Hands Up; or Thirty-Five Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains — Part 131

One more clue only is necessary to make a complete chain of very strong circumstantial evidence. The rope with which O'Neal was hanged--where did that come from? Bringing it to Denver with him, Gen. Cook succeeded in ascertaining where it had been bought, and that it was purchased on the afternoon before the night of the murder by Griswold.

If there are any who think Dave Cook not a shrewd detective, they ought to be convinced of their error after reading the story of the working up of this case.

ARREST OF GRISWOLD--HE IS TAKEN JUST AS HE IS LEAVING THE COUNTRY--PREPARED TO FIGHT, BUT CAUGHT IN A TRAP--HIS NECK SAVED ON THE FIRST TRIAL, AND WHILE AWAITING A SECOND HE ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE FROM JAIL, BUT IS SHOT DEAD IN A GENERAL MELEE--HIS PLAN OF ESCAPE DISCOVERED--A CURIOUS LETTER--ESCAPE OF PATRICK--SUICIDE OF HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW SEVERAL YEARS AFTERWARDS.

There was now left nothing to do but to arrest the two men who had betrayed and murdered O'Neal, and for this denouement preparations were now made. While working up the O'Neal case, Griswold had taken a fancy to a woman living with her husband on Clear creek, a quiet and peaceable man, and the two becoming attached to each other, he had driven the husband away and remained with the wife, filling the _role_ of husband himself. Griswold lived with this woman at her former husband's home, and seemed to feel no delicacy whatever concerning the fine points of the situation.

Two days elapsed before Gen. Cook had succeeded in obtaining the clues set forth in the preceding chapter, and while it was feared that the murderers might make their escape, the fact was not lost sight of that the offense charged was a heinous one, and Cook felt that a great injustice might be done in arresting the men as long as there was any doubt as to their guilt. Hence the delay in taking the culprits into hand.

Detectives Frank Smith and Charley McCune were selected to make the arrest of the precious pair, and were ordered to Clear Creek valley for that purpose. They went first to the residence of Patrick, and found to their regret that they had come too late. That worthy had folded his tent and stolen away, leaving home and friends behind, evidently fearing apprehension.