Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-02-06
He Shot Wright's
Dog
BY EDWARD LEVINE


nTTS lie, Sergeant. didn't kill
Wright. What would | want to
Kill Wright for? He was my best
friend, and if i happened to be calling
at his house that night he was muir
dered, that was on business matter.
what matter? Why, owed him a
thousand dollars, and he was pressing
me for money, and it meant ruin. A
lard man, Wright was, but l certainly
didn't kill him. I'm not murderer.
Why did | buy chat pistol? To
protect myself against burglars. The
bullet that was discharged? Why,
Killed Wright's dog with it.
well, its this way, Sergeant. was
feeling pretty murderous when |
Knocked at Wrght's door that night,
and admit had gun, but wouldn't
have used it, | just wanted to fright
en- him into giving me time about that
thousand dollars.
Wright kept hound, a great brute
Of a creature-you knew that hound,
Sergeant? Well, that night it came
rushing at me, and my nerves were so
unstrung | just fred and killed it,
what did l do with the body?
Why-thats the point, Sergeant. I'd
Knocked at Wrght's door and rung the
bell. OF course ! had no means of
knowing he'd been killed by burglar,
had I? And so 1 thought he was away.
Then I looked at the body of the
hound
1T made me feel queer all over, TO
see the great brute lying there, and
began thinking how wild Wright would
be about it, and how I'd lost all hope
of his letting up on that thousand dol.
lars. And so / carried the great crea.
lures body away on my shoulders.
The street was dark, and didn't meet
anybody.
That's how | got those bloodstains
on my coat and collar. The creature
must have bed great deal. Human
blood? Oh, no. Sergeant. Well, the
fact is, it wasn't quite dead when I
picked it up, and in its death agony it
nipped my neck. Not badly, but still
it bled some. The mark? Why. I
guess it's healed up by now. You
see, that was three days ago, and my
wounds heal quickly.
Anything else, Sergeant? Oh, yes,
what did | do with the dog? Why, !
buried the body N ditch at the bot
tom of one of my fields I'd take you
there, only I did it in the dark. and
can't remember where it was. You'll
find the animals body there But of
course all this has nothing to do with
Wright, and you can't prove anything
on me. | didn't see him on the day
he was murdered.
THE bullet is the same caliber as
my pistol? Nothing surprising in that.
Most of those pistols are the same
caliher. Yes, | guess that'l be all,
Sergeant And now | may go, maynt
!? A few more questions? Certainly.
"Why was | found digging at the
bottom of my field last night? Why,
was kind of worried about that dog.
You see, although I'd killed it, it came
to me in the night and sat yowling
beside my bed And last night, too.
So thought I'd burn the body. But
| couldn't find it. | forgot where I'd
buried it. told you that.
you've got something to show me
before | go? BY all means, Sergeant.
I've told you a straight story, and I
guess you're satisfied, aren't you? No,
| repeat once more, I did shoot
Wright's dog, and buried it, and it
came yowling and bothering me in the
night, but ] didn't shoot Wright. Don't
know anything about it. This way?
Certainly, Sergeant In this room
Why, there's Wright in the flesh !"
The detectives looked hard to see
whether the man was shamming. But
he was pointing excitedly at the big
chained dog - Wright's dog which
snarled at him from its corner
''There's Wright" he cried trium-
phantly. You needn't curse at me,
old man. You've living, and that's the
best proof didn't murder you, nor
anybody else. You'll let me go, Ser
geant? Oh, something else to show
me! NertdlLly. Dut you see HOW
Wright isn't dead, so I couldn't have
in here? Why"
A howl broke from his lips In the
temporary morgue the murdered man
was lying. just as when he had been
slain. The prisoners eyes seemed
bursting from his head. He clutched.
covering, at the sergeant.
Don't let him loose He'll bite
mel" he shrieked in terror. Eyes,
shot him-the dog, the dog, the dog,
and he won't give me any peace"