Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-03-07
MURDER WILL OUT.
The Private Counselor's Story of
the Mark in the Bible.

"Of verify, Herr Magistrate, said tn
Private Counselor, ''you have just given
striking proof of the possession of thos
powers of induction and deduction tina
characterize the born judicial investigator
If this enthusiastically small detail, 81
easily overlooked by mind less keen, haC
escaped your attention, there is little doub
that the culprit would have remained for
ever undetected. But who knows? Since
we are on this subject, could tell you
strange story, stranger even than the one
you have just related, in which CHANGED
10 play role that it is your duty to assume
officially. /, too, once discovered a culprit
and under circumstances so extraordinary
by means of a clue so slender and improba
BILE, that the more l think of it the
more the whole affair seems to me like a
genuine miracle. don't refer to it to exalt
myself, for should have discovered moth
ing without the direct interposition of
ChGnce-or, Providence, if you prefer the
term"
"Your preamble" replied the Magistrate,
"has already greatly excited my curiosity
/ hope you will relate the incident"
"Willingly. But let us first adjourn to
the library. know you are an admirer of
rare tones, and l must show you mine
Don't be afraid that they will take Ian away
from my tale; on the contrary, they will
lead us directly to it, and in the most natural
manner possible"
The two men passed from the dining-room
where the above conversation had taken
place into well-flled library-four walls
of shelves bristlirg with formidable folios.
Every collector of books has his speciality,
and that of Private Counselor Otto Grotius
was Bibles. He boosted of being the pos
SCISSOR of several editions not owned by the
richest theological library in Germany-that
of GEORGIA Augusta" in the ancient uni
versity of Gottingen. The Magistrate, anx-
ious to get to the story, did not, perhaps,
admire as they deserved to be admired, the
venerable illustrated edition of the Holy
Scriptures issued about 1855, by Gutenberg
and Faust; Luthers first Bible; the polyglott
edition of Plantin; that of Aldus Manucius,
and many others. At last the Private Coun-
selor took from his shelves two shabby
though modern-loOking volumes, and said
with a sarcastic smile:
81 have kept these for the last; they are
the bright, particular jewels of my collec-
ton"
"What? Call this cheap reprint of the
last century a jewel!"
"Just so, my dear guest. and for double
reason. In the first place, the edition was
given to my father by the great Frederick
himself, who has condescended to ornament
one of the two volumes with marginal
notes, more witty, indeed, than reverential,
as might be expected from the illustrious
friend Of Voltaire. In the second place
and to this, Herr Magistrate, let me call
your especial observation-disclosures the other
volume bears between its leaves, as a mark,
this bit of yellow paper, commonplace look
ing enough, by itself, but with which moth
ing would induce me to part, since it gave
me the clue to the terrible and mysterious
tragedy to which l have referred"
"This time" interrupted the Magistrate,
81 trust you will not keep me longer in sus-
pense."
The Private Counselor sat down and thus
began:
In the spring of 179- married, and the
Frau Private Counselor my beloved depart
I'd wife, brought me as her dowry this little
estate of s., which we readily chose as
our home, seeing that it is equally distant
from the capital and the summer residence
of his highness, the Grand Duke You have
been kind enough to admire our old garden
laid out after French models, with its box
bordered walks, its yews trimmed pyramid
wise, and its marble deities pretentiously
clothed in operate costumes; but | have
not ventured to lead you further a-tield to
show you the useful after the beautiful
the commonplace vegetable garden after
the ornamental park 1 now regret it, for |
it is probable that you have never seen a |
haunted house, and l could have shown you |
one there, or, at least, one reputed to be |
such.
There is nothing forbidding in the aspect |
of this insignificant structure where my |
valet assures me that he meets souls in |
pain. 1t is a one-story cottage whose |
matched roof is starred with stone-crop, |
and whose front is entirely hidden by |
jasmine and Bengal roses. If |
one happens to enter one sees that the Win |
dows are no longer glazed, that the fire. |
place Is filed with fallen plaster. that the |
inside partitions are so worn as to show |
the lath, and that the walls are crumbling |
under the combined action of mildew and |
saltpeter. This queer structure has for a |
long time only been used as a convenient |
storage place for ported plants and garden /
implements. None of my servants would |
consent to live in it, or even to go near il
after nightfall.
When we moved to s. this cottage was
by the gardener and his wife.
His name was Josias. He was an old
cuirassier whom my father
in-law had taken into his service, and
whom we retained in ours. Should live
years. Josias' features would
never fade from my memory. He was
about fifty, tall, with a strong muscular
body, and with what is called square,
head. His heavy eyebrow met, making a
straight line across his face. He wore no
beard but had thick red hair. If there is
any truth in physiognomy he was ambitious,
obstinate, and not at all sensitive. 1t seems
that he had several times tried to improve
his worldly condition, but had always
circumstance of which he was &C
to complain bitterly.
''Still am bound TO be rich" he would
add; 81 can't tell how, or when, but some
day fortune will comet will come"
He was hard master to those employed
about the place, and seemed to take delight
in tormenting animals, beating the dogs, for
not apparently out Of anger. but
because it gave him pleasure. On two 90
casions, when interlopers had climbed over
the garden wall, he had broken their legs
nth oran Tho - ho&ad nj, - 4