Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1887 — THE TRAMP DETECTIVE. [ARTICLE]

THE TRAMP DETECTIVE.

BY HENRY DALE.

“I say, Miss, can’t ye gin a pore feller a bite to eat? I’m een amost starved.” It was a ragged, dust-covered tramp who thus accosted Olivia Shortridge as she stood with arms folded by the kitchen table. The fellow had entered the door and Btood in the middle of the room before she perceived him. He was a savage-looking fellow, his uncombed locks plainly to be seen beneath his battered hat, and his rough beard seemingly wholly unacquainted with soap or razor, while his eyes glared with a hungry ferocity. Any other girl would have moaned at sight of the tramp, but Olivia was brave as she was pretty and kind. Her large blue ■eyes scanned the man for a moment, and she perceived that he was really suffering with hunger, whatever his faults might be. The farm at Cedar Crest was one of the finest in the country, and the ereat old farmhouse was weli supplied with food; then why. should she refuse this poor, suffering man a morsel. “I swar, Miss, I aint had a bite to eat today,” said the tramp, in a tone half pathetic and half savage, with nothing of the professional whine of a beggar. “Could you get nothing to eat?” she asked, her blue eyes beaming more sympathetic. “No, I couldn’t; I swar it.” “Then it shall never be said that any one was turned hungry from my father’s house,” said Olivia, and she quickly set before the tramp provisions that were a feast to him. He ate ravenously, and the food had almost entirely disappeared when he rose from the table, and donned his dilapidated hat, which he had tucked under the table before sitting down. “Take what is left—you may need it before you get more,” said Olivia. “God bless ye. gal,” said the tramp, as he crammed the biscuit into his capacious pockets. “Ye’ve got a heart in ye, which I wish all other people had, then they wouldn’t make sich devils out o’ us as they do. I’m a bad man, I know it, but they made me what I am. Till the strike came I hed work, but now I’m out on the road, an’ I dun know where next bite’s to come from.” Having taken all the remaining provisions (hat had been set before him, the tramp left the house after once more thanking the farmer’s pretty daughter for her kindness and generosity. As Olivia stood in the doorway, the rays of the setting sun falling upon her golden hair, and watched the tramp go down the road, that individual turned about and gazed once more at the pretty girl. Some noble thoughts were in the heart of that /reckless vagabond, and, as he trudged on, he muttered to himself:

“People ain't all bad—no use to say they ar! I ain't mistaken, nuther, when I say that that gal’s a angel.” His soliloquy was in an undertone, and he was at too great a distance from the girl to be heard by her. “I wonder what time father will come home,” said the pretly girl as she Btood gazing down the great road. “Olivia,” called her mother from another apartment, “who was in the kitchen a moment ago?” “A hungry man, mother.” “A tramp?” “Yes, mother.” “Did you give him something to eat?” “if course, mother; I couldn’t have any •one go away hungry.” “That is right in the abstract, I reckin, my child, but it ’pears to me we have a great many tramps cornin’ around the country now.” “I wish father would come home,” the pretty girl sighed, in a tone loud enough to be heard by her mother. “Oh, he wont be back until late. Mr. Dong is going to pay off the mortgage on his place, and your father said it might be late before he got back. ” “Teat is the reason I am anxious about father now,” said Olivia to herself. “Father will bring the money home with him to take to the bank at Carthage tomorrow, for there is no bank at the village, and I do not like having him travel about the country with so much money—especially after night.” The clatter of hoofs came from down the road, and the eyes of the beautiful girl brightened as a young man, mounted on a dark bay horse, galloped into view. “It’s Harry,” she cried, and hastened around to the front gate just as Harry drew hpThere was an eager sparkle in the eyes of the youthful horseman and pretty maiden, which would convince any one at once that they were lovers. ‘ ‘ : '

