The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-03-12
half Way down witI, His left hand ana al

the top with his right. There was sligE
jarring sound, and the next instant til
right hand Of the doctor ascended, graspin
a glittering stiletto foot long.
The sound that arose from the spectator
Was almost a cry. The learned Judge
dropped back i'll his seat. The jury clutch
ed the front of the jury-box, as the docto
held the glittering steel alofr.
Counsel for the defense pointed to
with his right forefinger, and looked fror
judge to jury. Then he slowly turned hi
eye and fixed it on Mr.. Ainslie.
After a solemn pause Of some second
counsel said
doctor, have you examined that stilet
to?n
II have, = replied the doctor.
/ "Could such an instrument as that hay'
inflicted the wound which caused th,
death Of Sir James Marston?" counse
asked.
'The wound was made with precisely
such a 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
first to announce that Sir James was sit
ting in his study near the window. Their
it was suddenly discovered that it had not
| been shown who owned the umbrella and
witnesses were examined who proved that
it was without an owuer, and had appar-
entity been left there by mistake or through
forgetfulness. Various persons around the
hall had handled it, and remarked that it
was curious in its make, but no one knew
that it contained stiletto.
After a long and careful summing up
Oh both sides, and charge to the jury
which was decidedly favorable to the pris-
oner, the jury retired. In half an hour
they brought in a verdict of not guilty,
and Cooley was discharged. Almost i'm
mediately afterwards Mr.. Ainsle was az
rested on bench warrant and lodged in
Jail. He in turn was indicted and brought
to trial. He maintained his innocence
stoutly, and it was shown that he had ey-
erything to gain by the baronet's living
as long as possible, and all to lose by his
death. The facts, however, were very
strong against him, and he was convicted
Within q few hours Of his execution he
made a statement which was remarkable
l,, la
in question to murder his father and take
large sum of money which he knew was
contained in the cash-box. The umbrella
he had himself brought from Paris two
months before, but he had not kept it in
his room. After he quilted the study
with the money which Sir James had Just
given him he remembered the umbrella,
and took it from the stand instantly form
ing the idea of killing Sir James. The
movement of Cooley, however, in the low
er part Of the house startled him, and he
ran mp stairs. Later on, when he thought
all was quiet, he descended and went into
the study, On going in he saw man
hiding behind the screen and apparently
watching Sir James, who was busy at his
desk. Mr.. Ainslie was greatly alarmed,
and returned to the hall. Fearful of being
caught, he placed the umbrella in the
stand and went up stairs. Next morning
when sir James failed to appear, Mr..
Ainslie went around towards the window
to. the study, because the Thought struck
him that Sir James might have >been mur"
dered; Mr. -Ainslie sWore positively that
to the best of his knowledge the man who
was hidden behind the screen was Cooley.
This remarkable story wss not credited,
and Mr.. Ainslie was Hanged at York
castle.
Cooley il the meantime had disappeared,
and mysteriously, and. the hall
had gone into the possession of Miss Au-
gusta Marston. She was shortly to be
and the dwelling was undergo
ing a thorough repair. Among other
things wing known as the bachelors
quarters was to be torn down. 1t had moi
been used for many years, and was di}ap-
idated. On removing the wall the skele-
ton of a man was discovered sticking in the
chimney. He had evidently been ascend
ing and stepped on loose flag, which fell
and closed up the opening below him.
Tie chimney above was too small to admit
of his ascending to the top. Thus he had
perished. The clothes that lay around
were almost entire, and were identified as
those worn BY Cooley when he disappear
ed. On a ledge in the chimney just above
where the skeleton was found was discoy-
cred papar parcel 1t contained bank
notes to a large amount, and an l. 0. o..
for FL 900 signed by Christopher Ainslie
and addressed to Sir James Marston. 1t
bore date August II, 1910, the II written
over the figures lG.
Thus was this very extraordinary mys-
terry satisfactorily cleared up. Mr.. Aims
lies story was undoubtedly true, and God
ley was the real perpeuator 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 /. 0. q. showed that such was the
case, and that first having dated it Au-
gust 16, Sir James had probably reminded
him that it was past midnight, and SO he
changed it to II. Cooley might. have seen
Ainslie get the money from Sir james, but
the [. o. U. could have told the story. It
is clear that after Ainslie returned the
to the stand, Cooley, who with
out doubt knew it bore q concealed Wea-
pom, used it to do the fatal deed.