THE HAMPDEN MURDER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11778, 28 September 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HAMPDEN MURDER.

BY M. CItOSSE.

Oia> Hampden was d^ad — wnrdered. It setmed odd that it conld be so, that morning as I waiked up the wide avenue leading to the great stone building that had sto-d on Hanapden Heights for a hundred years. I had been employed as a coachman by Mr Hampden for about three years bt-fore I took up tht3 business of a detective. I little thought the last service I should even do for John Hampf*en would be to hunt down his slayer and bring hitu to justice. lie had been bcr"u?d three weeks when they telegraphed for me, and, on my. arrival, not caring to go to the house first, I crossed the wide perk and entered the inclosore set apart as the burial plane of the Hampdeu dead Long lines of glittering monnra^ntH proclaimed the fact that these silent sleepers bad been of a shOt-lived tace, for the gleamiag columns told of m<?n cat ,off in their prime. I passed on to the last grave, a long, narrow moond of freeb beaded eartb, and read on t'ne tall, white stooe :

"JOHN HAUPDEN AGED 55 YEARS.''

This man, who sleet l'en°ath the tort at my feet, bad been my friend, and above his lowly bed I vo^ved that justice should be done him. From the ajmttcry I went to the honsf, np ioto the room where tVy hud found him lying so gl any and gri o, oa that memorable afternoon.

Itwa3 a large, sqnare apartment, fie floor covered with a white velvet carpet, sprinkled with bunchts of enmson roses ; the walls were lined with rare pictures, and the large windows hung with costly curtain p. He \<aA he?n found sitting in hi* armcbair,»i.is secretary open before him, one aim restIng on the table at hi.s side, ood a pile of old torn letters scattered around him, upon which the biood lay. One swift, cc.-t.iin blnw bad put an end to his life. I walked slowl} around the room.

As yet no one wo? suspected, and it was acknowledged to be as difficult a ■ceSJ C 8 aoy ever put into the hands of the police. The be-ut detectivrs in th<* city hid <xamined the hons<\ am) fulled to fi'id a cine. I could hardly hope to do better th«n they had done, but I wiade the circuit of the apartment thr^e times. 1 (-xjirained tin* door^, theo the windows, and finally, without the toast idea of 'finding anything, glanced behind the ecr?en that halt' sbct out th'i fireplace ; fur Ji/nn Hanipil.-?;. having » fondness for old time vays, clung to the broad stone hearths and wide chiranejs of ancient dars. l?dr a moment I was starrled at what I saw, but recovering myself, 1 stooped down and examined it. There, firm'y etarm.ed in t,h..' halfbaked ashes, was the imprint of a boot, a pingnlarly made aff«ir, looking as thoogh ihe foot that woie it was deformed .

It cftroo over me Ii!: /J a fl«sK The murderer had conceit !«■"! hiruei'if in the room, Mid coming uij !ii J >• i<,tini nnawares, haJ dc-^U the f.«'3.! '. Ij\», and

then ma!e his escape through tbe chimney. I went out of the house and passed ronnd to the eastern side, where the low, moss-covered stone wall was loose an.i crumbling. It wf.^ in a direct line wiih the chimney, snd I was convinced the mardemr bai made use of it in g tt'n.v away. Down by this wtill I crept, and searching with the keen .scent of a sletithb/'und, found the same queer marks on tlio da r nn, sofL earth on tho other tidi\

A hor«e bad been tethered in a cluster of tires not far away, and ther*, hidden in ;he rotteo end of a decaying le£, I found the boot itself.

So the Divide will had faceted me to uniavel tl.is mystery, and, picking up the clv* 1 , 1 returned to my hotel.

The name of the manufacturer was stamped on tl c inside, and taking the down train tho' next morning, I called at his office.

I described the article, and oskod him the name of his custotmr.

•His naucie is Hoghes,' rpplied the bootmaker, -and I am now making him another pair. He will call for them in lees than an hour.'

'Pleasn detain him until I return, if 1 should net be in when be come, I sai '. The bootmaker looked surprised. 'By wbatrigr.t do you command such a tbing ?'

'This.'

I opened my coat and showed the glittering shield that shone brightly a* the sunshine rested on it.

A'sbadow rested for a mcraent on the door-si'l and a half snppre>«ed imprecation reached my ears. 1 looked up. and standing befo r e wo, his eyes liveted on the gihurnenrig badgt* of my offics was the man whom I it stinct've'y felt to be the one for wLoai I wns> seek ng.

He snspected my object, for as I advanced tovvaid hi a he turned and fl.'d down the street.

That was thi very man !' cried the dealer.

'I thought so,' I replied, and. hastily leaving the shop, I hurried to the chief of police. Like a swift flash the wires of the telegraph had carried a mioule description of the assassin to all p.»ui!3 ip the city, and the outlets of escape were effectually c!o3ed.

Bnt, like a f < x under cover, he kept us at bay," and it wag two weeks an 1 o«er ere, in the denanlj-popnlatfd city, I found him.

One evening a lady and two gentlemen stopped at the hotol wh-Te I b arded, and engaged rooms. Ono of t\w Kentlemea W2S very ill, and muffled completely in shawls and comforters. As 1 listened to his sharp, gasping cough a? they carried him to his apart, merit, 1 thought he cculd not possibly la^t many months longer, and when, next morning, he was reported to be a great deal worse, I was not surprised.

I often sent up fruit and little delicacies to tempt his appetite, and once went to bis door, bnt he declined to see me, stating that he was really too ill and dispirited to see any one.

The next thing I heard was his d>ath, and his wife, a young and ele-gant-looking lady, wrote me a note, asking me to send the undertaker to tb^m.

I watched the hearse drive up to the door the next morning to convey the corpse to the train, for it had been his rfqnest to have his body buried in his native Sate, and, yielding to an untrollable impu'se, I followed the, body, and seated myself near the coffin after it had Leen deposited in the baggage car.

His wife wept profusely, and would not leave the eorpso, so the officials made her as comfortable as possible where she was;

The lady seemed very nervous, and after a while asked me if it would not be pleasanter for me to sifc with the other passengers. My eyes could not and would not lefcve that dismal coffin, nnd I looked at it so long and attootively that ifc seemed as if every nail and curve would be branded on my memory torever.

At last I Walked up <p it, and was about to torn back the reversible lid thftt covered the glaps over the facp, wb< n she pjmng at me with a wild cry.

What before had been in ray mind only a vague something, shaped itself suddenly into a strong suspid m, and throwing back the liJ, I pushed her off and looked in.

There, with h's mouth acd nose pressed clos«*ly to *i sm'ill atiortnr. 3 in the side of the coffi 1, his eyes s'aana: blind'y iTto mine, and 1113 li'-i.i face covered with great drops of sweat, was the man f<«r whom I was seeking — the murlerer of John Hampden.

lie was not. yet ifcov^red from tlie <ffects of <he drug he had taken, an! I (secured liiin easily an i bore him ba<k in triumph to jai!. where ho was eventua'ly tri«i^, convictM and hung.

Smarting for year 3 under a fancied wrong-, his sonl bad thirsted for rev?ne< j , and entering the room when dewr eJ, Hugh's bad waited for his vioti-n, anl witu one blow ended hij life.