“Olivia, I met the hardest-looking tramp a few moments ago.” said Hairy, as he sprang from the saddle, to talk a moment to his sweetheart at the gute, “that I ever met in my life.” , “He was here.” “He was? Did he not scare you almoet to death?” : “Ob, no; lam not afraid of him. I gave him his dinner. ” “Yon did? Why the rascal might come and burn the house down.” “He would be very ungrateful if he did. Have you been to the village Harry.” “Yes.” ”Did you see father there?” “Yes; what is he doing?” “Mr. Long is to pay off his mortgage to-day.” “Is that so?” asked Harry, fixing his large, dark gray eyes on the pretty girl’s face. After a few moments more Harry mounted his horse and started up the road toward his father’s farm, and his betrothed went into the house. In the mean while, Tom Trudge, the tramp was slowly wending his way along the wooded road, keeping a sharp lookout about him for a comfortable place where he could pass the night. The sun had gone down before he came to the great bridge which spanned Sherry Creek; and by the time he had reached the dark cut that ran between the hills on the other side it was quite dark. “He’s goin’ to come this way,” the tramp suddenly heard somebody say. He stopped and listened. There came sounds of human voices at no great distance away. Habitually cautions, the tramp crept forward until he was within a few feet of where the conversation was going on. He saw three dark forms standing under the shadow of a projecting rock close to the roadside, and there Tom Trudge lay down among some bushes to listen. “It’ll all be right,” one voice said,. “He’s got it sure!” “Know it.” “How much?” “Good big haul.” “Well, now, how’s this thing to be covered up. We’ve got to lay it on some one.” A silence ensued, and then one of the men spoke up. “I tell ye what we can do. Tho country’s full of tramps, and we’ll lay it on them.”

“Yes, hatchin’ more deviltry off on us,” growled the tramp, as he lay crouching Tike a beast of prey in the thicket. “All the sin o’ the world is packed off on ter us. We do enough, God knows, without havin’ it all packed off onto us.” He did not speak loud enough to be heard by the group in consultation. “It’s about time,” said one. “D’ye think it's all right?” “Of course it is.” “Mind you,” said another more cautious speaker, “there’s not to be anyone hurt. I wouldn’t for the world have a drop of blood spilled.” “Otto, yer gittin’ squeamish!” “Now, you know when I mentioned this thing, Bill, that that was the understanding—no one was to be hurt. I occupy a respectable position in this community, and I can not afford to do anything that would compel me to leave. You and Nettles will neither be recognized by him. You can do the work, bring the swag to me, and we will go. You have the masks on your faces?” “ Ves.” “Now, don’t go to making any blunders. If my home wasn’t about to be sold from over my head, I wouldn’t think of such a thing; but I can’t see my children ” “Whist, there comes some one!” “It’s a horseman, too!” “It’s he!” “Get ready now, and be careful—remember vhat I said to you.” “Wonder what ther goin’ ter do?” the tramp asked himself. The sound of horses’ feet could now be distinctly heard, and the concealed tramp from his position became conscious that two of the ambu?hed men, for some purpose, had crept to the roadside, where they were crouching like wild animals in ambush. “I’d help that ar feller what’s goin’ ter run inter tiouble,” thought the tramp, “but then I’d never be thanked fur it, an’ maybe git six months in jail. Guess I’ll jest let ’em fight it out.” “Stop!” called a voice in the darkness. The horse came to a halt, snorted in terror, and started back. There was the sound of a scuffle. Some one had seized the horse by the rein. “Let go!” “Git down!” “Take that!” “Bang!” went a pistol, the flash from the shot showed three or four objects engaged in a struggle. A horse was rearing and plunging, while two dark forms were trying to drag the rider from the saddle. Another shot was fired by the brave horseman, who was determined to defend himself and property against the footpads. There was a cry of pain and an oath.

