Year: 1878

DOctor, SAID 1, you had companion
in the transaction to which you refer ?"


II had, l had But how can you know
anything about it? Can it be possible
that you could have suspected anything at
the time ?''


81 know all; and to spare you the shame
Of confessing | will repeat to you the par
ticulars of the transaction which bring:
remorse to your dying bed. Eighteen
years ago Mr.. Stephen Barton died, leav
ing an only son heir to his immense wealth
Mr.. Amos Barton was appointed his guar
dian. By some means, know not what
he persuaded you to assist him in his ne
fariOus designs. You administered pre-
paration to the rightful heir which pro-
duced the effect ofsimulated death. Amos
Barton procured body from the Univer.
sity Medical College in New York. While
Henry Barton lay in an insensible condi.
Etisn his body was removed from the coffin,
and substituted by the one obtained from
the city


"Great heavens how did you find all
this out? had no idea that any mortal
man, save the other guilty party, knew
anything of the matter


here related the manner in which
had ferreted out the truth, with which the
reader is already acquainted.


"But what became of the boy, the right
full heir?" asked the doctor, eagerly.


II don't know. If you remember, at
the time all this occurred left your house
and visited New York. / made every
possible search, but without any success,
except obtaining information from where
Amos Barton obtained the substitute.
debated long time whether / ought not
to make known what had discovered to
the authorities. But l knew Amos Bar
toms influence, and feared l should only
bring disgrace on myself. Besides which,
| could not bear the idea of blackening
your fair fame"


30, thank you for your consideration.
| did not deserve it. But do you think
he"


The old man hesitated, as if he dared
not give utteranee to his thought.


Murdered him, you would say" re-
joined. ''No; this very day / have dis
covered that he did not make way with
him."


And here related the conversation
had heard in the railway car.


"God grant that he may still be alive, 7"
said the old man, "and now, James, listen
to my dying words Promise me you will
use every possible exertion to discover
young Barton and reinstate him into his
property


made the promise, and few hours
after DIR. Lignon was no more.


After | returned to New York, | deba-
ted in my own mind as to the means to be
used to discover if Henry Barton was still
alive; at the same time | set watch on
the premises, 222 East Broadway, giving
orders for the messenger to inform me the
moment he caught sight of the man who
had been called Ralph.


had been home two days when my
messenger informed me that he had seen
Ralph just enter restaurant in East
Broadway. 1 Immediately started for the
place, and found the man seated in box
gazing earnestly at a young man about
twenty-five years of age, who was seated
in the box exactly opposite to him.


At last, satisfied with his scrutiny, he
left his box and advanced to the young
man.


"Young man, said he, carelessly seat
ing himself by the young mans side, "may
! ask your name ?"


"My name is Henry Graham? What
do you want with me ?"


"NO, sir, your name is Henry Murdock,
and am your father"


"You my father You know you lie.
Do you suppose that when l had the sense
to discover such was not the case when I
was a child you can impose upon me now ?"


"Oh, it's all very well for you to deny
it, but can prove that you are my son" !"


'Have done, and leave me, or rather /
will leave you, returned the young man,
rising from his seat, ''and listen to me,
fellow-if you presume to address me
again | will invoke the protection of the
law, and should that not be sufficient to
shield me from your persecution / will
take the law in my own hands"


So saying he left the place, Ralph Muir
dock followed him, and was not far be.
hind. The young man entered the ST.
Nicholas Hotel. In ten minutes | sent
up my card, and was at once admitted
into his presence. In few words l ex-
planned my business, and was perfectly
satisfied that l stood in the presence of
Henry Barton.


When Henry Barton had finished his
history, which is not essential for the pur-
pose of our sketch, we entered into long
conversation as to the best means to prove
his identity. The task was not an easy
one, and saw but one way, and that vas
to get MurdOck into our power, and make
him confess the truth. 1t was to this end
that devoted all my energies.


The messenger tAat | had set to watch
MurdOck informed me that the day after
his meeting with Henry Barton, he had
left by the Hudson River cars. l felt GER
tain he had gone to inform Amos Barton
of the discovery of the heir In two days
he had returned again.


My mind was made up what to do.
disguised myself as denizen of the Five
Points and threw myself in the mans way,
frequenting the same haunts that he did,
and ended by making him believe l be-
lOnged to the same class as himself. At
last he accosted me, and we became quite
intimate. He then proposed to me a bit
of business, which was no less than the
murder of Henry Barton l managed to
draw out from him the fact that he had
been promised five thousand dollars by
Amos Barton to effect this piece of vii
lainy. | seemingly entered eagerly into
all his plans, and it was decided that he
should give me one thousand dollars to
assist him. | allowed the affair to pro-
gress to a certain point until | had him
completely in my power. l then revealed
myself in my true character, and threat
ened him with immediate arrest unless he
would make an instant confession. This
he did after some little hesitation, and it
was properly witnessed.


Armed with this document, the confes-
sion of Doctor Lignon, and my own knowl-
edge, l presented myself to Mr.. Amos
Barton. When had told my story he at
first set me at defiance, but when l read
to him the two confessions, lie gave in at
once. Henry Barton treated him le-
niently. The uncle resigned all the es-
tates to Henry, and then left the country
for France, where he lived on an annuity