Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-06-30

servant girl Der-heard angry words,
but could not distinguish their purport;
she is sure that just befoer the alterca-
ton was over, the father threatened to
disinherit the daughter: Shortly after,
the old man left the house, on foot, to
walk to the Locks. where he intended
to take the train to Berkton. Almost
Immediately Miss Stray followed
Within twenty minutes, forgeman,
going home, came on her in the gap,
standing over the dead body of her
father. Her agitation on being detect
ed, was, he says, conclusive evidence
of ner guilt But that is only opinion
The damning facts are the quarrel; an
intelligent motive for the deed: blood
on the linen cuff of her right hand ];
and the finding Of an Oriental dagger,
which she has long used for a piper
cutter, in thicket close by, as if Hung
there when see heard the forgeman
coming. The dagger was still wet with
the crimson stain, by-the-by. when
| found"
"What does the daughter say?"
"Ohl she denies it of course. Says
she had just discovered the body, and
that she was Mortified at the sight, a
horror which the forgeman n,istook
for proof of guilt. The dagger, she de-
clares, was last seen by her that morn
ing on her table. The blood or, her
cuff she explains by saying she had
stopped to see if her father was really
dead, and so stained the linen"
"Well, | believe her."
chats because you know her and
pity her. Who else could have done
the deed? Who mad any motive? Real
ly, you are too old man, to experience
! ed lawyer, to let sentimental motives
cloud your judgement. The best that
can be said of her is that she did it in
fit of sudden passion: they say her
temper is high she was goaded to it,
perhaps. Another Beatrice Cenci."
God forbid" said the other. But
come, we'll say no more, till we have
seen for ourselves"
The two gentlemen first visited the
scene Of the murder. There were no
signs of a struggle, such as both ex-
pected to find. But Mr.. Gresham
said "The stroke was too quick and
sure for that, l suppose. The old man
|
single blow"
81 am not so sure of that" replied
Mr.. Mordaunt. 'See, here is where
his shoes were .iimly planted in the
soil; the deep indentation is unmistaka-
BILE; it looks to me as if there was some
little resistance, at least"
"But there is no sign Of any other
footsteps"
"No. Perhaps the assailant stood on
this rock here. By-the-by, the moss
seems to me slightly abraded.' y
81 don't see it. | rather think the
assailant wore shoes that would not
make an indentation; womans, shoe
in fact"
'But what is this?" cried Mr.. Nor
daunt. He stopped as he spoke, and
picked up, about two yards from where
the body had lain, a cunously-shaped
button, with small fragment of green
cloth attached to it. The button lay
Just at the edge of the thicket, conceal
ed by the overhanging laurels. Here
is something that may give clue. 1t
looks if Us the button had been torn off
in struggle"
"Pshaw!" said the district attorney.
ga mere coincidence. The button has
been there for years, probably. Don't
you see that it is quite unlike any you
ever saw before?"
Nevertheless, note down where we
found it,"
The place next visited was the house
of the murdered man. The corpse was
lying on a bed but with the clothes still
on, awaiting the coroner Jury. A con-
stable kept watch, to prevent any inter-
ference until the inquest should have
met. He was as garrulous as Dogberry
| himself.
"Ill take my 'davy, that WILL" he
said, shat gals sweetheart put her up
to it. The thing stands to natur'. But
they do say she has temper Of her
own. There's where the dagger went
in" he added lifting the sheet.
IA single blow seems to have been
sufficient. remarked the district at
| torney.
cit was a much stronger one, in my
opinion" said Mr.. Mordaunt after a
pause. ethan girls hand could have
dealt. Ha," he added after a ranse,
| "what does this mean9"
"What?" asked Mr.. Gresham, while
the constable, having replaced the sheet
walked to window.
"Don't you seer The blow was left
| handed one. Now Miss Stray, as l
happen to know, is not left-handed."
"This really does look like some
thing, at last" said the other rejecting.
For even he could see that the cut
r. IN of