Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-07-16
made his fire. She came and told us that
she had done 50. He said good night.

4 sne hau uohe 80. ne sai0 8oOQ night.
After he had gone we found that he
had left his watch on the table. He wore
| it only with bunch Of seals, and he had
been setting il by the clock. and showing it
to lis as something handsome. / knocked
at his door to restore il to him, he had left
us fifteen minutes before, and he must have
been asleep, for he made no answer. So I
keptit for the night, and wore it down to
breakfast next morning. AsI came down
met a gentleman in the hall. !. He iuquir-
/ ed for Mr.. Glenn-that was the new COM
er's name. / sent Hannah to wake him.
She could not do 50, and she grew alarmed !;
she had a key that would open the door, and
used it. The next thing knew we were
all in the room and the windows were wide
open, and the doctor had been sent for, and
the young man who had called was scream
ing that his brother had been choked to
death ;apd then there was the inquest, and
then they arrested me. The brother said
that the FIRST thing he noticed was that l
wore Mr.. Glenn's watch and seals. I had
forgotten them in my terror.
30 Hannah had key to the room, y
said.
| eyes. At least she had koy that
would open it. It was the key to Mr..
Bassford's door,. She knocked the other
kew ont with stick and put that in,
The people who were there on that
night were your boarders when tho other
men were found dead y asked.
"Oh, yes.
Aunt Hannah was there also r.
"All my married life Hannah has lived
with me-"
Your daughter oversees ycur household
in your absence9' 8&s
"Yes, poor child, with Hannah's help
Thought little while. A
!" Madame" l said, "thers is some
strange mystery in this affair. do mot de-
spair Of proving TO the world your entire
innocence. Meanwhile be y calm - pose
ible, and endeavor to remember everything
connscted with the sudden deaths that have
occurred 10 your house. The incident that
seems the most unimportant may really be
OF the most immense value"
So / left and went nome. Strange
enough, on the way I met the doctor who
had been called in. He was dull, heavy
sort Of a person. considerably given to beer
drinking, and my opinion Of his ability was
not very great. However, questioned
him on the subject. and hs replied:
"Weil, you zee, I don't say the old wo-
man murdered him. II she did, I should
say it was by sitting on him Or smothering
him with the bolsters. suppose the
cause of his death was asphyxia. Well,
then, what is asphyxia? Why. too little
breath 10 keep one living. He died because
he was short Of breath. wash my hands
on that matter. Only there's the watch |;
that looks dark"
had learned nothing from the doctor.
The coroner lived near me. His jury had
been swelyeof the most ignorant men ia
Istown. ~. ~ sts ~ slsss
This is all he told me:
"He was smothered, that man was; SO
| were the other two. Men don't smother
themselves. We made it inscrutahle'P 'Provi-
dence tosher times. We make it murder
this time. That there watch You know,
SIR"
Thus. without any new light, ! went
home and formed my plans. There WAS
but one way in which 10 penetrate the
mystery. must enter the house; I must
see tho people there; I must penetrate to
the room in which these men had died so
suddenly, and must not be known in my
real character. That Madame Matteau was
innocent fully believed, but that some
one beneath her roof was guiltyi made no
doubt. 1t might be the librsrian. Mr.
Bassford, whose key fitted the dead mans
door. 1t was possible-but no, would
not harbor mad superstition. There
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.-s.ss - ~. .ann 49, 49, . .n;~,.r.I;s.
had she lived to-day, was mere absurdity.
~. !. .h. 80, ~. 81, ...r,a
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,har - .,urs. wh.,.,s, !, "a. 7 vou,d
=, !, k,ow Ihad . r,.r
4, an.r IA. A., nan. into INV h.d
room mvself I came ont strange man.
I wore : white vip. : pair Of goggles and
an ovsrcoat. the tail of which reached 10 INV
heels had / mufa,er about INV throat
and !. ,itt,e hunch on one of INV ahouldsrs.
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