Part 10 (1/2)

Algernon Etheridge, One of Our Most Esteemed Citizens, Waylaid and Murdered at Long Bridge.

A DIRECT CLUE TO THE MURDERER

The Stick With Which the Crime was Committed Easily Traced to Its Owner.

The Landlord of Claymore Tavern in the Toils. He Denies His Guilt But Submits Sullenly to Arrest.

Particulars followed.

”Last evening Shelby's clean record was blackened by outrageous crime.

Some time after nightfall a carter was driving home by Factory Road, when just as he was nearing Long Bridge one of his horses s.h.i.+ed so violently that he barely escaped being thrown from his seat. As he had never known the animal to shy like this before, he was curious enough to get down and look about him for the cause. Dark Hollow is never light, but it is impenetrable after dark, and not being able to see anything, he knelt down in the road and began to feel about with his hand. This brought results. In a few moments he came upon the body of a man lying without movement, and seemingly without life.

”Long Bridge is not a favourite spot at night, and, knowing that in all probability an hour might elapse before a.s.sistance would arrive in the shape of another pa.s.ser-by, he decided to carry his story straight to Claymore Tavern. Afterwards he was heard to declare that it was fortunate his horses were headed that way instead of the other, or he might have missed seeing the skulking figure which slipped down into the ravine as he made the turn at the far end of the bridge--a figure which had no other response to his loud 'Hola!' than a short cough, hurriedly choked back. He could not see the face or identify the figure, but he knew the cough. He had heard it a hundred times; and, saying to himself, 'I'll find fellers enough at the tavern, but there's one I won't find there and that's John Scoville,' he whipped his horse up the hill and took the road to Claymore.

”And he was right. A dozen fellows started up at his call, but Scoville was not among them. He had been out for two hours; which the carter having heard, he looked down, but said nothing except 'Come along, boys!

I'll drive you to the turn of the bridge.'

”But just as they were starting Scoville appeared. He was hatless and dishevelled and reeled heavily with liquor. He also tried to smile, which made the carter lean quickly down and with very little ceremony drag him up into the cart. So with Scoville amongst them they rode quickly back to the bridge, the landlord coughing, the men all grimly silent.

”In crossing the bridge he made more than one effort to escape, but the men were determined, and when they finally stooped over the man lying in Dark Hollow, he was in their midst and was forced to stoop also.

”One flash of the lantern told the dismal tale. The man was not only dead, but murdered. His forehead had been battered in with a knotted stick; all his pockets hung out empty; and from the general disorder of his dress it was evident that his watch had been torn away by a ruthless hand. But the face they failed to recognise till some people, running down from the upper town where the alarm had by this time spread, sent up the shout of 'It's Mr. Etheridge! Judge Ostrander's great friend. Let some one run and notify the judge.'

”But the fact was settled long before the judge came upon the scene, and another fact too. In beating the bushes, they had lighted on a heavy stick. When it was brought forward and held under the strong light made by a circle of lanterns, a big movement took place in the crowd. The stick had been recognised. Indeed, it was well known to all the Claymore men. They had seen it in Scoville's hands a dozen times. Even he could not deny its owners.h.i.+p; explaining, or trying to, that he had been in the ravine looking for this stick only a little while before, and adding, as he met their eyes:

”'I lost it in these woods this afternoon. I hadn't anything to do with this killing.'

”He had not been accused; but he found it impossible to escape after this, and when at the instance of Coroner Haines he was carefully looked over and a small red ribbon found in one of his pockets, he was immediately put under arrest and taken to the city lock-up. For the ribbon had been identified as well as the stick. Oliver Ostrander, who had accompanied his father to the scene of crime, declared that he had observed it that very afternoon, dangling from one end of Mr.

Etheridge's watch-chain where it had been used to fasten temporarily a broken link.

”As we go to press we hear that Judge Ostrander has been prostrated by this blow. The deceased had been playing chess up at his house, and in taking the short cut home had met with his death.

”Long Bridge should be provided with lights. It is a dangerous place for foot pa.s.sengers on a dark night.”

A later paragraph.

”The detectives were busy this morning, going over the whole ground in the vicinity of the bridge.

”They were rewarded by two important discoveries. The impression of a foot in a certain soft place halfway up the bluff; and a small heap of fresh earth nearby which, on being dug into, revealed the watch of the murdered man. The broken chain lay with it.

”The footprint has been measured. It coincides exactly with the shoe worn that night by the suspect.