The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-08-21
THE LEFT HAND.


They never met again.
Boston Post.
THE LEFT HAND.
THE murder of DR.. Hunston, of
Wisbeach, England, in 1928, presented
some very unusual points of circum-
stantial evidence. DR.. Hunston was a
physician and naturalist, and was
wealthy. He lived alone, and was of
somewhat misery habits. He had a
son, whom he brought up with care,
who was apparently worthy youth.
DIR. Hunston's house stood in the SUBJ
urbs of the rural town, with trees
around it. Very near to it was the
residence of \ lawyer named Terwhit.
DR.. Hunston was originally a very
successful surgeon in London, but dur
ing an autopsy he cut his right hand
with an operating knife, and, TO pre-
vent fatal consequences, Immediately
submitted to the amputation of the
arm. The dwelling occupied by the
doctor had been purchased many
years before the date of the crime to
be narrated. From time to time he
added to it until it was a peculiar
structure. In wing, reached by five
steps from the parlor, was the doctors
bedroom; beyond that was his work.
shop, and beyond that again, in an
odd angle, his study. damned into
what appeared q passage just begun
and left unfinished, was the desk in
which the doctor always kept a
quantity of loose cash and some old
jewels of great value, heirlooms of the
Hunston family, from which he was
descended. A coachman, a gardener
and 4 groom lived in the yard right
below the windows of the doctors
apartments, and he was in the habit of
saying that they gave ample protection
to the dwelling in that direction. In
his workshop a large blood mastiff al
ways slept, and the windows of the
parlor were supplied with strong shut
tiers, 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 entrance, to get out again safe
and sound.
1t was the 18th of August, 1928.
Young Hunston had returned from
college and gone to London for visit
to friends. Lawyer Terwhit had sat
with the doctor until nine o'clock.
Then the latter saw that his servant
closed up. the house, and soon after
ward retired. DR.. Hunston was an
early riser, and, when he failed to be
stirring at eight o'clock next morn
ing, surprise was excited among the
domestics. By nine o'clock they were
alarmed, and by ten resolved to send
for Lawyer Terwhit and ask his ad-
vice. The lawyer suggested the fore
ing of the door leading from the par
Tor to the bedroom of the doctor. This
was done, and the lawyer and the do
mestics entered.
A dreadful spectacle was disclosed.
DR.. Hunston lay on his bed in his
night clothes. His arm was thrown
out so as to hang out over the side of
the bed. His head lay over the boil
ster, 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 cash. The doors
through the wOrkroom into the doc
tors room were open. The dog lay
peacefully sleeping. The desk in the
study had been ransacked of everything
of any va.ue. There had been diff
Guilty 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 white
wash. The windows of all the ROBINS
were examined. All were fastened ex-
cept one in the workshop. Of this the
cords had been broken, for when the
broken sash was raised it fell with q
crash.
Right below this window was a flow
er-bed. In the soft mold there were
prints of mans knees and of his left
hand. There were also marks as
though his toes had struck the soil.
The servant men who slept near the
spot had heard no noise in the night
except what sounded like the banging
of shutter, and as there was wind they
thought nothing of that.
Lawyer Terwhit was very shrewd
man and a clever criminal expert. The
authorities were duly notified of the
dreadful crime which had been perpe-
trated, and measures were taken to find
clue to the guilty person or persons.
The motive was clearly plumber. The
perpetrator or perpetrators knew that
the doctor kept valuables in his apart
ments. 1t would also seem as though
they knew where there was defective
window. The points presented in the
case were numerous and pregnant:
l. There Yves no possible means of
access to the apartments of the doctor
except by the window already spoken
OF. That this had been used was EVIL
dent. 1t was twelve feet from the
ground. There were marks of feet on
the coping just below, as though some
one had walked along it from the
corner, ciinging to the windows, on
purpose to avoid leaving traces. I'm
mediately below in the soil there were
no marks of feet, and no impression of
any sort other than those already mem
toned, namely: the marks of the knees.
the toes and the left hand. These, it
was very clear, had been made by q
person in falling, and were turned
away from the window, the toe-narks
being nearest and the landmarks fur
thest OF. These impressions were evil
IDENTIFY made by the murderer in his de-
scent from the window. The bottom
of the window-sash showed on it stains
of blood, with pieces of skin adherinp.
How had the blood and skin come
there?