The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-05-05

to penetrate the secret The loc!
was thrown back ia few minute:
and the door opened.
Everything lent to the mystery
The obscurity gave to the hetero.
clitic objects fan, sstic shapes. Sam
uel Staoffer bought aud sold every.
thing, furniture, collections, novel.
ties, antiques. silver goods and kitch.
en- utensils-each was 90 article OF
trade to him. A thick dust-a sort
of secular ashes, aad always re.
specled, were every where blending
the colors and softening The angles.
TIE spiders. working without fear,
nad haished by u0iring bronzss,
paintings and crockery.
The door was guarded by two DO
iicemen TO prevent the invasion et
the curious crowd The chief, con-
Quoted by the butcher and grocer.
both familiar with the household, and
followed by the surgeon, sscended
toe stairs slowly, one after aDotber,
aud arrived in front Of the old Jews
room. They knocked-=pufe formal
ity. The door, closed only with .
latch, offered no resistsocs. TIE po-
lceman advancing few steps found
himself 10 the most profound obscu-
rity, aod demanded il some one had
brought& light. No one had thought
Of IL
"Walk straight ahead - said the
butcher, "the window isopposite the
bed"
The chief having follawed this ad-
vice, opened the window aud threw
back the blinds, which Intercepted
the light of day Tue light pene-
trating quickly into the rooms, llt up
a horrible tableau, aud : feeling Of
terror caused those to recoiL who
stood behind the policemen. The
disardered bed was not oaly mussed,
bot trampled; the covers were
thrown about and dragged into the
centre of the room, with two chairs
overturned. Ga the table, soiled by
grease which had dripped from the
candle, was carafe half filed with
water aud brokea glass Every
thing denoted violent struggle,
terrible resistance, that of victim
against murderer
la front of the bed-hanging on
the wsll-was one Of those clocks
called cuckoo. Bot what hide
ous sight. One of the weighted
chains which hung from the cuckoo
was wound about the leek f the un-
fortunate Samuel Stsuffss, suspended
four inches from the f,or. The face
already purple, the features indated
and convulsed, showed that all hope
was lost. Samuel was dead.
The surgeon FASTENED 70 ascertain,
as Boon as the body was stretched
on the bed. TIE iron chaia was deep
ly inerus.ed 10 the assb, making a
fearful bloody collar, horsible TO see
Tue hsndsof the clock, ARRESTED on
the face pointed TO three ia the morn
i0C. There We're therefore seven
hours that the broker bad ceased to
live. The IN Ition muss have left the
clock az the same time char the last
breath left the lips of shs dsaa man
Was it murder or suicide2 jus
tice in her turn should decide If
one judged simply from the inspection
of the place. the struggle was u
startling evidence of murd der. The
broker had been surprised in his bed,
sound asleep; he had resisted as
long as his weak body and age
would permit Two chairs over
turned, the broken glass. noises
which we're lost ia, the storm; the
murderer seiziog the chain of the
cuckoo and slrsngling he jew, aud
leaving him hanging just grazing the
floor; this was the theory of the po-
licemea-a theory SO PLAUSIBLE that
the assistants and even the surgeon
listened without dispute.
"If you imagine suicide" re
commenced the policemaa, who was
warming up TO his suojecl and agi
tsllng bis arms, "Ihen Samuel Stauf-
fer got upon chair. and kicking il
over with bis foot, remained hanging
by the neck. 1t is inadmi-sible.
How can you explain the broken
glass? Why two chairs overturned
instead of ow? Why this disordered
state Of the bed, the blankets dragg-
ed to the foot Of the wall, nearly
under the clock? Find connection
with the theory of suicide and ex-
plain it if you can 7"
He stopped out of breath Every
one was silent, regarding the corpse
with hnrror.
AfteI moment the surgeon said i: |
Pardon me, master. But from
whe0ce came the assassin. and how
could be have opened the door"
"Yeu think it was suicide ?" said |
the policeman, tartly.
But said the big butcher, CON-
ing forward, Samuel SIanfe. had
servant"
The servant, ah, | bad forgotten
him." said the policeman with q tri- |
umpaal regard toward the surgeon !
20 Iics, GO and ind hin
Hern an aud the chief precipitated |
themselves into the room which was
occupied BY Jean Muller.
10 one corner the domestic OF the
Jew-s young men of twenty Eve,
half dressed-wss c:ouched on the
floor like some wild animal, holding
his bead 10 his haods. without voice,
without life, haggard and appearing
20 be under terrible impression
What are you doing ?n asked the
policeman, who dared no. approach
him.
No reply Muller did not bulge |
They assisted bin to rise and sup
ported him under the arms. He let
them do it With complete indifsr
enee. Herman handed him bic jacket
and supported on each side the young !
man was conducted into the presence
of bis murdered master.
When be recognized the room of
Samuel Staaifsr, trembling seized /
his limbs aud by quick motion be |
to escape, but the iron
hand of the butcher checked the de.
spsiring effort.
The Chief Of police turned bis
head: his suspicious were beginning