The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-10-30
THE FOURFOLD ALlRI,
BY w. l.. ALDEN.

A city boarding house is proverbi.
ally addi ;tcd TO gossip. When,
therefore, the twenty-six boarders at
Mrs. Burntash's family boarding
house learned that Mr.. Anderson.
the occupant of the two pair front,
had been found dead with dagger
sticking in hIs heart, tbay felt that
fortune had been kind to them in fur.
Dishing them with a topic Of mex
haustible merit.
For, in the first place, the question
whether the dead man had been
murdered or had committed suicide,
was one admitting of vast deal OF
discussion. Then, supposing that he
had committed suicide, the investi.
cation of his motive would be rich
vein, in the working of which unim-
aginable scandal might be unearth-
ed. IT, on the other hand, he had
been murdered, wide field # con
| lecture as to the murderer would be
opened. In whatever light the
tragedy might be viewed, it was full
of promise to the lover of gossip. So
the twenty six boarders at once fell
upon it and discussed it all over the
house with the utmost enthusiasm.
With, however, one or two except
ions, the wife of the dead man did
not join in the general conversational
uproar, neither did his brother, who
occupied the half red room next TO
the room of Mr.. Anderson, and who
forgot his own grief in his tender
sympathy with the greater loss Of
the wife. Then there was Mr.
Banks, a gentleman who was on bad
terms with the deceased, and who
had quarreled publicly with him over
question Of politics only the day
before the tragedy. Mr.. Banks said
little about the matter, ana his reti.
cence was commended and initiated
by Mrs. Stein, fascinating and beau
tlful widow, who had been but three
days at Mrs. Burntash's, but was al
ready the belle of the boarding
house.
Mrs. Anderson on entering their
room, had found her husband quite
dead Mr.. James Anderson, his
brother, informed the police, and a
coroEor's inquest was held next day.
a physician swore that the position
in which the dagger was found, was
quite consistent with the theory OF
suicide. Mrs. Anderson testified
that on the evening in question, she
had left her husband in their room in
his usual health and spirits, at eight
O'clock in the evening, in order to
call On friend living on the next
floor. At half past nine she return
ed and found him dead. Symptoms
Of the rigor M ortis were already ap.
parent, showing that he had been
dead some time. She was sure OF
the exact time when she left him and
when she discovered his death, for
on each occasion che glanced at the
clock in the room. She had lived
happily with her husband, and could
imagine no reason why he should
have committed suicide. He had nc
enemies, so far as she was aware, al
though he was not on good terms
with Mr.. Banks, whom he disliked
and who, he said, had insulted him
The dagger was her husbands anC
was habitually used by him as pap
er cutter. Mr. James Anderson tes
tilted that he knew nothing Of th'
tragedy until Mrs. Anderson knock
ed at his door and cried out that he
husband was dead. He had hearc
no noise whatever in the room of tht
deceased during the evening of hi
death. Mr.. Banke admitted that hi
had quarreled with Mr.. Anderson
the day before his death, and Nigh
have said he "would be even witt
him yet" If so, it was not threa
but an idle remark which really
meant nothing. He had heard of Bit
death after the discovery had beer
made by Mrs. Anderson, though HI
could not remember the precise hour
He was 10 his room at the time, an(
hearing noise in the hall, came ou
to see what was the matter. He me
servant who told him Mr. Ander
son had been murdered. Mrs. Stein
the widow, who occupied the room
adjoining the dead mans in the rear
.. was the last witness, and her testl
mony was substantially the same a
that of Mr. Banks, with the addition
that she was in the parler with th'
0 latter gentleman from O'Clock unit
9; thus establishing an alibi fo
} him and herself The jury found
: : verdict to the effect that Mr. Ander
I son came to his death by being stab
bed by dagger, but was unable f
decide whether it was a case of SUI
eide or murder. The dead man wa
duly buried, his will proved and hi
: property, tho whole OF which wa
left to his wife, taken in charge b.
his brother as executor, and bot
brother and widow renamed at tn
clearinghouse ard maintained ever
outward appearance Of deep and sin
cere grief.
Thus the problem how Mr.. Ander
son came to his death seemed to b
generally given up by every one a
unsolvable. a week after the funeral
however, new boarder made hi
appearance; middle-aged man, ap
parently unmarried, with plenty o
leisure on his hands, and with ger
ial, hearty manner made him univers
ally popular. Mr.. Pryor was not
detective, as the reader has possibl,
supposed, but simply IN idle ma
with passion for solving Difficult
puzzles. He had read the report o
the coroner's inquest, and had mad
up bis mind that be would yet dis
cover what the jurYmen admitted t.
, be beg ond their powers Of defnation
He therefore entered himself in tn
ranks IF Mrs. Burntasf2s boarders
and Immediately proceeded to worl
out the problem he had set himsel
to solve.
His first move was to make the ac
quaintance of the physician who ha,
testified az the inquest. A sligh
cold for which he consulted him
was sufficient for the purpose, an,
easily led the conversation to th'
subject that occupied his thoughts
The physician described the position
in which the dagger was found, ant
though he admitted the possib;lit,
of the theory of suicide, he evident
ly inclined to the opinion that th'
man was murdered. He could, how