Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 810 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

erfecs of the tracks, [ Jay down near at and and waited for it to harden. I remained there until near daylight, when, taking up the casts, I set out to follow the trail of Greenwooud’s | horse on the previous afternoon. ‘*1¢ is daylight early, you know, [I followed it for a long distance, and noted that it had gone over the road after the coming toward town of a wagon with broad tires drawn by a horse and a mule, When the track left the road it went throuzh the underwood to a path, where it turned again toward the village, At a point about an eighth of a mile from the railroad bank I came to a place where the borse had been tied in the bushes for some time, at a distance from the path, Upon making that discovery my sus- Secs were strengthened, For what purpose ad that stop been mace? ‘* Well, I went on, watching the ground closely, and in places [ founi the tracks of a man, going in two directions—the same tracks, and they were identical with the tracks that had been made by the man who had carried the body up the bank and placed it on the rail. That was point Number Six, and I then decided that Adolphus Greenwood was my man, Still, [ had to prove it, strong as my my suspicion already was, Following the path on, I came to the spot where the murder had been done, and there, by daylight, I made a thorough examination,” CHAPTER XVII. BROADWAY BILLY'S TRIUMPH. THE entire court-room was so still that the fabled pin might have been heard to drop any- where, The vast crowd was held spellbound, the prose- cuting attorney was looking at Billy with amaze- ment depicted upon his face, while Greenwood, with pale face and staring eyes, seemed as if Gurnecd to stone, ‘‘ My further examination,” Billy proceeded, after a momentary pause, ‘‘revealed much. At @ point near the pools, where Robert Rohn- wald had been fishing, I found where a man bad been concealed in the bushes, The tracks were plain, showing the wearer of a fine boot to have been the person hidden there, and there I found a nickel matchbox, I took a cast of one of those tracks also, ‘‘] went around and around that spot, widen- ing my circle each time, in search of the wea- pon that had been used, and finally I found it, about a good throw distant in the bushes and briers. I was on the right track, I returned cautiously to the manor, where I breakfasted and after breakfast I went over to the rai lroad station to telegraph for my assistants in the city. At the station I mad» inquiry about the owner of the horse and mule team, learned who he was, and that he had been seen coming into town after seven o’clock in the evening, ‘* Coming back to the hotel, I met Greenwood, and from that time took a great interest in him, We took a walk together out to the scene of the crime, and by watching bim closely I knew | had the right man, He» looked several times over in the direction in which he had thrown the weapon with which he had killed his victim, and otherwise betrayed himself. As we were coming away [ caught sight of the bit of dress stuff on the bush, and Greenwood saw it at the same instant. I know it had not been there before, for it was too conspicuous to have missed my eye. He bad put it there with a purpose in view. That was another point, of course,” The eccused man was like marble, his eyes were bulging, and a cold perspiration was upon his forehead in great beads. “T made no revelation of what I had discover- ed,” Billy went on, ** save to Mrs. Rohnwald and her daughter, and but little to them, yet, Everybody was led to think I believed in the guilt of Robert Rohnwald. This was to allay any suspicion on the part of Greenwood, I wanted him to tell his story at the inquest, and so stand committed, * ‘You all know the story he fold. After the inquest [ assumed the disguise you have just seen me discard, and went to the station, later on, to meets my boys. Wecame to the hotel and registered, and I gave my assistants the work they had todo, It was agreed that I was -to occupy Greenwood during the evening, while they made a thorough search of his stable and out-buildings for further evidence against him, ‘‘Our succe:S was even greater than I had We found the boot he had worn on the occasion of his carrying the body up to the failroad track, the rope from which the piece hoped for. | | | | had been cut with which he tied the body to the rail, and an old coat with blood stains—” ** Curse you, die /” Dolph Greenwood had sprung to bis feet, and his hand was drawing a revolver from his hip pocket, but quicker than thought Broadway Billy had him covered