The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-23
A Detectives Expcricnce---secrct
Murder.
From the New Orleans Picayunc

7 once arrested man, said Mr.. F., ac-
cuscd of KILN" his wife. Although con-
victcd, have always been doubtful il MS
sentence were lust. He came here strait
.,cr: silent and rcpcilamt in his manner,
| making no acquaintance and stunning So
cirty. lie was Il foreigner, too, speaking
our language but impertcctiy, and relying
| solely Tor sympathy and confidence on the
| beautiful woman whose warm, sunny love-
illness seemed chilled by the cold, rigid lnan-
ncr of her husband. She was very young,
too. and those who knew them best from
sccn" them most declared that her glau NJ
| tcranreS were often troZcn-hcr childish
laughter >iiIcd-by gloomy look or stern
| command. He seemed I man ut war with
| mirth, and brookcd 10 JOY IN his alielateu
symrathicS. She feared him, too Tor those
! who saw how the young creature gladdeheu
| when the sunlight flung its beauty around
| her. when the flowers hloomcd in her way,
or Nature answered back her smiles, saw,
| too, her furtive chances to see II lie noIcu
| the transient Joy she felt, and saw her sad
| den ut the frown she met.
one night the people i'll tho house ut
which they staid heard her scream III tcr-
rnr. but tho mars gloomy nature had mace
| them fear to enter his room unless lhFllco,
and several minutes elapsed before they
summoned courage to ascertain the cause
|
opened the door, the young wife lay d ,,
upon the floor, stabbed TO the heart. Inc
man was gone. Mr.. ]. and myself were
sent for Mt once, and came lmmeuii'tely'
The window fronting the street was open
a lean of nearly twenty feet to the BAN
uucttc-but through this 1t was certain inc
man escaped. The knife that stlii picrcT,el
her heart was Spanish daSSer' anu usu,,,,
law upon the mantle. Its sheath was thrown
I,non the floor. 1t looked as If it had hccn
snatrhcd UP i'll sudden passion TO do il aeco
It was late ut night, and the woman had
been aroused from sleep. Her long gown
was stained red with blood, and clun 10 inc
: beautiful frame like wlndlnS-Snect. Dli'
the face shone ashen i'll the gas-ll@ht VIII
fear. There was horror in the stony out
, lines. and the parted lips seemed open for {;
cry of despair. | shuddered rs | looked at
the spectacle. So young, so lovely, so ful
s of wi1rhine craccS, one could hardly think Z
l being so beautiful could die. Only the day
! before | had seen her, with eyes flashing
l like the sunlight. u form of beauty. anu
4 laughter ripping like the song 1 oil "atcrs on
her lips. looking, indeed, ''likc 4 thing d
t beauty and Il JOY forever And now she
y law dead. | noted well each mark Essential
i'm the search had to make, and then, slck
5 at heart, turned from the place to look Iol
j., her murderer.
e At the threshold l met her husband
u laid my hand on his shoulder:
!, "You are my prisoner !"
u t,"Sirr' he indignantly exclaimed, chow
Il dare your"
= The tears were yet in my eyes the hor-
5 ror of this decd still before my vision.
could scarcely retain my patience, but
l. did.
: Il arrest you, sir, for the murder ofyoul
+ wife! !"
|. His cry was like that of some wild animal
!. rs he sprung by me up the stairs and dis
! appeared in his room. The people stood
! grouped around the dead body, tender
:, he flung aside, and knelt, with cry, at hel
Il sdc-a cry like that despair might wiring
: from courage when hope had fled and life
Il was at its ebb-a cry like that of some
: strong swimmer in his agony or such IL
u virtue gives when honor's fled. Sobbing,
: CRYING, calling her name III accents pitcolls
, and tender, he ut last sunk back fainting
! and we carried him away.
. 1t seemed SO certain that he Killed hel
:. that none could believe him innocent, yet
) his manner showed no guilt. 1t may have
: been insanity, or another may have done
. the deed but jury said he did H.. As the
!, years 90 by the mystery may be cleared, but
u my heart acquitS him now of the lawless
deed done years ago 1t robbed him Of the
!, only sunlight his manhood kncw-it took
!, from his path the only flower that gave to
, him its incense and perfume. But he never
u denied it-only looked ut you when he was
L spoken to in an ainless, wandering way, rs
?. if the shock that had deprived him OF the
!, !. only being that he loved had destroyed his
, reason. a...... 4. ..
u Long years have passed since then, but
the memory OF that horror fingers in my
u mind. an episode so sad and wretched that
| Shuddrr at the thought of it.