The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-05-17
THE TIMES NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA. MAY II. 1881.

CIO0S
Thinking of these things l found no
amusement In my book, and soon,
overcome by the drowsy influence of the
heat and stiffness, slept
How long slept do not know. An
excruciating, stinging pain in the back
of my neck awoke me suddenly, and l
sprang up with loud cry. Mrs. More
ton stood by my side, with her hand up
on my shoulder.
You have been dreaming" she said.
"Mr. Maddox is about taking his
leave. thought you might like to see
him before he goes"
Maddox stood near the steps, with
his valise and travelling shawl. L put
my hand to my neck. A minute par
ticle of blood came off upon my finger.
observed coldly that L wished Mr..
Maddox safe journey, and then rush
ed off to my room to get something with
which to alleviate my burning pain.
Wrenching off my collar and vest,
there fell to the floor fine, pointed
wire, precisely similar to the one which
had previously found upon my friends
body. In an instant that forgotten cir
cumstance came back to nay mind, and
with it an overwhelming crowd of con-
| lectures and emotions. L picked it up
and examined 1t closely, forgetting en-
tirely, in my excitement the pain was
suffering. 1t was womans hair-pin,
Strengthened out, of the fine, delicate,
sharp-pointed kind known as "invisi-
ble.'
On my return to the drawing. room, l
found Doctor Savlle making semi-pro
fessional, semi.social call upon Mrs.
Moreton.
"Would it be impossible" l asked
him with point-blank directness, to
cause death by inserting fine steel wire
at the back of the neck 7"
looked at Mrs. Moreton as [ asked
the portentous question. She grew, not
white, but absolutely livid, and gazed at
me with quickened breath and parted
lips.
The doctor smiled and waved his
hand toward Mrs. Moreton.
THAT is question:" he said that
you should ask my patient here. She is
a surgeons daughter"
6 L did not know that" replied "or
1 would have done so. 1 have been
reading novel in which woman in
her ambition to become possessed of an
estate, and melted by an unprincipled
wretch whom she loves, kills in that
manner, successively, her husbands
mother and her husband. L only wish
ed to know if the story is probable"
at is certainly possible" T" replied the
doctor, ''though it would require skill
full hand to find the vital point. A fine
wire or needle passed into the back of
the neck in such manner as to divide
the medudd obLongato, would cause
DEATH"
Would death in such case be in
Simultaneous 2''
Yes, or nearly So"
saw the woman's quivering form be-
fore me, cowed, abject and terror-strick-
en-. Yet l felt no pity, and pursued my
inquiries with relentless pertnacity.
Would such wound be apt to escape
the attention of the examiners upon a
post nlorten1 examination ?''
at might Inquiries as to the cause
of death are not generally directed to
that portion of the human frame, unless
some suspicion exists to especially call
the attention there"
Could instantaneous death in that
manner be caused by such an instrument
as this ?" l asked, taking from my
pocket the Strengthened hair-pin, and
holding it mp.
Mrs. Moreton looked at it in motion.
less terror. The doctor took it in his
hand, and smiled.
g 1t certainly could" he said. "In
skilled hands this might become most
formidable and deadly weapon"
Thank you" l replied.
The unsuspecting doctor took his
have been an eternity of torture to his
wretched patient. When he had gone,
/ turned the key, and confronted her.
She sank at my feet in trembling heap
and buried her white face in her hands.
Mercy mercy !" she cried.
I looked down upon her with no feel
ing of compassion, but with no desire to
add unnecessarily to her misery. 1t was
not for me to judge her.
Mrs. Moreton," 1 said, 'you MUIR
darad my moor friend Nnnr husband -