Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1903-09-12 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

NORTTIERN WEEKLY GAZETTP  FUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]   .-_--..=  Mr Howitt droppcd back on to his seat. He took out his handkerchief to wipe his forehead. His smile, which had changed into a stare of terror on its reappearance, assumed a sickly hue. " N othing. Only a curious similarity." " Similarity ? What do you mean?" Whatever Mr Howitt might mean, every time the stranger opened his mouth it seemed to give him another shock. It was a moment or two before he regained sufficient control over himself to enable him to answer. "Your voice reminds me of one which I used to hear. It's a mere fugitive resemblance." "Whose voice does mine remind you of ?"  " A friend's." What was his name?" "His name was--Cookson." Mr Howitt spoke with a perceptible stammer. "Cookson? I see."  There was silence. For some cause, Mr Hewitt seemed on a sudden to have gone all limp. He sat in a sort of heap on his chair. He smoothed his hands togetlityrt as if with unconscious volition. HIS sickly smile had degenerated into a fatuous grin. His shifty eyes kept recurring, to the stranger's face in front of him. It IMS the stranger who was the next to speak. Did you hear what those men wore talking about?" c,  "They were talking of murders."  lc  "I heard rather a curious story of a murder as I came down to Weymouth in the train." "It's a sort of talk I do not care far."  "No? Perhaps not. But this was rather a singular tale. It was about a murder which took place the other day at Exeter." Mr Howitt started. "At Exeter ?"  "Yes--at E,co LeT."  The stranger stood up. As he did so, one realised how grotesquely unwieldy was his bulk. It seemed to be es much as he could do to move. The three pockets in the front of his ov.erooat were protected by buttoned flaps. He undid the buttons. As he did so, the flaps began to move. Something peeped out. Then hideous things began to creep from his pockets; efts, newts, lizards, various crawling creatures. Mr Howitt's eyes ceased to stray. They were fastened on the crawling creatures. The hideous things wriggled and writhed in all directions over the stranger. The huge man gave himself a shake. They all fell from him to the floor. They lay for a second as if stupified by the fall. Then they began to move to all four quarters of the room. Mr Howitt drew his legs under his chair. "Pretty creatures, aren't they ?" said the stranger. I like to carry  them about with me wherever I go. Don't let them touch you. Some of them are nasty if they bite." Mr Howitt tucked his Long legs ,still further under his chair. He regarded the creatures which were wriggling on the floor with a degree of aversion which was almost painful to witness. The stranger went on. "About this murder at Exeter, which I was speaking of. It was a case of two sahcitors who occupied offices together in Fare Street Hill." Mr Howitt glanced up at the stranger; then back again at the writhing newts. He rather gasped than spoke. "Fore Street Hill?"  "Yes they were partners. The name of one of them was Bolt— Andrew Bolt. By the way, I like to know with whom lam talking. May I enquire what your name is?" This time Mr Howitrt was staring at the stranger with wide-open eyes, momentarily forgetful even of the creatures which wore actually crawling beneath his chair. He stammered and he stuttered.  "My name's—llowitt. it in the hotel register." "Howitt see—l'm glad I have met you, Mr Hewitt. It seems that this man, Andrew itolt, murdered his partner, a man named Douglas Colston."  You'll see  Mr Howitt was altogether oblivious of the things upon the floor. He clutched at the arms of his chair. His voice was shrill.  "Murderedl—How do they know he murdered him P"  "It seems they have some shrewd ideas upon the point, from this." The stranger took from an inner pocket of his overcoat what proved, when he had unfolded it, to be a double-crown poster. He held it up in front of Mr Hewitt. It was headed in large letters, "MURDER! £lOO