Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-08-02

Poor woman, she was hard to get along
with, but she had a good heart.
81 made an excuse Of his signing a
formal recognition to get him to take off
his gloves. His hand was Of a brilliant
orange tint. While the coroner kept
him in attendance at the inquest l hur-
ried to Detaille & Co.'S dye house to ask
some questions.
Yes, John Wardrop worked there.
He was a quiet. steady man and an ex-
cellent workman. They had employed
him about ten months. Did they know
anything more about him2 No, except
that they fancied there was likely to be
a match between him and Jane Blair, a
good looking, plump woman about 30
years old, who had been their cashier
for several years. Had they done any
dark blue dyeing lately9 Yes. only the
day before yesterday. Who did the
work? John Wsrdrop.
Il saw Jane Blair. With o good deal
Of hesitancy she admitted that she and
John Wardrop were engaged to be mar
ried as soon as he got a divorce from a
bad wife who bad loft him, and expect
ed that no would soon be free. Was she
well informed as to his habits9 Perfect
~. They boarded in the same house, on
West Washington place, and he very
seldom went out In the evening. Did he
20 out the night before last1 No; they
parted on the stairs going to their respec-
tive rooms at twenty minutes before 10
o'clock, their usual hour for retiring. He
could nave gone out afterward without
her knowing it2 Yes, but of course he
didn't.
When l got back to the inquest the
~coroner's jury had just returned a yer
dict that the deceased had come to hen
death by violence at the hand or handsof
some person unknown. l had made up
my mind to arrest John Wardrop on sus
picion, but was in no hurry about it. AS
| had not been on the stand | did not
have 70 tell anything of my suspicious
and the potato could not give anything
away. for / had it safely In my pocket,
wrapped In tissue paper. The reporters
went away to write the case up as a pro
founder mystery than before. John
Wardrop went to borrow some money
from his employers to give his poor wife
a decent burial. And l, having taken
time to get a warrant for his arrest, fol
lowed him.
"He paled slightly and showed some
embarrassment when | entered the dye
room, where he was doing some work
that had to he lone by him and could
not wait until the morrow. Still hecon-
trolled himself, and sought to cover his
nervousness by talking. ! said little,
and let him talk on, which was the worst
thing he could have done, for thinking
up so many words led him away, now
and then, from the straight story he had
made up. At last, when l deemed the
time ripe for it, l slipped the potato out
of my pocket and, suddenly holding il
up before him, said:
"'You should have washed your hands
before you grabbed this potato out Of
the dishpan on the table
"He threw up his hands with a shrieI
and sank down on a bench, all limp and
broken up. Before he could recover him
self he confessed. He and Harriet hac
quarreled for years and finally separated
Then after O time she had made up hel
mind to get possession Of him again
AOulld AhCAOA O ID AZ DNAAb I'LL "
that he must visit her late atnight, wher
she would be alone, to discuss the situa
ton. He went, but the sight of her anC
thoughts Of Jane Blair, with whom hC
had fallen In love in the meantime, since
parting with his wife, made him DIES
perate.
81 asked him how he had managedtt
strangle her so quietly and withou
any struggle, when she seemed to hav,
double his strength. He explained tina
he possessed sufficient mesmerio fore,
to render her passive, and had employed
it on that occasion.
"Having rendered her completely un
conscious by mesmerizing her, the res
waa easy. Icould not help feeling som
sympathy for him when he said she wa
a tartar still business was business, an
when ! had heard him through / toll
9 him;
NOV, John, get your coat on an
ia come along
: Z" In a moment, sir. Let me wash Of
= some of this dye first
I II assented. He washed, pourin
;, some stuff over his hands from a bottle
h o take tho color out, as l supposed
: Suddenly he turned the bottle up to h
lips and Sook a big swallow of its COZ
tents before / could jump to him an
: grab him. As / seized him the bolt
dropped to the floor and smashed, viii
! he dropped into my arms as dead as
y maui. Cyanide Of potassium, as / sui
sequently learned, was his final nip, bl
it was the fatal potato that killed him.
b, Cincinnati Post.
d