The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-08-21
THE SECRET MURDER.
The CHASTITY Discovery Which q
Servant Made in Her Mis-
tress' Bedroom.
A Dabolical Crime Unearthed by
The Accidental Finding
of q Hat.

Quite early on the morning of the
18th of April, 1880. inform alton
reached the police of the city OF Mexl-
co that Sonora Arretta was found
dead in her bed, strangled with a
piece of ribbon. She had been mar
ried as a widow to Senior Arretta, and
was about twenty-eight years old,
very pretty. of engaging manners, and
both She and her husband were known
far and wide for lavish hospitality.
Three weeks before Senior Arretta
set out for Central America, where it
was said he had inherited some proper
tv from a relative. During the alb
sence of her husband Senior kept very
much at home, with Isora Solensa, a
beautiful girl of the. most earnest and
simple manners. who had been educat-
ed and protected by her. On the
night before the murder Sonora went
to the opera. Isora, who was not we'll
night key, and did not wish the
young lady to he disturbed.
1t was the custom that when Sonora
ON waking in the morning rang her
bell Isora went first to her bedroom.
When on the morning after the muir.
der no bell was heard to ring the SER
wants wondered and at last one of
them went up to see 1sora's room to
ask the cause.
THE ROOM WAS EMPTY.
Thinking she was gone, as usual, to
Senora's bedroom, the servant went
tbither. The shutters were still closed
and the night-lamp burning on little
table by the bedside. On the floor
lay the hfeless body of Isora. The
girl now scramed for he'll the other
servants hurried upstairs, and, open
ing the shutters, it was seen that
Sonora lay dead, evidently strangled
with a piece of ribbon, which
was at once recognized as belonging to
Isora, who was lying in swoon on
the floor.
On coming to herself it was natural
ly supposed that she would throw
some light on the matter but, to
the surprise of all, she showed ner-
vous hesitation hardly to ne recorciled
with innocence. On further ex.
animation it was found that the secre
tary stood wide open and that guam
tity of paper and other articles We're
lying about in csnfusion, as if the
contents ofthe drawers had been basti-
ly turned inside out.
By this time the police had arrived.
With scarcely moments hesitation
they pronounced that one # the inmates
of the house must either lave commit
ted the crime or at least been an ac-
complete to it. Evidently, also there
had been robbery added to murder
and, therefore, it was thought right
to search the boxes of each member
of the household. The servants were
all willing. but when it came to Isora's
turn to delive1 up her keys the young
lady showed strange unwilIingness
to do SO. OF course, the police per-
sisted, and in a very little time dis
covered a large sum of money and
several jewels belonging to the muir
dered lady carefully secreted at the
bottom of the box.
When questioned as to how these
articles came there. Isora hesitatingly
answered that she did not know. and
asked not to be questioned further.
The suspicious already attached to
her ere now considerably strength
ened, and the police only discharged
their duty in arresiing her. The case
was tried and Isora was found guilty.
Que OF the detectives,
A sHEwED INTELLIGENT MAN,
became CONVINCED from the outset
that isora was innocent Of the crime
charged to her. and that she was the
victim of circumstantial evidence.
He confded his suspicious to the
chief of police, anu received his per-
mis- sion to further investigate the mat
ter. The next day the detective visit
ed the house of the murdered woman.
Not drawer ora cupboard escaped
the detectives attention. There WAS
no violence visible on the windows.
as if forcible admission was gained
from fue outside. Nothing, in fact,
presented itself which gave the slight
est clew to the mystery.
AS the detective was passing
through an ante-room, which was
quite dark, his foot struck against
something. which, on taking it up, he
found to be
A HAT.
Comparing it with the others belong
ing to Senior Arretta. which hung in
tho optrv he fnun1 fhot n had M