The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-07

did 50 by placing hand upon the silver
rail AS instantaneously as he had fallen
so she fell, like him. dead her body thrown
across his.
The one shricl, uttered by the young
woman vas heard by Nr mother. who
had been with her when she received the
announcement of Lieut.. Zugas coming,
and the old lady. running out in alright
10 learn The cause of the alarm, screamed
loudly when she saw the two PROSTATE
forms, and, doing exactly what her
daughter had donc--touching the silver
rail as a support-shared the fate Of the
guilty couple, dropping dead with the
same awful suddenness
OF course. 10 one saw these successive
tragic occurrences, but the shricks had
been heard and tie manner in which the
bodies Law demonstrated clearly Just
what had happened. and that it must
have been as has here been described
Hardly had the old woman fallen dead
when three or -four servants appeared
upon the scene and among them was
Senior Mirenque himself. He had just
come down. lac said, to superintend the
removal of the electrical appliances.
His quick eyes and ready knowledge
discelmed in an instant the cause OF the
appalling casualty. An electric light wire
that in some inexplicable way had beef
broken. hung down 10 and rested upon
the silver rail surrounding the bust and
as il was OF uninsulated copper. made Il
perfect connection nth il. And that wire
despite all the care with which he had
disconnected the storage batteries the
night before. was connected with one OF
them--onc OF the most powerful OF them
which had not been used at ali the pre-
ceding highland the switch was turned
on 50 that the wire was vivilied with the
full. terrific and fatal force of the current.
WHY. il was asked on he investigation
had not the current. even under those
conditions, found its metal conductor
right down to the ground much more easy
and attractive Il course for its harmless
discharge than through the human bodies
that had fallen victims TO it, For the
simple and excellent reason. it was eX
planned. that Senior Mirenque, in putting
up the handsome bust OF his wife had
had the good idea of placing beneath II.
between the marble pedestal and the
cement floor OF the conservatory, "A sheet
Of India rubber three quarters OF an men
| In tbirknr-, That was intended simply
tn prevent the marble from absorbing
water from the frequently damp tioor and
becoming di,colOred by 1t, but IT had ct
fectcd the perfect insulation OF the ped
estal and the only course open FOR the
deadly huid was through the human body
from the rail down 10 the wet ground.
OF course ii was possible that Senior
Mnrnque had overlooked that one storage
battery and neglected disconnectin8 II.
though he hardly thought SO" 1t was
al 5o possible that some mischieyous fool,
unconscious OF the toIribe trap he or she
was setting. might have tempered with
the battery that morning. And it was
not improbable TINT the gardener might
have clumslv. and without noticing 1t,
broken down the light wire that had
fallen ON the rail Whether he had or
not he could not say. for he was 20 stupid
that he could not remember having, when
he watered the flowers that morning
made the floor So very wet as IT was-a
condition that completed the fatal Ger
tainty of the trap.
The judicial investigation tardily 81
riVes at the conclusion that the killing OF
those three persons was AN act OF PrOvi-
dence. and people say right they add
but what happy Providence that at
one stroke relieves Senor Mrenquc OF an
unfalthul wife. her lover and her wicked
old mother 4, hO shielded her immoral
ties"