The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-12-01
THE SUNDAY MORNING news. DECEMBER ]. I889


Outraged.
''This ought 20 help Us, no sail-and then
BIO gave an attentive ear docking ell the
while at tue poor creature iii tho corner) to
what Mrs. CrosscaDci had to tell hira.
The landlady having done this, he said he
must now see the lodger' who slept in the
next bedchamber
Mr. Deuc made his appearance. standing
at the door OF the room. and turning his bead
With horror from the sight inside
He was wrapped in a splendid blue dress
ing gown, with golden girdle and trim
mings. His scanty browuish hair curled
whether artificially or not | am unable to
say in little ringlets. His complexion was
yellow his greensh brown eyes were OF the
sort called google" they looked as if they
might drop out of his face IL you held a
spoon under them His mustache and goats
beard were beautifully oiled. and. to COM
plete his equipment. be had long black
cigar in his mouth.
sit isn't insensibility to this terrible
tragedy" he explained. My nerves have
been shattered. Mr. Policeman, and | can
only repair the mischief in this way Be
pleased to excuse and feel for ME-"
Tho inspector questioned this witness
sharply and closely He was not man to
be misled by appearances; but could see
that be was far from liking, Or even trusting,
Mr. Dcluc. Nothing, came of the examine
ton, except what Mrs. Crosscapel had in
substance already mentioned to me- Mr..
Deluc returned to his room.
''IIow long has he been lodging with youY"
the Inspector asked, as soon as his back was
turned.
Nearly year." the landlady answered.
.Did he give you referenceF
GAS good a reference as could wish for N
Thereupon, she mentioned the names of a
well known firm of cigar merchants in the
city The inspector noted the information in
his pocket book.
would rather not relate in detail what
happened next it was really too distressing
to be dwelt on Let me only say that the I'M
fortunate dementsd woman was taken away
in cab to the station house The inspector
possessed himself of the knife end of a book
found on the floor. called "The World of
Sleep" The portmarteau containing the
luggage was locked-and then the door Of the
room was secured, and the key was left in
my charge. My instructions were to remain
in the house, and allow nobody to leave it,
until heard again shortly from the inspec-
tor.
The coroner's inquest was adjourned. and
the examination before tho magistrate ended
in remand; Mrs. Zebedee being in no con-
dition to understand the proceedings in either
case. The surgeon reported her to be COM
pletely Frustrated by q terrible nervous
shock. When be WAS asked if he considered
her to have been a sane woman before the
murder took place, he refused to answer pos
itively at that time.
A week passed. The murdered man was
buried, his old father attending the funeral
l occasionally saw Mrs Crosscapel and the
two servants for the purpose of getting such
further information as was thought desirable.
Both the cook and the housenaid had given
their months notice to quit, declining, in the
interest of their characters, to remain in
house which had been the scene of a murder.
Mr.. Deluc's nerves led also to his removal;
his rest was now disturbed by frightful
dreams He paid the necessary forfeit
money, and left without notice The first
floor lodger, Mr.. Barfeld, kept his rooms,
but obtained leave of absence from his en-
ployers and took refuge with some friends in
the country. Miss Mybus alone remained
in the parlors. "When | am comfortable
the old lady said, nothing moves me, at my
age. A murder up two pair of stairs is
nearly the same thing as a murder in the
next house. Distance, you see makes all the
difference"
1t mattered little to the police what the
dodgers did. We had men in plain clothes
watching the house night and day. Every
body who went away was privately followed;
and the police in the district to which they
retired were warned to keep an eye on them
after that AS long as we failed to put Mrs.
Zebedee's extraordinary statement to any
sort of test-to say nothing of having proved
unsuccessful, thus far, in tracing the knife to
its purchaser-we We're bound to let no person
living under Mrs. Crosscapers roof on the
night of the murder, slip through our fingers.
w
In a fortnight more, Miss Zebedee had
sufficiently recovered to make the necessary
statement-after the preliminary caution adj
dressed to persons in such cases. The surgeon
had no hesitation now in reporting her to be
a sane woman.
Her station in life had been domestic SER
vice. She had lived for four years in her
last place as lady,s maid, with q family re-
siding in Dorsetshire. The one objection to
her had been the occasional iufirmity of
sleep walking, which made it necessary that
one of the other female servants should sleep
in the same room, with the door locked and
the key under her pillow. In all other respects
the lady's maid was described by her mistress
as "a perfect treasure"
In the last six months of her service, a
young man named John Zebedee entered tho
house with written character) as footman.
He soon fell in love with the nice little lady's
maid, and she heartily returned the feeling.
They might have waited for years before
they We're in a pecuniary position to marry,
but for the death of Zebedee's uncle, who left
him little fortune OF two thousand pounds.
They were now, for persons in their station,
rich enough to please themselves; and they
we're married from the house in which they
had served together, the little daughters of
the family showing their affection for Mrs.
Zebedee by acting as her bridesmaids
Tho young husband was careful man.
He decided to employ his small capital to the
best advantage, by sheep farming in Aus.
tralia. His wife made no objections; she was
ready to go wherever John went
Accordingly, they spent their short honey
moon in London, so as to see for themselves the
vessel in which their passage was to be taken.
They went to Mrs. Crosscapel's lodging house
because Zebedee's uncle had always staid
there when he was in London. Ten days were
to pass before the day of enbarkation ar
rived. This gave theyoung couple welcome
holiday, and a prospect of amusing them
selves to their hearts content among the
sights and shows Of fhe oreot city