Tried for His Own Murder
[Written for The World by S. S. C.]
It was just beginning to drizzle when Mr. Andrew Peterson, commission merchant, let himself into his house with his latch-key. He walked through the hall without a look towards the parlor near the open doorway of which Mrs. Peterson sat entertaining a visitor and went directly upstairs to the library. Mrs. Peterson heard the library door close and thought that she heard the lock click. As her husband passed the door she had looked at the marble clock on the mantel-shelf and noticed that it was thirteen minutes after 5. Mr. Peterson was a very methodical man and invariably came in at 5 sharp. It was the delay that made his wife remember the time so accurately. Mrs. Peterson told the police afterwards that she thought her husband carried a small package when he went upstairs, but she was not sure of it.
Mrs. Peterson’s visitor left for home at 5.30, and Mrs. Peterson went to the nursery to see if Blanche and Harry were getting ready for dinner. Then she went to her own room to dress.
At 6.15 a chambermaid coming downstairs saw standing in the hallway a very stout man, about whose shoulders was thrown a red table cover. She screamed, and the stout man, who appeared to be on his way to the front door, quickened his steps, drew back the bolts as readily as though he had been accustomed to them, and went out. This was all that the police could learn from the family of what had happened before the disappearance of Mr. Peterson was discovered.
The appearance of the stout visitor in the hall alarmed… Read More