r, coming in later, and finding his father asleep,
passed to his chamber without saying "good-night," as was his custom.

On the morning of the 29th, at six o'clock, Mr. Washington Nathan
descended from his chamber to call his father to a devotional duty of the
day. Entering the chamber of the latter, a most appalling spectacle met
his view. His father was lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood,
dead, with five ghastly wounds upon his head. The young man at once
summoned his brother Frederick, and the two together rushed to the street
door and gave the alarm. The police were soon on the spot, and, taking
possession of the house, they prepared to investigate the horrid affair.
The newspapers spread the intelligence over the city, and the murder
created the profoundest interest and uneasiness on the part of the
citizens. All classes felt an interest in it, for it had been committed
within the sacred precincts of the dead man's home, where he believed
himself to be safe. If a murderer could reach him there, men asked, who
could tell who would not be the next victim. This feeling of insecurity
was widespread, and the whole community demanded of the police
extraordinary efforts in tracking and securing the assassin.

The Superintendent of Police at that time was Captain John Jourdan, who
was acknowledged to be the most accomplished detective on the Continent,
and his principal assistant was Captain James Kelso (the present
Superintendent), who was regarded as next to Jourdan in ability. These
two officers at once repaired to the Nathan mansion, and took personal
charge of the case.

At the first glance Jourdan pronounced the murder to be the work of a
thief. The house was carefully searched. The room bore evidences of a
struggle between the dead man and his assassin, and three diamond studs,
a sum of money, a Perregaux watch, No. 5657, and the key of a small safe,
had been stolen from the clothing of the dead man which had been hung on
a chair placed at some distance from the bed. The safe stood in the
library beside the door opening into the bed room. Jourdan's theory was
that the thief, having stolen the watch and other articles from the
clothing, had gone to the safe to open it, and had aroused Mr. Nathan by
the noise he made in opening it. Alarmed by this noise, Mr. Nathan had
sprung from his bed, and at the same moment the thief had raised himself
up from his kneeling posture, with his face toward M