The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-11-27
THE DOCTORS EVIDENCE.

haoltants OF the quiet little village of
Elmdsle had been shocked by the dlscov-
cry OF great crime in their midst.
Seth Driscoll, well-known citizen,
was found at early dawn, lying dead In
his own garden. A ghastly bullet wound
In the back of his head left no room to
question the cause Of his death; and any
| suspicion Of suicide was rebutted, as we'll
by the position OF the wound, as by the
discovery Of footprints leading back and
forth from near the body to the garden
wall, at point where the latter bore evi.
dent marks OF having been scaled.
But the crowning discovery was that Of
pistol. recently discharged, lying near
the base OF the wall where the murderer
had clambered over. 1t was picked up
by Jonas Wenlock, DR.. Drlscoll's nephew,
who gave start Of surprise at the sight.
II know who owns this weaponl' he ex-
claimed.
"Who3 who?" questioned dozen eager
voices.
"Volney Kendall" he answered.
Had thunderclap fallen upon the lis
teners the effect could not have been
more startling. The young man whose
name had Just been uttered was the last
person to be suspected of such an atroci-
GUS crime. At the first instance the very
thought was repelled with adherence;
but OF the second came stral ge revolu-
ton. 1t was remarked that Volney Ken
dali had been an earnest suitor for the
HAND of Kate Dunseth, Mr.. Driscoll's
ward, and had received from the haugh-
ty guardian asupercilllous rebuff, which
he had bitterly resented. There was
motive for the deed, which, coupled with
the circumstances of the pistol awakened
conviction in the very minds whence,
moment before, the slightest shade of
suspicion had been Indignantly secuted.
Within an hour young Kendall, pale
and agltated, was dragged prisoner to
the scene of the tragedy, where fresh evi
denee was speedily added to that already
accumulated. His shoes were found to
exactly fit the tracks in the garden, even
to the print of the nails.
He acknowledged TO the ownership of
the pistol, but declined all explanation
of its presence at the place where it had
been found, or of his whereabouts on the
previous evening.
None longer doubted the prisoners
guilt, and he was placed IN close contine-
ment to await the coroner 5 inquest.
Next day | was retained for the ac
cused but from an interview with him,
permitted by the iailer, | came away
without the shadow of hope; for, although
he asserted his innocence, he persisted IN
maintaining silence on points the clearing
up of which were vital to his defense.
The inquest was held at the house OF
the deceased. The facts already stated
were laid before the jury; but when the
prisoner was questioned, save acknowl-
edging the ownership Of the pistol. and
denying all kn owledge of the murder, he
declined to answer.
Once he looked appealinglY to Kate
Dunseth, who was present, summoned as
witness with the rest of the household.
She met his look with a fearful, bewild-
cred gaze, and he turned away and bowed
his head in silence.
drew from Jonas WenlOck, whom, l
was permitted to cross examine, that he
had heavy insurance on his uncle's lite,
and from another witness, who had under
| taken the duty of investigating the con-
dition of Mr.. Driscolls affairs, that they
were in very embarrassed state. Blu,
| the coroner cut me short:
1T is hardly proper, Mr.. Wilson, in
the face of the evidence, to inslnuate
either that Mr.. Driscoll committed suicide
or that his nephew murdered him.
| All the witnesses had been examined
but the gray-headed doctor who hao
made the autopsy, and who took the stand
He was one of your grave taciturn men
! who kept their own counsel TIL the fitting
time comes to speak.
"Tell us, doctor continued the Cor
oner, after few preliminary questions
"What, if any, wounds you discovered
on the person of the deceased
With minute precision the witness de
scribed the bullet-wound III the head
giving the diameter and depth to frac
ton.
In your opinion, was that wound the
cause of death1'
.Itwas not was the answer, In tom
whose calmncss and composure were no
in the least rufiled by the murmur Q
astonishment which greeted the words
t "Pray explain, requested the coroner
, with ill-concealed surprise.
..There was no signs, replied the Doc
tor. preserving the same quiet manner
: ..of either external or internal hemorrhagt
t which would have necessarily followe
The severance of the blood-vessels by tn
; passage of the bullet, had the man the
t been alive. When the shot was fired h
e was already dead. :,
! .To what, then, do you attribute Mr
: Driscol's death!'
.eTo poison. A careful examination G
the organs revealed the presence OF
fatal quantity of prussic acid, whlc
mnst have entered the stomach durin