Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-09-03

ner hand.
"Oh, thank heaven you have come p
she said IL know YOU can save me.
Is it not horrible? How could l kill a
man! Why should L? Why do peo.
pie come TO my house to die? To die
horribly, with black faces and starting
eyes, AS if somebody had choked
them! Ugh and he was pretty
young man the night before. On,
good heaven. how horrible
sat down beside her. / took her
hand.
mime. Matteau,' ! said, ''be calm !;
collect yourself. AS your lawyer
must know all. Tell me, from first to
last, what happened-what was said,
what was done. lfyou--"
paused; her black eyes had flash
ed upon me. could not ask her
whether she had any confession to
make. l saw that she had not. Un.
less she was the best actress who ever
lived. Nine. Matteau was innocent of
any crime.
"lf you have any suspicious | add
ell, "tell them all TO me-"
There is no one to suspect" Sob
bed the poor woman.
''ln the house were Gabrielle. nv
daughter whom you have seem old
Hannah, the cook; Mr.. and Mrs. Beau
champ, friends of my poor dear hus-
band in his boyhood-the best, kind
est people; Mr.. Gray, a very old man,
too feeble 10 leave the house; poor.
deiormed Miss Norman, and the IL
brarian. Mr.. BassfJrd. None of thesc
would murder mouse. See how kind
they are ; they remain in nv house;
they send me word that they have no
doubt OF me. Oh, how can anybody"
And this man who" began.
"1es," said Nine. Matteau. ~
Will tell you he was fair, young, hand
somely dressed; he asked Mr.. bass
ford TO the depot if he knew OF any
one who could accommodate him. Mr.
Bassford brought him home. Nv only
empty room was the one in which
those other two strangers died. |
could not bear to put him there, but
MIR. Bassford laughed at me. We had
supper atterward. He talked long
while to Gabrielle. IL was late when
he retired-late for n quiet household.
Hannah had made his fire. She came
and told us that she had done so. lie
said good night.
After he had gone We found that
he had left his watch on the table.
He wore 1t only with 4 bunch of seals :.
and lie had been setting it by the clock i,
and showing 1t 10 US as something very
handsome. | knocked at his door 10
restore it 10 him. He had not left us
but fifteen minutes before but he
must have been asleep already, for he
, made no answer. SO kept it for tho
night. and wore it down 10 breakfast
next morning. AS came down met
gentleman in the hall. He inquired
for Mr.. Glen. That was the new
comer's name. l sent Hannah TO wake
him. She ha2 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 and there was the inquest,
and they arrested me. The brother
said the first thing to be noticed was
that l wore Mr.. Glen's watch and
seals. / had forgotten it in my ter
ror.'
SO Hannah had key to the room :"
l said.
Yes; at least it was key that
would open it. 1t was the key to Mr..
Basstord's door. She knocked the
other out with stick and put that in."
"rhe people who were there on that
night were boarders when the other
men were found dead, l asked.
"Oh, yes"
And Hannah was there also:"
"A.l my married life Hannah has
lived with me-"
"iour daughter oversees your house
hold n your absence!"
YES, poor child, with llannahs
| help" thought little while.
Madame" l said. there is some
strange mystery in the affair. do
not despair OF proving your entire in.
nocence. Meanwhile, be as calm as
possible, and endeavor to remember
everything connected with the sudden
deaths that have occurred in your
house. The incident that seems the
least important may really be of the
| most immense value"
! So left and went home. Strange
enough, on the way met the doctor
who had been called in. He was
dull, heavy sort II a person, consid-
erably given TO beer drinking, and my
opinion of his ability was not very
great. However, questioned him on
the subject, and he replied:
swell, you see, don't say the old
woman murdered him. If she did, l
should say it was by sitting on him.
or smothering him with holsters. l
suppose the cause Of his death was
asphyxia. Well, then, what is asphy.
xia? Why, too little breath to keep
one living. He died because lie was
short Of breath. l wash my hands on
that matter. Only there's the watch;
that looks dark"
had learned nothing from the doc
tor. The coroner lived near me. His
jury had been twelve of the most ig-
norant men in town.
This is all he tOlG me.
"He was smothered, that man was,
so were the other two. Men don't
smother themsei YES. We made it in
scrutable Providence t'other time. We
made il murder this time. That there
watch. you know"
Thus without any new light, went
home and formed my plans. There
was but one way in which to pere rate
the mystery. must enter the house
l must see the people there; l must
penetrate TO the room in which these
men had died SO suddenly, and must