Mr. McGregor was a careful, methodical man, about sixty years of age. He
always spoke directly to the point, and in his story, he had evidently
made no attempt to draw conclusions, or to bias my judgment in any way.
Nevertheless, he showed that he was really affected by young Gordon's
murder, and I saw that I should get more really valuable assistance from
him, than from both of the other two. Mr. Gordon was greatly excited,
and he could hardly speak at times, as he thought of his murdered
nephew. His story was told slowly and painfully, as if the details were
almost too much for him. Still, he felt that nothing ought to be
neglected which would assist me, and so he nerved himself to tell every
little incident of the dreadful crime.

"I remember the day of the murder very distinctly, Mr. Pinkerton," he
said. "Mr. Bannatine was obliged to visit his plantation that morning,
and Mr. McGregor being away, as he has already told you, I spent most of
the day at the bank with George. He was perfectly competent to manage
all the business himself, Mr. Pinkerton, for he was a very smart and
trustworthy young man, the very image of my dear brother, who was
drowned twenty years ago, leaving me to bring up George like my own son;
but, as I was saying, I kept George company in the bank that day, more
as a measure of safety, than because he needed me. Well we received a
large amount of money that day in bank notes and specie, and I helped
George put the money into the vault. When the bank closed, George said
that he should work until five o'clock and then go home to dinner. I was
anxious to go to my store, as business had been very heavy that day, and
I had had no opportunity to attend to my own affairs; I therefore left
the bank at four o'clock. George and I boarded at the hotel, and at
dinner time, he came late, so that I finished before he did. About seven
o'clock, George came down to the store, where I had gone after dinner.
He sat a little while and smoked a cigar with me, and then said that he
must return to the bank, as he had a great deal of work to finish up on
the books; he told me, also, not to sit up for him, as it might be quite
late before he came home."

"Were there any other persons present when he said this, Mr. Gordon?" I
asked.

"Yes; there was a shoemaker, named Stolz, whom George had just paid for
a pair of boots. Mr. Flanders, the jeweler, was there also, and he had
his box of jewelry for George to lock up in