Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1894 — SLEUTHS ON THE SCENT. [ARTICLE]

SLEUTHS ON THE SCENT.

Wild Burlesque of a Scene in the Office of a Chief Detective. Cleveland Plaindealer. It is the private office of the chief of detectives of a Western city. A mysterious murder has been committed and Officers Sleuth, Sneak and Tracem had been detailed to “work on the case.” - ■« Chief —Officer Sleuth, what success have you to report? “But partial success, captain.” “You located the scene accurately?” . “Yes, sir; the body was found with two bullet holes through the back. There was no weapon about the body and the house was ransacked —” “There can be no mistake about this, Officer Sleuth?” “None whatever, captain. It is quite plain a murder has been committed—” Chief —Officer Sneak, what success have you to report? Officer Sneak—Officer Tracem and I worked together 1 while Lieutenant Sleuth went inside —” “How long was this after the body was found?” “Supposed to be about seven hours, sir. As the lieutenant went inside he walked three times carefully around the house; we took accurate measurement of the woodshed door and noted the color of the paint on the gate post, and gathered such other clews as we thought might be useful at the trial ” “And did you see no suspicious persons?” “Made one arrest, sir—a boy, fully eleven years old, having bloody hands ” “Was he run in?” “No; I held the nippers on him till Sleuth and Tracem got him handcuffed, when ” “What then? Quick!” “When he convinced us that he had been carrying a 5 cent soup bone home to his grandmother, and that’s how the blood got on his hands.” “Any more arrests?”

“Yes, sir. Just as we were measuring the chimney to determine if the murderer could have escaped that way we noticed a boy who wore a white muslin shirt ” “And you arrested him?” “Certainly! The corpse also had on a white muslin shirt, and here was a clew sure enough. We all three put the nippers on him until he could be handcuffed ” “What was his age?” “He was all of seven years old —” “Where is he now?” “Oh, he proved to be the grandson of the murdered man, and we felt justified in letting him off, though the lieutenant gave him a sharp lecture ” “Is that all?” “That is as far as we have got with the ' case, captain, though we think we can establish that a street car passed the house some time in the night; a milk wagon passed next morning and the wind was blowing from the northwest at the time.” Chief—Gentlemen, you are doing splendidly; such conduct will add luster to our record for efficiency. Now it is fairly established that the man was killed though this will be verified by an autopsy by the police surgeon: it is fairly certain that he was killed at home and that he was not kiiled before coming home; with the measurements of the woodshea door, the direction of the wind, the milkman incident and the two suspicious arrests there ought to be no difficulty in running the perpetrators to earth, though one important clew may have escaped you. You should have noted whether the bricks of the pavement showed signs of having been recently tramped upon. lam proud of your success, gentlemen, and you will doubtless soon receive promotion.