with a weapon, having had an eye upon him all the time, and the cowarl faltered, The next moment hands were laid upon bim and he was disarmed. ‘Do you want any further proof of his guilt?” Billy quietly asked, his revolver having disappeared, ** Do you want any further proof of his character? But, let me finish my story, and then I will turn over all my proofs to the proper authorities, ‘*T detained the prisoner at the hotel whilemy boys were at work, and while talking with him I used the knife, | had found, to cut and clean my nails, taking care to display itso that he might see it fully. He recognized it, and gave a start when besawit, From that moment he suspected me, and tried to learn what 1 knew, but I took care not to let him get much satisfac- tion, ‘‘This morning, after having very probably sought the coat, boots and rope to destroy them, he was very much disturbed, and when he met me he questioned me closely, all the while draw- ing the rope the more tightly around his own neck, The case against him is complete, There is no chance for him to escape, The story told by Robert Rohnwald is true in every particular, I believe, while the story'told by the murderer is in almost every particular false. He did, how- ever, witness the meeting between the half- brothers, while he lay in the bushes awaiting a fair chance to do the deed he bad in mind, ‘‘(Greenwood loved Miss Gilburt, and to win her he was willing to go any length, He it was who stole the will from the bouse, You, citizens of Roseford, will remember it was Greenwood the elder who built the chimney in the house, when some alterations were made, He put in the secret niche, and had told his son about it, My proof? A letter found in a pocket of the old coat I have mentioned, which had been laid away with the will, and which must have slipped out when the rascal took the document from his pocket to destroy it. ‘‘Here is the letter,” showing it, “‘Itis its own proof that it was with the will in the secret place over the mantel. Why hestole the will you can surmise as well asI, It was to injure Gustav Rohnwald. But, that was not enough; he must-remove him, and he laid his plans, ‘‘ He was at the trout pools for tho purpose of doing the deed, and was only awaiting bis best chance, when the seeming tramp came along and everything seemed to favor the wretch, Why not kill two birds with one stone? He would murder Gustav and put the crime upon Robert! Excellent! Then, t> make it better still, who should come along just at the right time to hear a threat but Miss Gilburt. He would force her to tell what she had heard. HKyverything was playing into his hands, Need I say more? IL think not. To doso would be to repeat myself, I vill now call my assistants forward and dis- play tho proofs of which I have spoken,” AS uot Billy gave a signaland Happy Harry ond Siiont Seth came forward and took their placos beside him, The crowd, at the same time, broke out into a wild thunder of applause, and above the din were cries for the release of Mobert Rohnwald, Lawyer Percival had leaped to his feet and grasped Billy’s right hand in both of his, and while the room was in its wild uproar he bad to shout to make bimself heard as he said: ‘* Weston, you bave mistaken your calling; you should have been a lawyer!” ‘Then you" think I am not a success as a de- tective? Perbaps Mr. Robnwald will differ with you there,” ‘*No, no,” the Jawyer hastened to set right; ‘*T meant to say that you would be a brilliant ornament to our profession,” ‘*T can never Le anything other than what I am, sir,” Billy declared, ‘* whether I’m good or bad at it, for my whole heart isin it,” As soon as the judge could restore order, the case proceeded to its closing. The proofs were shown, and the crime was fastened upon Greenwood so tightly that he could deny nothing. He made a confession and bis story proved how well Billy had woven the net from the meager beginning from which he had sterted, After Robert Rohnwald bad gone away, after his high words with Gustav, he, the murderer, step out from his hiding-place and dealt the fatal blow, He flung the weapon as far away as he could, and laid the body out of sight for ——— ‘sce CC OL LALA, LL LL LLL LLL LLL LAL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL CC — OO OO COO TCO’ 'OT'OVO'’C Or". 