Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-03-08
ALEXANDRIA, PARISH OF RAPIDES LA. IN > -

especially in view the benefit of the legi
: innate members of the family. OF thes
e Ernest Delpratt is now the sole repr,
sentative; for Delamere, his father, die
OF drink, many years ago, leaving n
ether issue. Eustace, my old friend an
client, left no children. Here you have
briefly told, the story of the Delpratts.
"Then this Ernest is the last of tn
raceT'
"The last of the race.''
, His father, you say, was scoundrel
and hep"
"Well, I'd rather defermy opinion. W
mustn't be in hurry. He is, clearly-an'
there he's wrong"
'sIn suspicious cases.
"Aind, l don't say that this is suspi
cious as yet, interrupted Mr.. Merdock.
Let me continue. In suspicious case.
what we have to inquire is, who is tht
person who benefits by the death of the
insured? If wrongs been done, there
must be an inducement, a motive for it.
Find out that, and"-
"My dear Pixley, hadn't you better
leave it all to me? Don't keep dog and
bark yourself. I'll attend to it. Pm go
ing to thefuneral on the 27th."
"Your are? Then I've nothing more
to say; only keep me informed of every
thing.'
"Ofeverything. And mind you do the
same towards me-"
That night Mr.. Merdock left London.
On the morning of the 9th of Novem-
Der carriage from Lupton Manor was
waiting at the Andover station to meet
the early train from London. Mr.. Mer-
dock, however, stood en- the platform of
the station some time before the arrival of
the train. He was dressed in deep black,
and looked worn and anxious. Among
the passengers brought down from town
was Mr.. Pixley. Mr.. Merdock fastened
towards him, and drew him aside.
You got my letter, of course? Now
be very careful, Pixley. Don't saw
word more than you can help.
There's carriage waiting to take us to
Lupton, a pleasant drive over the Hamp-
shire downs. The drivers been resting
at the AndOver Arms; he only drew up
to the station when the train was In sight.
be 'supposes that we both came down by
the train. You're understood to be nav
clerk"
They entered the carriage, and were
driven from the station.
Put up that window, Pixley. That
fellow mustn't hear US. This is delicate
matter, and we must proceed very eau
tiously."
"WellP And what's been done?,
: "Tve not been idle, but, I'll own. I've
but poor case as yet. can't get much
beyond suspicion. / cannot arrive at
proof. Still, Tve set two or three at
work, ard something may come out at
any moment"
"The funeral will proceed ?"
Not so loud. Yes. You know, or,
perhaps you don't know, what country
,oroners are. And we've scarcely a pre-
ext for demanding an inquest. The doc
'or, local practitioner, sticks to his an
hypertrophy. What can we do
n the face Of his certfficate9 The servants
nave been got at and questioned skilfully |
enough, without awakening their suspic- |
ons. A hint of physic bottles DESTROYED |
after the death of MIR. Del |
pratt.
But If the funeral''-
The funeral doesn't matter. If we've |
my evidence to 60 upon, we can obtain |
rom the Home Office an order for disjn- |
erment. Never mind about the funeral. !
let that over quietly; it may be all the |
better for u.s."
o the office"
"I've seen him, and it only come0to
his-he suspects. He was dismissed
rom attendance upon the deceased three
weeks ago; SO, you know, he couldn't |
ave seen poor Delpratt during his last
ortnight of life.''
But what does he suspect?"
Suspicious, mind, amount to nothing.
!nless you can support them with evi-
ence OF facts, and that we can't do at
resent. But he suspects that the medi-
ines were tampered with, and that death
esulted from the administration of-poi-
arsenic, in small but fire
uent doses. That could only have been
one Dy some one In constant attendance
pom the deceased"
And we know that Ernest Delpratt
ad opportunities of that kind"
"Yes; that we know. He sat nm some
lights with the deceased, was with him,
ldeed, continually, except on the dav of
is death then he was absent, out ali
he told me. He lied. I've
scertained that. He did go to the meet.
tut there was poor days sport, a short
I'm with q young fox, and kin In Oar
ngton Plantations, only a few miles
ON Lupton. He might have been home
two O'Clock. But he stayed drinking
q little public-house on the Purham
bad. So, you see, he lied. That doesn't
lrprise me; he was always a liar, as his
lther was before him. 1t looks like ad-
linistering the last fatal dose, and then {
eeping out Of the way of the closing
,ene, TO avoid suspicion"
I" He was on good terms with the de-
,ased?"
Yes. Not so good as he'd make out,
ut still on good terms. He'd been for +,
wen, and made welcome to the Manor q
ouse. Poor Delpratt, take it, was try {
g to like him, and, on the whole, the {
oung man had behaved pretty well of Z
te. 1t had been different formerly. In q
nth, Ernest was as bad as Deiamerc had
zen. Dismissed from the army before g
, was twenty for disgraceful conduct G
leating at cards-then guilty of what's T
lied in plain terms, at the Old Bailey, I
rgery. But the thing was hushed up,
ID the young man was packed of to Aus !
ALA .1zx.
I" Who was with him at the time of his q
,athr r' -f F,
+" No one. There we're weak. He had
rtainly heart disease of considerable