“Es that’s what ye want we’ll give ye enough.” Two or three quick blows followed, a sharp cry, a gushing sob, and the man fell to the ground. He lay very quiet, and the tramp, through the darkness, could only see two dark forms bending over him. When they rose one of them carried a heavy wallet, and the horseman still lay upon the ground. The horse had broken away, and, snorting with terror, ran down the load. “Here’s tho swag, Otto,” said one of them, handiug the large wallet to the third man, who had remained concealed. “But did vou hurt him?” “We had to.” “Great l eaven! yon didn’t ” “Yes, we did, Otto, he’s dead; it was his life or ours, and Bill done it, though we re all guilty alike.” “Bill, Bill,” almost screamed the man called Otto, “why, in God’s name, did yon do it, when I told you not to?” “Quit; stop a shakin’ me,” said Bill. “He shot me iu the shoulder, .4nd I knifed him.” “Oh! wlat shall we do?” groaned Otto. “Let us run home at once before we are found at t.iis infernal spot.” “I’ve dropped the kuife.” “Was it your own—may be it will be recognized?” “No; it’s one I found yesterday.” “Tnen let the owner of it prove himself innocent. For heaven’s sake let us go. ” The three men hurried away, and the tramp, who was now interested in the tragedy, crept from his place of concealment, and for a moment gazed on the ghastly body, which lay stark aDd cold on the ground, the smooth-shaved face of the

murdered man gazing up into the dark sky, and then followed carefully after the retreating footpads. Long Olivia and her mother awaited the return of the husband and father. At midnight he had not come, and, unable longer to remain in ignorance of the cause of his strange absence, they roused the hired man and sent him out to see if he could learn what was detaining Mr. Shortridge. He went, and—reader, let us draw a veil over the scene of horror that followed. The whole country was wild over the affair. That a cold-blooded murder and highway robbeiy should be perpetrated in this quiet and hitherto peaceful neighborhood was an astonishment and horror to everybody. For days the wildest excitement that had ever been known prevailed. Who had done the awful deed? “It was the tramp,” some one suggested, and the idea spread like wild-fire. Everybody knew it must be the savage-looking tramp who had been in the neighborhood. It was two or three days after her father’s foneral when this was first suggested to Olivia. “It was the very tramp you fed, Olivia,” said Mrs. Shortridge. “To think that the man whom you had fed should have stabbed your father.” “I don’t believe it, mother,” said Olivia. “I don't believe that that man had anything to do with it.” The sheriff, and the shrewd detective who had come all the way from Chicago to work up the case, came to Cedar Crest and closely interrogated Olivia in regard to the tramp. Sbe told him over and over again every word that had been said by either himself or her. There had not been a single word uttered by herself or the tramp, in regard to her father. The detective went away to make a thorough examination of the ground. He was absent a day or two, and again called on Olivia. “Did you speak with any one else save members of your own family on that evening?” the detective asked. “No, sir.” “Think well before you answer. Was any one else here?” “No—yes, there was—Harry Blake was coming by. He stopped at the gate, and I talked a moment with him. ”

“Oh, yes; this Harry Blake is the young man whom 1 have met her frequently ” “Yes, sir,” she answered, blushing profusely. “He has been very active in trying to bring the murder of your father to light?” “Yes, sir,” blushing still more deeply. “What did he talk about?” “I do not remember—the tramp was one thing.” “Did you talk about your father?” “Yes, sir. I told him that father was coming home from the village, where he had been to get the money from Mr. Long on his mortgage.” “Well, young lady, it is perhaps rather a disagreeable announcement to make, but that young gentleman is tli9 man who murdered your father. ” “What?” she shrieked, starting to her feet. “Harry—it’s false, sir!” “I pity you, young lady, but it is too true. The fatal knife still bearing stains of the crime was found near the spot. The knife has been recognized as his, and has his liame cut on the buck-horn handle.” Olivia swocned at this fearful evidence. When she recovered she implored the detective to not impute such a charge upon her lover, and told him all that had been said by either, but her statement only confirmed the detective in the belief of the guilt of the youth. When he was arrested for the crime, Harry Blake declared himself innocent, and assured the officers that he had lost his knife only a day or two before the horrible deed was perpetrated. But this was an old dodge, and the detective told him that it would not answer in his case. Harry was at first inclined to treat bis arrest as a light affair, but when he found his friends giving him rather suspicious glances, and heard that his case not being bailable he must go to prison, his heart began to fail him. A few days’ confinement, while it did not cow him> for he was conscious of his innocence, tended to greatly humiliate him. His father and friends, still firmly convinced of his innocence, employed a lawyer for him. The fifth day of his imprisonment Harry’s heart was made glad by the appearance of his betrothed. She looked very pretty in her sable dress and mourning veil. She came to assure him that her confidence in his innocence of the death of her father was unshaken, and all that she could do to prove that her convictions were the truth would be done.

