Year: 1878

OF life. cut his throat, almost from ear so
ear. Safe key found on his person. and
contents of safe supposed to be D. X"


In minute after this message had
been turned in. there came one from
headquarters, calling D.. Then fol-
| lowed:


is Rollins thereP Answer quickT


OF course Bob told them was.


Proceed TO Atlica on No. 2 and inves-
ligate death of Agent Pancoast,' was the
order, and as the train was due in. five
minutes, had little time for preparation.


was ready. however, when No. 2
pulled out, aud was soon driving along
through snow and sleet on my way to
The tragic scene.


now bad an opportunity to study over
the sad affair. and the causes which must
have led poor PancOast TO commit the
rash act. AS was, my custom. drove
my thoughts from the present. and, as the
saying is. went 10 the root of tho matter.





He had been agent at Attica for some
6ve years; he was also agent for the U.
s. Express Co.. doing the railroad and
express business in the same Office. He
was a single man and slept at the depot
office. He kept good company-in fact,
was a consistent Christian, and there be-
ing so few OF that class OF Christians,
ones attention Is attracted when one OF
the true metal is found. AS be did not
drink, gamble, drive iast horses or speou-
late, and consequently was not in hnsn-
cial troubles, why did he commit suicide !


But did he commit suicide?


That question | mentally answered
most decidedly in the negative, when al
hour later stood in the office and viewed
the body and surroundings. IL was .till
lying in the same position as when found,
it not having been disturbed further than
for an unauthorized examination OF the
pockets, IN which were found his watch.
q small amount of money, and the keys
to the safe. took the latter, aud open
ing the safe examined its contents.
! found but IL few small express pack
ages. of small value. according to the
/ figures marked on them. with the receipt
book belonging to the agent. 1t showed
40 other entries than OF the packages
mentioned, and il. as | supposed. he had
received any valuable packages from the
messenger or the express the night be-
fore, or for railroad freight, he had neg
lected TO make an entry OF them. or had
been murdered ere he had the opportuni-
". You see by that last how my thoughts
were drifting.


But how account for the office being
securely locked-ss well as the outer
door-and no possible sigas of forcible
entrance on doors or windowss


Wha, easier than for the murderer 10
slip into the freight room unperceived.
after Panooast had hurried out 10 The
train, conceal himself behind the freight
and when the agent locked the outer door
follow him TO the inner office and perpe-
trste the deed?


procured a light. and went prowling
around in the dark corners behind the
freight, scanning everything carefully,
and Just as was on the poin. OF going
elsewhere for clue, my eye caught
something deeply imprinted on the top oil
q box, which. on examination, found to
be the impress OF q boot-heel.


Now you may say there was nothing
strange in thst; but when | tell you that
man standing on the top of this box
could just see over the pile ot freight and
watch the inner Office, you will know that
picked up broken link-,hat the i'm
press was 10 me what the broken twig, or
faint imprint OF a foot, is 10 the scou. on
the trail.


Here, then. the murderer had stood
and watched with wistiul eyes his VICTIM.
From this lookout he had planned she
manner and time for attack. Then,
stepping carefully down, he approached
the unconscious agent, with open knife
In readiness for the fatal stroke, grasped
him, drew him quickly backward. and
with one lightning fash of the blade
across the throat the deed was done.


But to make sure OF this work he had
used the knife in giving several stabs in
the region OF The heart; and then arrang-
ing the body. and dropping the knife
near. TO give the appearance OF suicide,
he had opened the safe, abstracted only
the valuable packages. locked the doors
of the Office and freight-room with dupli-
cate keys, and fed, leaving, as he
thought, no trace.


But as studied the heel-mark 10 the
soft pine | knew that he bad left trace
"a link that determined should be
fitted 70 a chain that should bind him
hand and foot As have said, the exact
imprint of the heel was deeply impressed
into the yielding pine. The maker Of the
boot to which that heel belonged must
have had leisure, and fanciful turn of
mind, when engaged in its manufacture,
for he had made in the centre perfect
star, and there it was, every nail distinct.
|, was useless 10 think OF racing his