Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-11
THE LEFT HAND.

Feet, Two Knees, but Only One Hand-An
Innocent Man Accused of the Crime-Cir-
cumstantial Evidence Which Brought the
Guilt Home.
The murder of DR.. Hunston, of Wis
beach, England, in 1923, presented some
very unusual points of circumstantial
evidence. DR.. Hunston was physician
and naturalist. and was wealthy. He
lived alone, and was of somewhat misery
! habits. He had an illegitimate son whom
he had brought up with care, who was
apparently worthy youth. DR.. Hun.
! ston's house stood In the suburbs of the
rural town, with trees around it. Very
near to it was the residence of lawyer,
named Terwhit. DR.. Hunsfon was orig
inally very successful surgeon in Lon
don, but during al autopsy he cut his
| right hand with an operating knife, and
to prevent fatal consequences, immediate
ly submitted to the amputatlon of the
arm. The dwelling occupied by the doc
tor had been purchased many years be-
fore the date of the crime to be narrated.
From time to time he had added to it,
until it was a rather peculiar structure.
In wing reached by five steps from the
parlor was the doctors bed room; beyond
that was his workshop, and beyond that
aga n, in an odd angle, his study. JAM
med into what appeared to be a passage
just begun and left unfinished, was the
| desk in which the doctor always kept a
| quantity of lOo2e cash, and some old Jew
els of great value, hirelooms of the Hun
ston family, from which he was descend
ed. A coachman, a gardener and groom
lived IN the yard right below the win
d@ws of the doctors apartments, and re
was in the habit of saying that they gave
ample protection to the dwelling in that
direction. In his workshop
LARGE BLOOD MAsTIFF.
always slept, and the windows of the
parlor were supplied with strong shutters
which were carefully closed every night.
When Lawyer Terwhit joked with DR..
Hunston about his chances of being
robbed, he was wont to laugh and say
that it would require very expert thieves
to get an entrance, or, having got an en-
trance to get out again safe and sound.
1t was the 18th of August, 1928
Young Hunston had returned from Col
lege and gone to London for visit to
friends. Lawyer Terwhit had sat with
the doctor until nine clock. Then the
latter saw that his servant closed up the
house, and soon afterward retired. Dr.
Hunston was an early riser, and when he
failed to be stirring at eight o'clock next
morning, surprise was excited among the
domestlcs. By nine o'clock they we're
alarmed, and by ten resolved to send for
Lawyer Terwhit and ask his advice. The
lawyer suggested the forcing Of the door
leading from the parlor to the bed room
of the doctor. This was done, and the
lawyer and the domestics entered.
\ DREADFUL SPECTACLE
was disclosed. DR.. Hunston lay on his
bed in his night clothes. His arm was
thrown out so as tC hang out over the
side of the bed. His head lay over the
bolster, and his throat was cut from ear
to ear. An ordinary kitchen knife,
sharpened like razor, lay On the left
side of the bed, and in the bolster on
the same side was a cash. The doors
through the workroom into the Doctor s
study were open. The dog lay peace
fully sleeping. The desk IN the study
had been
| RANsACKED OF EVERY THING
of any value There had been difficulty
in opening it, and the person forcing the
lock had worked to the right side of the
desk as it stood, for there were marks on
the wall showing where he had rubbed
off the whitewash. The windows of all
the rooms were examined. All were
fastened except one IN the workshop. OF
this the cords had been broken, for when
the broken sash was raised it fell with a
crash.
Right below this window was u flower
bed. In the soft mold there were prints
of a mans knees and CT his lett hand
There were also marks as if his toes had
struck the soil. The servant-men who
slept near the spot had heard no mise in
the night except what sounded like the
hanging of shutter, and as there was
wind blowing they thought nothing o.
, that
Lawyer Terwhit was very shrewG
man and clever criminal expert. Thu
authorities were duly notified of the dread
. . full crime that had been perpetrat
ed, and measures were taken to find
clue to the guilty person or persons. Th
motive was clearly plumber. The perpe
traitor or perpetrators knew that the doc
tor kept valuables in his apartments. l
would seem as though they also knew
: where there was defective window. TIL
Z points presented in the case were numeI
II Gus and pregnant.
THE POINTS IN THE CASE.
1. There was no possible means of &C
cess to the apartments of the doctor ez
e cept by the window already spoken o
il That this had been used was eviden
l. 1t Uas twelve feet from the ground. Their
1. were marks of feet on the coping just bt
IS low, as though some one had Wake
il along 1t from the corner, clinging to tn
n windows, on purpose to avoid leavin
n traces. Immediately below in the so
d there were no marks of feet, and no in
t. preston of any sort other than those a
= ready mentioned, namely: the marks
he the knees, the toes. and the left hant
le These, it was very clear, had been mao
n. by a person in falling, and were turne
c. away from the window, the oe-marE
;h being nearest and the landmarks, flu
&c thest off. These impressions were ev
I'd IDENTIFY, made by the r-urderer in his d
n scent from the window. The bottom
Id the window-sash showed on it stains
an blood, with pieces of skin adherin
d. How had the blood and skin come Their
tn 2. The throat of the doctor had be-
"a cut as the murderer stood at his left sid
The knife was clearly drawn from rig
ps to left, and hence the cash in the bolst
he on the left side. The position of t
Id Knife On the loft side If tho had uho