She consulted with the attorney, and told him all that had passed between her and her lover on that fatal evening. The lawyer was shrewd enough to see that the simple and unadorned story of the maiden was damaging to his client. While they were s tting in the lawyer’s office, talking over the coming trial, the door opened, and Olivia was astounded to see the very same tramp whom she had fed on the evening of her father's assassination enter the office. “Yer the gal what gin me the grub that night, ain’t ye?” he said. “Yes,” she answered, after a moment’s silence. “It was yer father what was killed an’ robbed?” “It was.” “I hear that a young chap named Blake’s been accused o’ doin’ the deed?” said the tramp, interrogatively. “He has been,” said the lawyer, “but he is innocent.” “Mister, are you the feller what’s his lawver in this case?” “YVs, sir.” “Well, I’ve got this much to say ’bout it mister, I know thet he’s inneicent.” “You know.” “Bet I do, mister—l want ter see ye alone. ” Olivia, with a grateful look at the tramp, left the office. For a long time the tramp and the attorney were together in the office. Olivia went to the house of a friend in the town w’here she was staying, and soon received a note from the attorney that he would see Ler at two o’clock p. m., next day. Oh, how wildly and anxiously her heart beat for the next twenty-four hours. Was the tramp really going to unravel this mysterious affair? She saw the sheriff and detective in close consultation with the attorney that evening. » She slept little that night, but when her eyes did close, she saw the tramp, his honiely face shining bright and clear from the pure soul within that rugged exterior. She awoke nervous and anxious. At two, the lawyer sent for her to come to his office. The committing magistrate was there, Horry Blake was there, and to

her astonishment, Mr. Otto Hampton, one of their nearest neighbors and his two hired men, Tim Nettles and Bill Tnmnels were there, in irons. The tramp was also present. “Now, mister, I’ll tell ye all about it," said the tramp, on being sworn. “I war amost starved that day, when I called on this leetle gal. She gin me snthin’ to eat and said some kind words to me, which teched my heart. When I left her and went down the road, I war wishin’ 1 could sarve her. I crossed the bridge jist about dark an’ came to that dark road on tother side. “I heerd some un’ talkin’ an’ plannin' to rob some un’. It war these three men,” pointing to the three men in irons. “Then I felt that I orter interfere, but the devil in me said, ‘it’s not your funeral; let ’em alone, ’specially as no one’s goin’ ter be hurt.’ I wam’t goin’ to interfere. D’rectly a hoss came down the road, then thar war a scrimmage, that man,” pointing to Bill Trnnnels, “was shot in the shoulder, guess ye’ll find the bullet thar yit, an’ the gal s pa war killed and robbed. I heerd that feller who got shot say he’d dropped tho knife he done it with, and then this man called Mr. Hampton, who they called Otto, took the money, said he war sorry they'd killed him, and wanted to git away. “I followed ’em, an’ saw ’em bury the money at Mr. Hampton’s house. The feller who got shot war sick and laid abed a long time, an’ they daren’t send fur a doctor. Guess that ar wound ain’t healed yit. Wall, arter I’d made sure of ever’ thing, an’ found out this young chap war innercent, I came in to give it away. “I’ve slept in the woods, lived like a wild beast, and et skacely nothin’, jist to find out who killed the pa o’ that leetle gal who war so kind to me. I’ve done it, an’ I’ve saved her lover, but I’ll never furgive myself, when I think I might hev saved her pa, and didn’t do it. “Them’s the chaps who done it, fur the sheriff and detective found the money where I seed ’em bury it, an’ that ar feller’s got the bullet in his shoulder.” Olivia was amazed, confused, and bewildered. Then she heard the magistrate say that Harry was acquitted, and the three men sentenced to jail to await the action of the grand jury. They all confessed the crime, and hanged themselves on the same night, a few days before their trial. Olivia was rejoiced that her lover was acquitted of the crime which came so near being fastened upon him. The tramp, who had proved such an able detective, was made overseer of her father's farm: and, when Olivia and Harry were married he took the management of their farm, and proved an honest and trusty man.