rale told me
he had planned some time ago to
kill Tuckleton and get the note back
at the first opportunity. This
looked like good opportunity. Rale
showed me butcher knife He
said it was just like one at the Wal
ton ranch. He had cut Tom Wal
toms initials on the handle, SO it
would be like it. Rale said he had
tried to get the original knife, but
had not been able to. This one he
had fixed up had to do. He said
when his knife was found OH Rates
body, everybody would think Hazel
Walton had killed him, and nobody