0€(«0CO OOOO oeeE ae CO -_----- -xwvK—rrrrr a rc eS the time being, and that done, began to plan his alibi and the scheme to throw the crime upon the innocent man. He knew tbe time would be an important item in the whole matter... He must be able to show where he was at the time the crime was done. If the tramp had been seen coming down the road, tiuat time would be shown, and Miss Gilburt could not deny what time she was on the scene and heard the bigh words and the threat. After some thought it came to bim to say he was on horseback on the wood road at the time when the two men quar, eled, But, he must prove that be was there, He followed the direction Robert Robnwald bad taken, and watched him till he Jay down in the wood to sleep, and when he was asleep, slipped up and stole his stick away from him, It was by that time near eight o'clock. He went to the house by a rear way and got bis horse, to- gether with the old coat, the boots, and the piece of rope, Mounting, he rode along the wood road for a long distance, in order that his horse’s tracks could be followed if that point cume in question, though he bad no idea it ever would, On the homeward route he tied the horse where Billy had discovered the marks of its standing, and going on on fc ot, smeared the club with blood and put some bairs on it from the victim’s head, and then carried the body and put it on the track. He wanted the body dis- covered early, so that the arrest could ke made before Robert could awaken and goaway. Af- ter putting the body there he got bis horse and went home, biding the coat and bcots in an out-shed. intending to destroy them when op- portunity was given, He had supper, then, tell- ing where be had been and how long he had been absent from the house upon his little ex- curaion, From that time he watched the matter, saw the Flyer make its stop at the spot where he had Jeft the body, and agsin at the station, Af- ter that it was easy for him to meet the coroner and his party as he did, pretending to know nothing about the matter whatever. His con- fession was a full one, every particular bein brought out, and when it was ended Rober Robnwald was released. Tbe good citizens of Roseford immediately tried to undo the wrong tbey bad done him in adjudging him guilty, and Broadway Billy and his ‘‘ team” were the applauded heroes of the hour, Never in its bistory had Roseford seen such a demonstration, and it will probably never see another like it, Greenwood would bave hanged but for the fact that poison was somehow conveyed to him in bis cell, and be was found one morning dead, That Robert and Curlotta were n arried, and are Lappy in the old homestead mansion, the reader will assume without prompting, 1t was so right and righteous to be so, Pot si Broadway Billy afterward saw bis friend, the engineer, and gave him the full particulars of the case as he had promised to do, THE END, ee eee ae Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. RY JOSEPH EF. BADGER, JR, 2 Vellowatone Juck ys or, The Trapper 48 lack John, the Rond-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Retreat, 65 Wurricane Bills or, Mustang Sam and His Pard, 110 Muatang Sam 3 or, The King of the Plains. 186 Night-bLlawk Kits; or, The Daughter of the Ranch. 144 Dainty Lance the boy Sport. 15t Panther Paul: or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue. 160 The Black Glaints: or, Dainty Lance In Jeopardy. 168 Dendly Dash; or, Kighting Fire with Fire, 184 The Boy Tratlers; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path. 20% The Boy Parda; or, Dainty Lance Unmaska, 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City, 810 The Rarraneca Wolf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. 819 The Black Riders; or, The Horse-Thieves’ Ler gue, 885 Old Double Fiat; or, Vhe Strange Guide 855 The King of the Wooda: or Daniel Boone's Last Trail, 410 Kit Fox. the Border Soy Detective 625 Chincapin Dan, the Boy Tratler, 677 Chineapin Dan's Second T rail, 688 Chineapin Dan’s Home Stretch. GYS Old Crazy, the Man Without 4 Head. TOS Light-Heart Lite’s Legacy. By: 5 gb iy pute ¢ Lent Trail. 28 Silwerblade, the Shoshone, 29 Silverblade, the Half-Blood; or, The Border Beagle at Bay, 89 Ailwerblade, the Hostile; or, The Border Beag'o’s Trall. AS Silwerblade the Friendly; or, The Border Beag!e’s Boy Pard BY EDWARD WILLETT. 167 Aan Scott, the Steamboat Boy; or, The Mississippi Pirates, 199 Featherweight the Boy Champion of the Muskingum, 228 Ogark Alf's or, Featherweight Among the Outlaws. 282 The Typo Detectives or, Wease), the Boy Tramp, 205 Fearleas Phil; or, The King of Quartzville. 811 The Roving Sport; or, The Pride of Chuckaluck Camp, | 822 Nemo, the Detectives or, Kit Kenyon's Vendetta, 840 Clip the Contortioniats or, The Montana Vigilantes, A New Issue Every Tuesday. The Half-Dime Library !s for sale by all newsdealers, Ove centn per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of alx cents each BEADLE AND ADAMA, Publishers, } 98 William Street, New York 3° | @) co oO é ay 15