The National tribune., 1884-11-20
4 MIRROR DETECTIVE.
1t Gives False Evidence TO Convict
an Innocent Man.

But for several strange condolences aud cir
| cumstances the following case could scarcely
have puzzled us so much. In MY experience,
however, strange condolences are by no means
rare. Sometimes they are never cleared up,
and superstitious observers give them another
name. In other instances the circumstantial
| evidence seems so clear that conviction and
sentence is the natural result, though the con-
victed may be innocent The great difficulty
with any one meditating crime is the impoS-
sibility of calculating on every turn of the
wheel of fortune. man designs burglary
goes out to commit it: meets resistance aud
finds himself a murderer. And SO it is with
other schemes and plans, the result being often
widely different from what was intended.
Tho farm III which the main incident in the
case occurred is some miles from EdnbuTg, in
rather lonely spot but surrounded by lovely
and romantic scenery. There is a village and
church about a mile from the place. and Miss
May Carnavon, the principal witness in the
case, ought to have been in that church on the
Sunday i'll question, but chanced to be kept at
home by severe headache Every one else
in the house including the young lady's aunt,
to whom the farm belonged, had gone to church
as usual, the only exception being servant
lass. who remained to look after the dinner
aid poultry and cows.
The day was hot one in July, and Miss May
had found a retreat in cool little sitting room
| entering from the principal room i'll the house.
| The blind of this room was down, though the
sash itself was raised to admit air, and Miss
May lay on a couch near this window reading
book. The door leading into the drawing
room was wide open, and exactly opposite the
door was long, od-fashoned mirror in ma
hogany frame. As the couch was placed oppo-
site this door, Miss May lay facing the mirror
in the drawing room, though unable to see
| herself in it, owing to the oblique angle at
which it was set.
The mirror was far from her thoughts, and
even the book got hazy after little. The dull
pain in her temples, the dead stiffness Of the
! house, and the heat of the day slowly con-
! quered the reclining young girl, and she was
either asleep or all but asleep when she was
aroused by a foOtstep on the stairs.
That's not Meg IS STEP" was her first startled
thought. "Who can be coming up here?
never heard the bell ring The step is soft,
but it sounds like a MANS"
| A still more strange circumstance was that
the watch dog had given no alarm, though he
was surly and snapp;sh enough with ordinary
tramps or intruders. Miss May heard the
| drawing room door softly and cautiously open
ed without any polite preliminary knock, then
| the footsteps crossed the room towards that
! part invisible to the young lady and then,
| glancing up to the mirror by the merest acci-
dent, she saw what thrilled her into absolute
/ silence and powerlesSness. Ia the mirror, as
make it. she saw the reflection of Il gentlemanly
! figure clad in soft white felt hat with the
! brim somewhat slouched over the brow. as Il
! shield from the sum- an easy fitting sack coat of
! black velvet aud pair of light tweed trousers.
| The face she could not see very well, the
mans back was toward the mirror but the
recognition was instantaneous.
Harry Henderson! how docs he come to
steal into the house in that fashion? Can Meg
have told him I'm lying with a headache?
Perhaps he does not wish TO disturb me-"
Now, Harry Henderson was an Edinburg
artist. who had taken up his abode in the dis
trct aud, being distantly known to the Car
navons, had been introduced to Miss May. and
made such good use of his opportunities that
| they were then all but engaged to be married.
| The young artist was good looking frank and
not exactly poor, and, though Miss May had a
good portion in her own right, she thought il no
sacrifice when she had learned to love the man.
The first glimpse Of the reelection in the mir
ror had explained much to her that before WIS
puzzling-the silence of the watch dog the
entering of the intruder unannounced, and even
his cautious and almost cat-like softncSs Of
tread. but what followed was more startling
and inexpiicabe.
The man softly approached chiffonier, upon
| which stood a miniature chest OF drawers used
TO hold jewels money and nick-nacks. The
drawers of this curiosity opened with spring.
+ but the ntruderseemed TO be ignorant forget
ful of the fact, for he produced from his pocket
something that looked like a screw driver and
deliberately burst open the drawers one after
another, tumbling their contents ruthessly out
on the top of the chfionier. and to the horror
OF the unseen spectator. pocketing everything
of value that they contained. A splendid gold
lever, which had belonged TO Mr.. Carnavon.
when alive, several rings and brooches, two gold
chains, IL silver teaspoons and number Of
tablespoons OF the same metal were coolly ap-
propriated. Tine robber was then in the act of
applying his lever TO the chifiOner itself when
a sound from below like the banging Of door
caught his ear aud sent him fitting toward the
drawing room door, and so out of sight in a re-
lectcd form of tho petritied watcher. There
was horrible pause during which she could
almost hear the man holding his breath to
listen: then she heard him hastily and sealthily
descend the stairs and move along the lobby
below; and then there was startled sound, a
scutiie, aud stifled scream. the banging Of a
dnor and rush of feet, and then the furious
baylng of chained watch dog.
1t was clear tha0 sorncthiuc dreadful had
happened, and Miss May recalled with shCd-
der the fact that the intru Ter had carried III
one hand stick with heavy knob at the end.
Yet, owing to Il number of conflicting thoughts,
the young lady was for a moment two
unable To stir. Her horror was overwhelming,
and the least OF il was that caused by the loss
of the valuables il was the appalling thought
that one whom they had received 1nl0 the
family an honored guest, aud whom she had
learned to lean upon as her only hope in life,
common robber, which completely UNI
nerved and paralyzcd her. Had SHE not seen
the whole with her own eyes he was the last
person she would have drcamt of in connection
with such a crime.
At length. with thought Of the poor girl
below, May spraug to her feet, and swayIng
like person dazed drunken, ged to
struggle out into the drawing room. There
was the smashed miniature chest of drawers,
and the litter and confusion left by the thief
May shivered as she sighted the traces; and
then getting hold of the open door she sup
ported herself desperately while she called
down
Megl Mcg! Are you there? or is anything
wrong?"
There was answer, though the hOwling
and barking of the dog continued and increased
in mpetuosity. Then May summoned courage
enough to descend the stair. The house is an
old-fashioned one and has at the bottom of the
stair "A cross lobby running toward the end Of
the house, to which there are two doors When
both these doors are closed the lobby between
is ia darkness. Ii WAS from that direction that
the cry had come, and il was with species Of
frenzed terror that May now laid her hand on
the inner door. groan from within quick
ened her movements she pushed open the
door and diinlY saw the servant lass stretched
on the stone floor of the lobby. There was
blood oOzlng from a great wound on the girls