The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-03-28

ne cOuCluu0O. lnlD ID my uS0Abuouts
pointing to an electric battery. with a
current of. say, 100 ONES of electricity,
can accelerate enough evaporation to
freeze instantly 100 gallons Of water"
Here the professor took basin OF
water and poured in small quantity OF
the colorless liquid. @This is ammonia"
said he. But this"-here he added
about as much of the other liquids
something else"
"What is it?"
~No one knows but myself"
deemed it impertinent to question
him further. He then attached the
wires of his battery to the water.
when make the connecting current
the water will become ice."
watched, much interested, and he
laid his hand on piece of metal which
was part of the apparatus, and the turn
ing of which caused the currents to con-
meet. He turned the brass piece, and
instantly cloud Of vapor rose from the
surface of the water. Crystals shot
from the sides of the basin with aston
ishing rapidity, and there was a sharp,
cracking sound as the water expanding
in il caused a strain upon the basin
which pressed out the sides.
with 500 omes," continued the pro-
lessor, 4" 1 could freeze 500 cubic feet Of
water"
left the house much impressed with
the discovery made by the professor,
and few days afterward learned of his
death. The public considered it case
of suicide. made careful examina-
ton of the premises. and came to diff
ferent conclusion. 1t was the hand of
Alice Armstrong that killed Prof
Croftly.
Let us go back a little. After the
professor realized what could be done
with his new appliance of electricity, he
determined to utilize it in the murder
of Dean. He hit upon the grand idea
of freezing him in the BATH.
"She will not love him cold" he said,
and began to arrange his plans. Dean
was fond Of the bath. He retired at
midnight, and always took a bath Just
before. The bathroom of Armstrong;
house was an exceptionally good one.
1t was situated but a short distance
from the suit occupied by the pro-
leSSOT anu OeHu. ue tduh WIS VI ultr-
BILE, eight feet wide, ten feet long and
six feet deep, capable of holding $50
cubic feet of water. Croftly connected
the bath with his own room by means
of wires. One entered the bath by the
waste-pipe. He reached this by dig
cling in the garden under the pretext of
planting flowers. The wire ran down
the side of the house and into the
ground. 1t was concealed from OBJ
servation by little bush. The other
was connected with the pipe which fur
nished the water. He bored hole in
the wall and found the pipe, as he ex-
pected, running in the rear of the room
close to the floor. He then increased
the jars of his battery, and raised its
strength to 500 ONES.
No suspicion was excited by this, as
he had been for months before making
electrical experiments. His apparatus
was fixed on stand near the WALL and
the wires from it connected with those
leading to the bath. When the apparatus
was removed its wires could be pulled
away from the others, and no trace
would be left of previous connection.
in readiness. Croftly laid his plans
with nicely and deIiberation. Dean al
ways took bath before retiring, which
was about midnight In the morning
Croftly had purchased two seats at the
Metropolitan Theater and given them
to Armstrong, who took his daughter to
the play. BY 8 o'clock everything was
quiet in the house. Croftly knew that
he was safe from interruption until IL
o'clock, and perhaps later.
He now began to work in earnest He
filed the tank with water, and then
tested his wires over and over again.
Everything was in splendid working
order. He calculated that he could
imbed his rival in ice about midnight,
and then turn on hot water. In the
morning there would be no trace left
of the freezing. He rubbed his hands
with delight, and then poured in the
chemical proportions, wherein lay the
secret of his discovery. Having done
this, he went back to his room and laid
the two connecting wires of his appara-
tus side by side upon the instrument. 1t
was now 8 o'clock. He turned the gas
up to full blaze to dispense the shad-
ows, took an easy chair and determined
to read until Deans return. The silence
of the house became unbearable, and
the sultriness of the apartment more
and more oppressive. His excitement
began to tell upon him, and he was no
longer cool. The man who is about to
kill suffers more pangs than he who
knows he is about to die Croftly paced
up and down the apartment, and then
strange fascination drew him toward
the bath. He entered the room again
and stood gazing into the motionless
water in the tank, and murmured to
himself: -Four hundred and eighty
cubic feet, 500 Ones"
There was gas Jet above the tank,
and its faint glow was reflected in the
water. To Croftly the atmosphere
seemed to have been generated in a
blast furnace The water looked cool
and refreshing. There was yet more
than an hour. Croftly turned the catch
of the door from force of habit, and,
throwing of his clothes, plunged in. He
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