American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-03-08
CANTON, MISS, SATURDAY, MARCH s, 1873

| 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 to
very few. He never alluded to it. 1t was
| a distressing incident in his life, which he
desired to forget. He placed the proofs
of the marriage in my hands some years
since. OF its validity there can be no
question whatever"
''It's trumped-up story" cried Ern-
est. with livid flce. ..Fil 90 to law. I'll
| establish the will. It's monstrOus to sup
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
scene that had become strangely pain
full.
''And the property % one asked.
''Mr. Delpratr dying interstate, and
without legal heirs, his property goes to
the Crown
at can't bet shan't be- Ernest cried,
wildly. ''Fll not be swindled in this
shameful way. I'll enforce my rights.
I'll establish the will. At least the amount
of the assurances 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 L
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.
What next? What are you going to
| charge me with next? Refuse payment?
How dare you? Why-do you think
| poisoned the man? ~
1--WE know YOU did ~ said Mr.. Mer-
dock, quickly, in a low tone. as he struck
| his cienched hand sharply upon the table,
and handed the note ne had just received
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. shall 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 mine
upon that young neRn,' said the lawyer,
| quietly. 81 think I've been as good as
| my word"
''What was that note you handed
him?''
"Read it,
Mr.. Pixley took the paper from the
| floor and read: "E. ID. bought arsenic OF
Gibbons, Chemist, Catharine street, Sails
bury, on the 18th and both October, and
the Goth November
"He's certainly a william, if there ever
| was cne,' remarked NJ. Pixley.
s'And 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 l may tell you
| that you omit from your calculations the
| fact that much wickedness in this world
! is accomplished at a very cheap price, SO
| to say-fOr very inadequate reasons.
| There was motive enough in this case,
| hOwever-mr re than enough. Ernest
DelpratG had of course discovered the will
| in his favor, never dreaming that it had
been revoked, or of the manner of its rev.
ocatiOn. But more than that. The man
| is a gambler, and deeply involved. He
owes at least live thousand pounds. He
| is 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
he 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 go well
| with him, he thinks. But he was in too
great a hurry. Ifhe had only waited lit
tie, a new will, under which he was large
| ~ " DCicAls WOulu nave Dcc.l cAtCutct
Something his crime would then have
brou:ht him. AS it is he gets nothing
he simply beggars himself. Numbering
Mr.. Delpratt, as he did, in fact, the muir
derer, to speak plainly, cuts his own
thrOat!'
A strange noise was heard in the hall
outside the library door. The servants
greatly excited, entered the room. 1t was
| some moments before they could re-
late intelligibly the tidings they brought.
The body of Ernest Delpratt had been
discovered lying on the floor of one of the
upper rooms of LuptOn Manor House.
His one hand clutched a razor, with which
he had inflicted frightful wounds upon
himself. He was quite dead.
1t was the room in which Eustace We're
Delpratt had met his death by poison.
I-AU the Year Round.