Page:The Life of Mary Baker Eddy (Wilbur).djvu/294

252 may form his own opinion of the nature of the entanglement it is only necessary to tell the main facts of the story.

Mr. Spofford did disappear from Boston in October, 1878, and was absent from his office two weeks. But he disappeared of his own free will and passed the fortnight in the home of the man who claimed to have been hired to kill him. Mr. Spofford told his story in court. He said that a man, introducing himself as James Sargeant and describing himself as a saloon-keeper, had come to him in the early part of the month at his office, 297 Tremont street, Boston. This man first asked him if he knew two men named Miller and Libbey. Being answered in the negative, he said, “Well, they know you and they want to get you put out of the way.”

Then he related that these two men had employed him to make away with Spofford. The plan was to get Spofford to take a drive on a lonely road, and in some remote spot to beat him over the head and kill him, then to entangle his body in the reins and cause the horse to run away. Having unfolded this marvelous plot, Sargeant acknowledged that he was to get $500 for his services. He told him that he had already received $75, and meant to try to get the rest. But Sargeant declared he had no desire to risk his own life in such a business, although apparently suffering no qualms from any moral scruple. He further stated that he had already been to a state detective, Hollis C. Pinkham, and asked him to watch the case.

Mr. Spofford said that he himself immediately