The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-05-27

having drilled q 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 til,
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. 1t was practically Ger.
tainty that he would die without re-
covering consciousness.
After leaving orders at the hospital
that he was to be notified at once II
his friend showed signs Of being able
to talk. Tracey visited the scene Of the
shooting in the hope Of being able to
ind footprints or other evidence which
would assist him In the search which
he intended to make. The investIga-
tion. however. was entirely frultlcss.
The dying pollcemnn's revolver had
been fired three times. but without
eYect-for Tracey found the bullets
lodged In the rafters Of nearby ware
house. sufficiently close together to
provide hazy outline Of the plnce
from which Lawrence's assailant 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 a shot over his head
and followed that by two other shots
which failed to take effect. The burg
lar had then turned and fired 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.
II was late the following night be-
fore Lawrence's condition showed amy
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 for
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 oficer raised himself on one
elbow. and gathering every ounce Of
his fast-failing energy. whispered the
single word:
''Wil.kin-son !"
Then he fell back, dead.
But that last word was enough. Had
1t not been Tracey who heard 1t, II
would have meant nothing-for the
two officers had been secretly working
on number Of recent warehouse
burglaries and they alone knew Of the
suspected connection Of Daniel VIII
kinson. son Of prominent New Hamp-
shire family. with the one-man thefts.
Now Tracey knew that not only was
Wilkinson guilty Of the burgiaries. but
Of a far 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 md
some way Of imparting this knowledge
It was probable. therefore, that he
would head for some hiding-pInce
where he would be comparatively safe.
Knowing that Wilkinson's family, in
an effort to whiten the character Of
the black sheep. had sent him to sea a
number of years before. Tracey
thought 1t likely that the fugitive
would attempt to Join the crew Of a
sailing vessel and lose himself in a
foreign port. He accordingly warned
the authorities Of all the New Eng
land sea ports to be on the watch
for a man Of wilkinson'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.
It was nearly six months later, af-
ter he had almost abandoned hope,
bat Tracey wandered along the
harves at Bangor and spotted the
n he wanted porting lumber into
schooner Good Intent. at the foot
the Railroad street wharf. With
sound the policeman edged his
b along the dock until he was be.
Wilkinson, and then dropped on
Of his man, fiattenIng him to the
/. Almost before he knew what
happened the fugitive found him
handcuffed and on his way back
\ Bath, there to be convicted Of the
nurder Of William Lawrence. after
bne of the hardest-fought legal battles
In the history of the state.
The fact that. In the shadow Of the
tate prison wall at Thomaston. there
tands today a headstone bearing the
FUNERALS ''28e5." does not close the
ase. for there are many who claim
hat the murderer had powerful friends
who succeeded in saving him from the
6ailows and helped spirit him out Of
he country into the Canadian North
e.