San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-07-25
THE FATAL POTATO.

lHE FATAL fUlAlU.
"One Of the queerest cases lever had, "
said the old detective, occurred some-
thing over twenty years ago. Then !
still had much to learn In my business,
and. fortunately for me, knew that ]
had It was memorable as an illustra-
ton Of the importance Of small things,
and have pigeon holed it in my memory
as the affair of the fatal potato
"A red headed servant girl, SO scared
that her eyes stood out like Holsters,
rushed into the station house early one
morning, bowling that all the police
were wanted around ut Mr.. Morton's.
The sergeant at the desk, supposing there
was probably just some row among the
servants, grinned at the sight Of her
and asked what was the matter.
"She gave whoop Of 'murderr that
raised his hair and startled every ono In
the station. The idea of murder In the
aristocratio mansion Of Mr.. Samuel Nor
ton, ON Fifth avenue, within five blocks
Of the station, naturally rather excited
us. Two detailed men and myself
was then ward detective--ran around
there as quickly as we could.
"Sure enough, there had been muir
der. The cook, sturdy built, middle
aged Englishwoman named Harriet
Wardrop, lay on the kitchen floor, In
the back basement, with dirty cotton
handkerchief twisted and knottcd about
her neck, stone dead and quite. cold.
When she had not sent up her employ
er's coffee, which he was accustorned TO
taking In bed, or answered the bell, tho
red headed girl came down to see what
was the matter, and that was tho plight
she found her in.
1.-THE last soen Of Harriet alive was at
near 10 o'clock tho night before, when
the two upstairs girls left to go to their
room in the attic. Her room was in the
basement, and she said that she was going
to bed In few minutes. She had had
no visslr, never, indeed, had any, was
perfectly sober, and seemed TO be always
q woman Of perfectly correct habits
Really, however, not much was known
about her, further than that she had como
there from Philadelphia seven or eight
months before with good references, had
behaved herself well and made no con-
fidantes. But she must have admitted
to tho house the man who choked her.
"There were no signs Of any struggle,
and there had been no robbery. Her
gold watch was on the Kitchen table, two
months wages in her pocket and no at
tempt seemed to have been made ut
plumber in the still richer field up stairs.
Why had she been killed? 1t was mys-
terious One Of the cops with me was
80 puzzled that he declared II must be q
case of suicide.
II saw that she had been strangled,
and wondered what a strong fellow the
murderer must have been to have twist
ed, with fatal effect, so soft band as q
handkerchief about so big and solid n
neck and to do II 30 deftly and power.
fully as to prevent an outcry or even a
struggle. 1t takes good deal Of pres
sure to squeeze in whole neck 30 tightly
as to cause death.
But when came to examine moro
closely found that a novel and inge-
nious device had been employed to make
the Job easier. Folded into the handker-
chief and placed 30 that 1t would press
directly upon the windpipe, was a potato
about the size Of hens egg. While
turning tho tuber over In my hand, /
noticed that there were two deep curv-
ing cuts In its smooth, creamy skin, such
as would be made by finger nails scratch
ing 1t, and each showed n thin line Of
blue color. At first I thought nothing
Of that, for knew that some potatoes,
such as the Neshannocks, have delicate
skin OF violet tint under the white out
side. But when looked more carefully
I saw that this potato was not q Neshan-
mock, but an Early Rose, which-as !
soon proved by scratching it-had no
such colored second skin, and observed
that the blue color seemed to go deeper
than merely the surface.
"Who, l asked myself, would be like
" 10 habitually carry under his finger
nails such an abundance Of color as
would leave deposits like tbssel Well,
dyer, for one. Yes, Of course, a dyer;
but there were more dyers In the city,
Tor aught I know, than one could shake
\ stick at, and IL would bo ridiculous TO
.eek blue handed dyer, since hands
that were blue one day might be red or
green the next
The newspapers, the next day, In
heir sensational treatment Of the Incl
dent, characterized it as q profound
mystery, and said that the police had
no clew TO the murderer
AS I had hoped. that encouraged
ONE person who had known Harriet
wardrop to come forward A sman,
neatly dressed, respectable looking. mid
lie aged man. with keen, furtive syes
md an habituaIly deprccatoTy manner,
presented himself at the inquest He
sane to see II the woman, whose death
be had read of In the morning paPer,
vas his wife, from whom be had So
-aisd IN Philadelphia a year before. and
1ad not sen O. beard fro-1 sioce- lie
ZANE, John WardroP. His occupafio1i
D5er. Where did hs uqrk' With Hez1