The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-12-29
C1RCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE,

read together u, the multiplier.
c1RcuMsrANr1AL EVIDENCE.
Perhaps the most singular case
of the kind" said a lawyer, "is one
which is recorded in the books and
is pretty old. 1t gave rise, as l un-
derstand, to the change in the law
requiring the body of the murdered
person to be found before any one
can be punished for the crime.
"Two merchant sailors went to
an inn in an English seaport. To
make the story clearer, I'll call them
Jack and Tom. Jack pulled out a
well-filled wallet to satisfy the land
lord that he and his friend could
pay their way. They invited the
landlord to drink with them, and
Tom produced big jack-knife, GU
riously handled, to cut his tobacco.
The inn was close on the harbor.
The front door opened upon the
quay, and at the side was covered
way which led to the sleeping rooms
in the rear. Near by on the quay
were some steps going down to the
water for the accommodation of
boats.
"After the two men had had a
good time they retired to one of the
rooms in the rear, where they were
to occupy a bed together They
were both just sober enough to know
what they were about. The next
morning spots of blood were OBJ
served upon the floor of the covered
way, from the door of the bedroom
occupied by the sailors to the quay.
The landlord went to rouse up his
guests, but found only one Of them
there. It was Tom, and he was fast
asleep and required a good deal Of
arousing. When asked where his
companion was, he appeared con-
fused and alarmed and said he
didn't know.
'On the bedclothes and floor
there were large spots of blood.
The water in the basin was bloody,
and the towel showed that bloody
hands had been wiped uponit. The
jack-knife, seen the previous even
ing in the possession Of Tom, was
found upon the table and was like
wise stained, with blood. Under
Toms bolster, at the side next the
wall, wallet was found filled with
money, and was identified as that
which Jack had exhibited the night
before. Everything so far pointed
to a murder, and to Tom as the
perpetrator of it. The authorities
were notified and Tom was arrested.
He told a very remarkable story.
"He said that when he and Jack
were about to get into bed Jack
suggested the idea of robbers. re-
marking that it wouldn't take a
very clever fellow 10 get in at the
window, and, as they were likely to
sleep soundly after their carouse,
it would be easy for a thief if he
got into the room to rob them.
Tom had already got into bed and
was lying next the wall, so he sug-
gested that all the money should be
put under his pillow. 1t would be
a comparatively easy task, he said,
for thief to draw the wallet from
Jacks pillow, but it would be much
more likely to rouse one or the
other of them if a thief attempted
to reach over and take the money
if it were under Toms pillow. This
suggestion was adopted, and the
wallet belonging to Jack was placed
under Toms pillow. Soon after
they got into bed Jack complained
that his nose had begun to bleed,
and arose. He poured some water
into the bowl and tried to stop the
bleeding. Then Tom arose and
assisted. Finally Tom said that
he had heard that cold metal placed
at. the back of the neck would stop
bleeding at once, and thereupon he
got his big jack-knife, opened it
and placed it against Jacks neck.
It was dark and they were both a
little muddled with drink, SO that
their movements we're not partcu-
larly careful, and thus the blood
got upon the floor, the table and
the knife. Finding that the bleed
ing would not stop, Jack. grew
somewhat alarmed, and this prob
ably sobered him, for he said that
he would put on his clothes and
walk down to the quay, as the ex-
ercise and the fresh air might stop
the flow of blood. Tom said that
he lay down and the last he remem-
bered was Jack leaving the room to
carry out his purpose.
"This story was considered a
very clever concoction, as it fairly |
accounted for everything but the
absolute disappearance of Jack.
Toms theory was that he had fallen