The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-03-18
THE DOCTOR s EVIDENCE.

Elmdale had been shocked hy the dis
coverr of great crime in their midst.
Seth Driscoll. a well-knnwn citizen
WAS found at early dawn lying dead IN
his own garden. \ 9hastlv bullet in
the back of his head left no room t.
question the cause Of death and am
suspicion of suicide was rebutted, a-
well by the position Of the wound as by
the discovery of footprints leading back
and forth from the yarden-wail. at i
noint where the latter bore evident
marks of having been scaled.
But the cr"wnn" discovery was that
Of Il pistol. recently discharged. lying
near ,lIe base OF the wall where the muir.
derer had clamb.red over 1t was pick
ed up by Jonas Wenlock. DR.. DriscolI ;
nephew. vino gave a start of surprise
at the sight. - know who owns tins
wcapnn - Ia exclaimed.
WHO? wh"?' questioned a dozen
eager vnlces.
"N"lncy Kendall" he answered.
Had IA thuuderclap fallen upon the lis
teuers the effect could not have hee,
more startling. The y"ung man whose
name had Just been uttered was tn" last
person To be suspected of such an afro.
ciunS crime At the first instance til"
very thought was repealed with abh"r.
renee. Int OF the second came Il strange
revelation. 1t WAS remarked that Vol
ney Kendall had been an earnest snitni
far the hand of Kate Dunset. Mr.. Dii>-
coils ward. and had received from the
proud guardian Il super cilious rebuff.
which he had bitterly resented. Therr
was a motive for the deed which. occu-
| pied with the circumstance of the pistol,
awakened conviction in every mind
whence IA moment before the slightest
shade of suspicion had been Indignantly
scented.
Within an hour young Kendall. pale
md agtated, WAS dragged as IA prisoner
to the scene of the tragedy. there fresh
evidence was speedily added to that al
ready accumulated His shoes were
found to exactly fit the tracks in the
garden. even t. the print of the nails.
lie acknowledged to the u~ nership o.
the pistol but declined all explanation
If its presence at the place where it had
been Nound, or his presence on The prev
iDuS evening.
None longer doubted the prisoner 5
guilt. and he was placed III close coniine-
ment to await the coroncr's inquest.
| Next ~ was retained for the accus-
ed ; but from an interview with hin,
permitted by the isil"r. came away
without the shadow OF hops. for, al
though lie asserted his innocence, HI,
persisted III maintaining silence "a points
the clearing up "f which were vital IL
h,s defence.
The inquest was held at the house OF
the deceased The facts already stated
were laid before the jury. but when tho
prisoner was questioned. save ackit''wl
edgng the ownership Of ME pistol. a",i
| DENY ing al knowledge Of the murder, he
declined to answer.
Once he looked appeaiingly to Kate
| Dnu>oth. who was present, summoned
- ii witness with The rest OF the lioust-
| hold. She met his look With ii tear"i
lewildcrinr gaze and he TUNED away
| and bowed his head in SILENCE.
drew iron James Wcn!".:k, whom /
waa permitted to cro>s-"xamlnc, at he
| had a heavy insurance nu his uncle )
life. and from another witness. who mad
| undertaken the duty OF investigating.
| the condition of Mr.. Dri>coll's affairs
aud they were in a very elnharrassc,;
state. But the coroner cut me short.
lit is hardly proper. Mr.. Wilson. il
The face of evidence t. in>inuate cithe
| that Mr. DriScnll comtnittcd suicide. o.
that his nephew murdered him.
All the witnesses had been examined
but the gray headed doctor who mad.
the autopsy. and who to X the stand -
lie was one of your grave, tacitnln melt.
Who kept their own counsel till the Iii
ting time comes to speak.
Tell us. dnctor.' continued the cor
amer, aftera few preliminary questions.
what. if any, wounds You .Iiscover,d
on the person OF the deceased >
With minute precision the witness de
Scribed the bullet wnuu,l in the head.
giving the diameter and depth to frac-
fion.
In your opinion, was the wound the
cause of death"
1T WAS not was the answer, in a
tone whose calmneSS and cumpusu:c
were not in the least ruilled by the muir
muir of establishment, which greeted the
words.
Pray explain, requested the coron-
er. with ill-concealed surprise.
There were no signs, replied the
| doctor preserving the same quiet man.
nrr. oil either external OF internal hem
| ,rlla.e. which would have necessarily
! lall"wed the severance of the bopd-ve>-
sci by the passage ot a bullet, had he
| then been alive. When the shot was
| tired he was already dead.
To what, then. do you attribute Mr..
| DriScnlIS death?'
ITO poison. y careful examinations
| Of the organs revealed the presence of a
| ,aial quantity ot prnsSic acid. which
must have entered the St' m ich during
| lie. was clearly seen by its inilammrd
| coalition.
As suddenly as belief in Eolney Ken
siall's guilt had sprung into being, :,
new suspicion flashed on the mind of all.
| 1t is true, then, that Seth IiIiscoli
with ruin staring him in the face. aiiu
ais warts money to account Ion. had
| taken his own life. And the shot--th"t
| must have been inflicted by .J,,naS Wen
| lock. on discovering his unclcs dead
| bodv and the evidence OF suicide afford
| ed. most likely by the phial that con
aimed The deadly draught. He had
| thus hoped to secure the insurance mon
| ey, which wonld have been forfeited by
| Heath self-iutlcycd. True. there was ma
direct evidence III all this. hut none t.c
less did every one believe it.
Every thing seemed cleared by the
| tracks and the pistol" said the coroner
when the doctor had concluded.
And these it i, my place to explain,