tly murdered,
in his lodgings. The main facts to be gathered from the long-winded
story were as follows:

John Siders had rented the rooms in which he met his death about ten
days before, paying a month's rent in advance. The lodgings consisted of
two rooms in a little house in a quiet street. It was a street of simple
two-story, one and two family dwellings, occupied by artisans and small
tradespeople. There were many open spaces, gardens and vacant lots in
the street. The house in which Siders lodged belonged to a travelling
salesman by the name of Winter. The man was away from home a great deal,
and his wife, with her child and an old servant, lived in the lower
part of the house, while the rooms occupied by Siders were in the upper
story. Siders lived very quietly, going out frequently in the afternoon,
but returning early in the evening. He had said to his landlady that he
had many friends in G--. But during the time of his stay in the house he
had had but one caller, a gentleman who came on the evening of the 23rd
of September. The old maid had opened the door for him and showed him
to Mr. Siders' rooms. She described this visitor as having a full black
beard, and wearing a broad-brimmed grey felt hat. Nobody saw the man
go out, for the old maid, the only person in the house at the time, had
retired early. Mrs. Winter and her little girl were spending the night
with the former's mother in a distant part of the city. The next morning
the old servant, taking the lodger's coffee up to him at the usual hour,
found him dead on the floor of his sitting-room, shot through the heart.
The woman ran screaming from the house and alarmed the neighbours. A
policeman at the corner heard the noise, and led the crowd up to the
room where the dead man lay. It was plain to be seen that this was not
a case of suicide. Everywhere were signs of a terrible struggle. The
furniture was overturned, the dressing-table and the cupboard were open
and their contents scattered on the floor, one of the window curtains
was torn into strips, as if the victim had been trying to escape by way
of the window, but had been dragged back into the room by his murderer.
An overturned ink bottle on the table had spattered wide, and added to
the general confusion. In the midst of the disorder lay the body of the
murdered man, now cold in the rigour of death.

The police commissioner arrived soon, took possession of the rooms, and
made a thorough examinatio