River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-09-04


have inflicted the wound which caused
,, the death of Sir James Marston?" coun
| sci asked.
Tho wound was made with precisely
such weapon as this" the doctor an
swered.
Mr.. Agnew, Mr.. Herbert and Mr.. Set
tie were examined as to the fact that Mr.
| Ainslie walked out of the house on the
morning after the murder.and was the frs
to announce that Sir James vas sitting
| in his study, near the window. Then i
was suddenly discovered that it had NO
been shown who owned the umbrella
and witnesses were examined who PROVED
| it was without an owner, and had appar
emily been left there by mistake, o.
through forgetfulness. Various persons
around the Hall had handled it, and re
marked that il was curious in its make
| but no one knew that it contained ;
| stilettO.
NOT GUILTY.
After long and careful summing VI
on both sides and charge to the jur!
which was decidedly favorable to tn
prisoner the jury retired. In half al
hour they broug I in verdict of no
guilty and Cooley was discharged. Al
most Immediately afterward Mr.. Ainsli,
was arrested on a bench warrent ant
lodged in Jail. He in turn was indicted
and brought to trial. lie maintained hi
innocence stoutly, and it was shown tina
he had every thing to gain by the Baron
cts living as long as possible, and all tC
lose by his death. The facts
however, were very strong agains
him, and he was convicted
ed. Within few hours of his execution
he made a statement which was remark
able. He confessed that he intended, OF
the night in question, to murder his ia
Their, and take large sum If money
which he knew was contained in the cash
box. The umbrella he had himself
brought from Pa. is, two months before
but he had not kept it in his room
After he quilted the study with the mon
ey which Sir James had Just given him
he
REMEMBERED THE UMBRELLA
And took it from the stand instantly
forming the idea of killing Sir James
The movement of Cooley, however, il
the lower part of the house, startled hin
and he ran upstairs. Later on, when h,
thought all was quiet, he descended anC
went into the study. On going in he saw
a man hiding behind the screen and APP
parently watching Sir James, who was
busy at his desk Mr. Ainslie was greatly
alarmed and returned to the hall. Fear
full of being caught, he placed the
umbrella in the stand and went
upstairs. Next morning when Sir
James failed to appear, Mr.. Aims
lie went round toward the windows
TO the study, because the thought struck
him that Sir James might have been
murdered. Mr.. Ainsie sworc positively
that to the best of his knowledge the
man who was hidden behind the screen
was Cooley.
This remarkable story was not credit
ed and Mr.. Ainslie was hanged at York
Castle.
Cooley in the meantime had disap-
peared suddenly and mysteriOusly, and
the Hall had gone into the possession OF
Miss Augusta Marston. She was shortly
to be married, and the dwelling was I'M
dergolng thorough repair. Among 9TH
er things wing known as the bachelor 8
quarters was to be torn down. 1t had
not been used for many years, and v as
dilapidated. On removing the wall
THE SKELETON OF A MAN WAS DIsCov-
Erred
Sticking in the chimney. He had evident
ly been ascending and stepped on loose
flag, which fell and closed up the oper-
ing below him. The chimney above was
to small TO admit of his ascending to the
top. Thus he had persisted. The clothes
that Law ar0udd were almost entire, and
were identified as those worn by Cooley
whom he disappeared. On ledge in
the chimney just above where the skel-
eton was found was discovered a paper
parcel. 1t contained bank-notes TO q
large amount. and an /. o. L. for 81 900,
signed by Christopher Ainslie and ad
dressed to Sir James Marston. 1t bore
date August II, 1910, the II written over
the figur S is.
Thus was very extraordinary mystery
satisfactorily cleared mp, Mr.. Ainsiie's
story was undoubtedly true, and Cooley
was the real perpetrator of the crime,
Ainslie, conscious of his own wicked de-
signs, denied having accompanied Sir
James to the study or borrowed money
from him on the night Of the murder
but the /. o. L showed that such was
the case, and that first having dated II
August 10, Sir James had probably re-
minded him that it was past midnight
and 90 he anged 1t 10 II. Cooley
might have seen Ainslie get the money
from Sir James. but the |. o. L. could
have told the story. 1t is clear thai after
Ainslie returned the umbrella to the
stand, Cooley, who without doubt knew
it bore a concealed weapon, used it tc
do the fatal deed