Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-23

All, a policeman at last" he said.
.lhls gentleman, said the police SER
land Yard-fortunately here on other
business"
This way, sir, cried the Major-forthat
was this gentleman's rank Thank Heaven
you are on the spot" and he led the way
into the great room, aronnd which a few
men in uniform and private dress were
standing, pale-faced IL hushod, in the
presence Of death. Two army doctors
were leaning over the chair of the MUIR
dered man, and they had already pro-
nounced life to be extinct.
As l advanced announced, the medical
men stood aside, and l saw a stout man
lying back inanimate in the circular chair
which he had occupied at the feast. He
was in all likelihood forty, years of age,
no. and | should imagine that
fierce and commanding. His eyebrows were
husky and heavy, and met over the nose,
while his large mustache joined short
whiskers at the ends. CHASTITY pale, a
blush tinge remained upon the nose and
cheeks, and this seemed to indicate that
his countenance was not only weather.
beaten, but marked by tokens only to be
seen on tho faces of those who arc fond of
wine and similar beverages, and who use
them unsparingly.
will you see that nothing is moved?"
l asked the police sergeant; and having
explained the necessity of this precaution
to the Major, Examined the surroundings.
The white damask cloth i'll front of the
chair was rimso and wet with his hearts
blood. There were four very large and
wide windows looking toward the moor
land, and the deceased man had been sit
ting right opposite the one at the extreme
end OF the roOm-the end where the head
of the table was. 1t was explained that
Captain Mervyn-that was his name-was
in the act OF rising to reply to the toast of
! fha hrilafs han ttb yyhan tho fatal h,,11at
came crashing through the window to pen
citrate his heart. Standin, as nearly in his
then position az possible, I saw the hole i'll
the glass, with the numberless cracks radi-
ating from the round center. In the
gloomy light of the space between the win
dow aud the moorland, l discerned some
thing like the ruins of a house. When l
had noted every thing, I informed the doc
tors that the body might be removed to
tho Captains bedroom, if they wished it,
whatever possessions they had on the ia
bles. Meantime, l left the room i'll charge
of u constable who had jlst arrived, and
with the sergeant proceeded to examine
tho outside of the building.
Upon entering the building 1 noticed
that a flight OF six steps led up to the hall,
and a side flight OF a similar number led
down to the area and the kitchens. From
this it will be understood that although the
mess room might be said to be OF the
ground floor it was still high enough to be
classed u first floor. Going out at the back
door, we descended the same number Of
steps, and here 1 found a number of young
officers, servants, soldiers and militiamen--
the latter ill-clad, just as they had run
from their dormitories, the canteen or tho
recreation IONS The Colonel was there
in u state of great excitement and distress.
He had, Notwithstanding this fact, taken
the precaution to put an extra guard of u
sergeant and two men On the gate, and no
one was permitted to enter or pass out OK
| cept a few officers who had rushed out
bareheaded in pursuit of the assassin. l
noticed to my dismay a number Of people
from the street had gathered outside the
walls. Passing through the gateway, after
being introduced to the Colonel, l saw that
the ground to the moorland rose slightly.
and that the ~roofless ruins of a hut stood
upon the very edge of the rise, and directly
opposite the broken window, and this win
dow was opposite the gateway. Little
more than a glance sufficed to show me
that a firearm, resting horizontally upon
the sill of what once was Il window in the
hut, would convey a bullet to the heart
'The shot has been fired from this hut"
l intimated. Will you SEQ that no one
enters it,"
ASH spoke two young officers, clad in
mess Jackets, advanced from the ruins, and
| one OF them said:
.rWe have been there''-but before l
could answer l heard other words spoken
in the close vicinity which commanded my
attention, although | took care not to APP
pcart be listening. The words were these:
Somebody has been killed-whoi is it,"
and before / could Interfere the second
officer replied to the speaker:
"Miss Brooks"
"Miss Brooks! Great heavens! Not
Captain Mervyn-n
The rain was coming down again, but in
a dense, misty kind of way. Some men
came out with lanterns. and Il guard was
put on the ruins at my request. l then
noticed that the two young officers who
had come from them, and the civilian who
had spoken so strangely and s~usplclously,
were not only wet but stained splashed
uttered the words ''Miss Brooks had evil
IDENTIFY fallen more than once, for his fine
scarlet mess jacket was belaubel all up
one side.
Taking the first young Officer and the
| police sergeant aside, l asked tho former it
he was acquainted with the young gentle
| mar to whom his companion was now
speaking.
so, yes; he is a friend of most Of u.s."
Hi name!"
"Sidney Bsryl."
"Any professionW
s.No.nThen with a sudden suspicion:
| aSurely you don't suspect him"
81 can't say yet," l replied.
Then turning to the sergeant, | asked him
to dispense the crowd, if possible, while l
procesded with my examination.
"What is your friends nams!' asked
the officer i was talking to-''the gentle
man speaking to Beryl."
His name is Bromley-Lieutenant
Bromley"
"And yours"
"Clayton-Captain Clayton"
"AsE Mr.. Bromley and Mr.. Beryl to step
| this way.n 1 said to the police sergeant,
Hand then request the people to dispense"
snow, Captain Clayton,"I began, will
YOU kindly tell me all you know-brlehy-
before YOUR friend approaches. and before
We retire within the building!"
sIf YOU will oblige me- by asking some n
to send orr servants out with our caps anu
oraar coats he returned.
o Then he went on after the message was
sent: - +,o
GREATEST conservation, l need not say;
Bromley and | were nearest the door, ana
distinctly saw the fash through the lower
windows, Upon one impulse we both
rushed out. My first thought was that the
sentry was the murderer, but When we
,eached the back door we saw the man
coming hayy;edly from the box sen yards