Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-03-08


n ard these brief writings Of his are with
ID out legal ralue.''
MIR. Merdoek paused, and took pincl
" of snuff.
y have now to state,' he continued
D. raising his voice somewhat, "that practi
20 cally. this document Notwithstanding. TIN
, late Eustace We're Delpratt died intes
g tate"
p There was murmur of surprise. Ern
est Delpratt rose from his seat, and raiset
Y his hand. He tried to speak, but his voice
y appeared to fail him.
..Three years after its execution, thi,
e Will was revoked"
BY deed?" some one asked.
t mo. BY the adoption of another
e course, not less decisive. In fact, by mar.
: riage."
Its lie!" Ernest Delpratt screamed,
hoars"ly.
e The late Mr.. Delpratt," the lawyer
proceeded, calmly, was married in jan
I uary, iSG2, at the chapel of the embassy,
{ III Paris, to HOrtense Leroux, French
Z actress. Legal proof of that marriage |
have with me. Into the details OF the
matter need hardly enter. may state.
, however, that in carly life Mr.. Delpratt
had met with severe disappointment. He
had contemplated an alliance with a
young lady, member of one of the mos.
distinguished families of this country.
10 that union the stain upon his birth was
deemed by the lady's friends an insupera-
BILE objection. The engagement. il such
1T may be called, was therefore abruptly
terminated. Mr.. Delpratt was deeply al.
illcted. He determined never to marry.
some tine afterwards he made this will.
Dequeathing his entire property to the
only surviving legitimate member of his
iamily-Mr. Ernest Delpratt. But he had
reason at later date to be much offended
at the conduct Of the man his generosity
would have enriched, Tc the peculiar cir
cumstahces of the case | will not further
ailude. MIR. Ernest Delpratt left Eng
land and was for nearly ten years absent
IN Australia. In the interval my late
friend and client again turned his thoughts
towards marriage. He resolved to find a
VIE among class little likely to be af-
lected by the circumstances of his origin.
Chance threw him i'm the way of this HOr-
tense Leroux. She Is now dead; bring
no charge against her. therefore. |
VIII only say that she was
IN every way unworthy of her hus.
Dand, and that the marriage was a most
unhappy one. The newly-wedded pajr
| separated forever within a few weeks of
Their union. She was amply provided for
put survived only a few years, meeting her
death under very painful circumstances.
Tier dress accidentally caught fire. and she
was burnt to death upon the stage of the
Lyons theater: Mr.. Delpratt's marriage
was kept strict secret. 1t had been SOL
emnized privately. and was known 'J 70
very few. He never alluded to it.. Ii was
a distressing incident in his life, which he
desired to forget. He placed the proofs
OF the marriage in my hands some wears
since. OF its validity there can be no
question whatever"
ITS trumped-up story" cried rf,u
est, with al liyid IT'S monstrous OF H to sun.
pose that it could be revoked by such a
marriage"
A servant entered and handed note to
Mr.. Merdock.
The company rose, and prepared to quit
a scene that had become strangely pain
full.
And the property? one asked.
"Mr. Delpratt dying intestate, and
without legal heirs, his property goes to
the Crown"
'It can't bet shan't be, )" Ernest cried.
wildly. ''Ill not be swindled in this
shameful way. I'll enforce my rights
I'll establish the will. At least the amount
of the insurances shall be mine. The pol
icies are in my possession. They were
legally assigned to me. l can prove it. 1t
has always been understood that they
were intended for my benefit
in regard to one OfthOse assurances
am at liberty to state that, acting upon
my advice, the directors of the Albatross
Office will refuse payment of the claim"
The lawyer looked the young man very
steadily in the face.
SsWhot naYt2 What oro yo,, rvo;pr 70
charge me with next? Refuse payment
How dare ,you9 Why-do you think
poisoned the man."
''We know you did?" said Mr.. Mer-
dock, quickly, in low tone, as he struck
his clenched hand sharply upon the table,
and handed the note ne had Just red we'd
to Ernest Delpratt.
He clutched it tremblingly: read it
with raging eyes. Then it fell from his
shaking fingers, and fluttered on to the
floor. He gave strange, piteous moan
raised his hands, and pressed them against
his head, as though to still some terribly
acute pain.
"I'm ill.," be murmured. family. "Let
me get some fresh air. Ishail be better
presently-I shall''-and he staggered
from the room.
Mr.. Merdock found himself left alone
with Mr.. Pixley.
81 told you l should spring a mine
upon that young man." said the lawyer,
quietly. ~ think I've been as good as
my word"
him."
"Read it,"
MIR. Pixley took the paper from the
floor and read: "E. d. bought arsenic of
Gibbons, Chemist, Catharine street, Sails
bury, on the 18th and Goth October, and
the 2Oth November"
"He's certainly william, if there ever
was one,' remarked M. Pixley.
"Anu now l can tell you something
more about him. You're fond of dwell
ing upon the motives that lead to crime,
Pixley. At the same time NAV tell YOU
that you omit from your calculations the
fact that much wickedness In this world
is accomplished at very cheap price. SO
to say-fOr very Inadequate reasons.
There was motive enough in this case,
however--mo than enough. Ernest
Delpratr had of course discovered the will
IN his favor, never dreaming that it had
Deen revoked, or Of the manner of its rev.
ocation. But more than that. The man
Is gambler, and deeply involved. He
owes at least five thousand pounds. He
is a defaulter upon the turf, and he has
forged acceptances in the deceased's name. |
l have ascertained that. Bills are falling
due at the Branch Bank at Andover. which
ne must meet, or prepare for exposure, if
not arrest. So he determines upon the
murder of his benefactor. Once the pro-
prietor of Lupton Manor, all will 90 well
with him, he thinks. But he was in too
great hurry. Ifhe had only waited lit
tie, new will, under which he was large
ly to benefit, would have been executed.
Something his crime would then have
brought him. As it is. he gets nothing
he simply beggars himself. Numbering
Mr.. Delpratt, as he did, in fact, the mur.
derer, to speak plainly, cuts his own