Year: 1873

II HAVE worked up many hard cases,
Il and have cornered many notorious
criminals, but never before or since, have
engaged in a case so complicated, or one
which was SO hard to clear up, as that
Stuart -Firstone murder case.
You know the Stuarts were very healthy
and the old man had only two sons, Cecil
and Gilbert; outlandish names they had, to
be sure, but they were very proud of them,
at least the younger ore. AS | said, he
had only two to bother him, and.to these,
of course, he gave the bulk of his property.
Cecil was a cripple, the result of being
dropped by careless nurse in infancy.


Gilbert, the younger of the two, was
early known to all the sports as jolly
good fellow, partly because he would al
ways stand treat, and would play bill
liards and such games; and yet he was nev-
er known to win when playing for a wager.
In this manner he sustained his reputation
of being a free-and-easy fellow. But in the
meantime his property was steadily de-
creasing until, at last, his share-which, in
the first place, would have been more than
enough for men like you and me-dwin-
died down to an Insignificant sum, and he
had to look in some other direction for
money to pay his gaming debts. He had
often applied to his brother for aid, and
had often obtained it, together with good
advice, which he promised to heed, but
never did.


Cecil was always very studious, and had
surrounded himself with all the old-fashion-
ed books that he could hear of or obtain.
And on account of his lameness this kind
of company had a charm for him that we
in good health would not feel.


Cecil was always very lenient toward
his erring brother; but at last hearing from
every source of his scrapes, he was COM
PEELED, by sense of duty, to resolve to
refuse his application for aid. And it was
not long before he had to test his resolu-
tion, for Gilbert, after an "all night" Of it
at gaming saloon, came to him and beg
ged for more money. Cecil reasoned with
him, and with tears in his eyes begged that
he would quit his wild habits But all was
of no avail, and he was compelled, much
against his brotherly feelings, to refuse
him the aid he sought. At this Gilbert
flew into frenzy of rage and left the
house, swearing that he would get the mon-
ey in some manner.


AS he was walking honeward, feeling
anything but pleasant, he saw his dead.
liest enemy riding with young lady, tc
whom he had been paying attention fol
some time, but who now gave HIM the
"cut direct" Maddened at this, he rush
ed into saloon near by, and calling fol
whisky, he swallowed glassful in an in
slant, then went home and called his bos
ON friend and counselor to him.


Albert Firstone, the friend, was bro
ken-down gambler; man who had spen
a fortune on the turf and was now nom
inally acting as a jockey for Gilbert Stuart
but was in reality his confederate II
schemes Of robbery, and, as the seque
will show, of murder. These two friend
were closeted together for long while
and time showed the result of their con
ference, though would not spoil my sto
ry by revealing too soon their nefariou
designs.


OF course you remember the excite
ment in the uptown circles when the new
of Cecil Stuart's murder was circulated
and the astonishment Of every one when /
was known that his body had been foun'
in the coal cellar Of Roger Lyons brown
stone palace. Astonishment was increase,
manifold by the intelligence that Rogc