Year: 1868

-'"After time I found Strange's assist
ance of such value to me that was able
to increase my connections very materiI
ally indeed. Being shrewd man, he was
able at the end of a twelyemonth to make
purchases and conduct my business as
we'll as Iccould. This led, naturally
enough, to a partnership being formed
between us, by, the terms of which was
to lend him five hundred pounds to put
into the business, of which he was to
have fourth of the net profits AS sure
ty for the five hundred pounds, he insurI
ed his life for another thousand. Thus,
when we commenced working together
as partners, Strange owed me eight hum
dred pounds, and held policies of in5
surance on his life for two Thousand
pounds3YaIs 9di l1 sbnsa sd nl iIits ars


"Our business trips used generally to
last from a week to a fortnight Some
times We We're detained at the port to
which we had brought the animals for
four or five days, awaiting sshe rieans of
shipping them to England; for it is not
every steamer that will take bullocks, or
sheep, or pigs, or cargo. - Sometimes one
of us would remain in London, conduct
ing the sales Of such animals as his part
ner sent him from abroad. And this
had happened when the event of which
l am now going to tell you took place.


"As Strange could speak French very
well, l often sent him alone to the fairs
in Normany and Britanny, nearly al
ways going myself to those in Holland
and the north of Germany. 1t was
somewhere near the end of certain
May that we went over to France, in
tending to remain there about six weeks,
and go from one fair to another on GER
tain round. Three or four consignments
Of beasts had reached me in London,
and the last was to come over in day
or two My partner had visited all the
fairs he intended to go to, and was to
join me- 1 wrote him at southampton,
where he was to land, saying that
would meet him there, take look atthe
cattle he had bought, and send some to
London, and go with the rest to some of
the southern counties, where there was
likely to be a market that would suit my
book. ,a 1 E'aa. esta- M


"I reached Southampton on the day
named, and met Strange. We dined to-
gether in the afternoon at small inn near
the docks, and, finding we could not get
two bedrooms, engaged double-bedded
room for the night. Then we began to
square up accounts, and spent the after
noon seeing how we stood in the matter
of money. But something that Strange
had done vexed me sorely. He had, in
the face of what / had written to him in
London to the contrary, paid some two
pounds head more for about thirty or
forty beasts than we should ever realize.


When told him how foolishly he had
acted, he answered me back that he had
done his best and that he had as much
right ,as / had to speculate with our
joint funds. To this I replied that, al
though be was undoubtedly partner in
the corpern, it was Iwho had put in all,
the capital, and that he had only an in
terest Of twenty-five per cent. in the
profits. His rejoinder 1 remember well.
He said that, if he died, I would get all
the money he owed me and more. To
this 1 retorted in passion, that I knew
it, and that I did not care how soon he
died All this wrangling took place in
the, cofee-room of the inn, before a girl
who waited on us, the cook of the house,
the barmaid, the landlady, and the land
lady's husband. The latter, when he
saw. We were getting angry, tried to
make friends between us, but in vain


We were each annoyed by, what the
other had said, as well as at our own
folly, and neither would be the first to
say he. was sorry for what had passed. :


"About six o'clock I took up my hat
and went to see some friends; ;inthe town.


When l got back it was past eleven
O'Clock, and Strange, the housemaid told
me, had been in, bed and asleep more
than an hour. I paid my share of the


bill, for l intended starting early, went
up stairs, found Strange fast asleep. and


went tebed myself. Next morning /
was called at five, packed my bag, swal-
lowed a cup of coffee, and in half an
hour was on my way to London. On
leaving the inn told the porter that my
companion was asleep, and that, as he


was only going by the ten o'clock coach
to Brighton, they need not call him yet.
l should not forget to tell you that. while
l was dressing i'll the morning, Strange
awoke, and that we shook hands over
our dispute of the previous day. We
moreover agreed to change our plans,
and Strange was to meet me in London
on the next day. AS was closing my
carpet-bag he asked me to lend him one
of my razors, thing which / had the
greatest objection to flor if I am partic-
ular about anything possess, it is about
my razors), but, having only just made
up my difference with him, L could
hardly refuse him so small favor.


"The days I am writing of were be-
fore railways had extended to South
ampton. Leaving the latter place at
half-past five in the morning, it was half
past six in the evening before / got to
town. went to bed, got up next day,
and, while I was sitting at breakfast
with mywife, our servant told me that
two gentlemen wished to speak to me.
[ went down to see them, and, before /
could open my mouth to ask them what
they wanted, found myself with hand
cuffs on, arrested for the murder of
Strange.


at seems that, finding that Strange
did not come down by halfpas nine, the,
porter went up to call him. He found
the door locked, but no key in it. After
knocking some time on the outside, the
door was broken open, and poor Strange
was found, with his throat cut from ear
to ear, and razor in his hand. The
key of the door was afterwards found in
the coffee-room, under the very bench on
which I had sat to drink my cup of cof-
fee before starting.