Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-07-25

On, SIR: she at once burst forth, thank
heaven l found your address, which INV
poor old master had hid away somewhere.
Oh, come straight to The Aspens! Miss
Lulu sent me; she is half crazy. Hurry.
hurry! There is blood and murder and
horror to pay! Hurry, hurryl"
do try to be calmer and tell me what il
the matter, exclaimed, losing no time in
getting into my overcoat, while Norah,
without a word, ran to fetch my hat and
boots. Why did they not send some of
the men for lao instead of your"
"Oh, Lord! Mister Doc has gone for the
doctor, the coachman has run for the police,
the footman's after the lawyer, and Mr..
Joceiyn daren't quit the housed" groaned
the poor creature, who seemed half bereft
of her reason. aOh, hurry, hurry, sirI I
was so long finding where yon lived Miss
Lulu'll be scared to death. Oh, Lord! Oh.
Lord!" 49,
Two policemen were already on guard in
the grounds as dashed through the gate,
whats to pay, Peters?' / exclaimed to
the first one l encountered.
odd Grandfather Dixon is sitting in his
library stone- dead-murderedi"
Can 1t be posslble?"
Sure as a gun Yonder's Simpson
standing guard over some footprints that
the murderer left in the snow, and the
coroner's already in the house with other
officers"
waited to hear no more, but at once
went inside.
The women had been ordered upstairs
by the coroner, who was standing in the
passage alongside of stalwart policeman
who was placed as guard over the library
door. In little group near them stood
y0nnQ DIXON and Jnoolx,, hot -
still appearing horror stricken, together
with two grave-looking, long-visaged gen.
tlemen whom rightly conjectured to be
tie family physician and the family
lawyer.
had had long acquaintance with the
coroner-a certain DR.. Belcher, and, Won
derful to relate, an intelligent gentleman
instead of an ignorant politician-who was.
fortunately, well disposed toward me.
II will have jury here in the course of
an hour" said he to me in low voice.
The body has been left perfectly undis-
turbed in tho place where it was found.
Would you like to view it?"
nodded, and we all followed him into
the library, except the policeman guarding
the door.
Poor Grandfather Dixon had not been
murdered in his bed, but at his writing
table,
The room was in no disorder, but the
fire had long since faded on the hearth,
the parrot cackled and ruff!ed its feathers
uneasily in its cage, and the room, ordi-
Marty SO spacious, cozy, and pleasant, was
cold and cherries by reason of the lower
sash of the window still remaining open.
rs the. murderer had undoubtedly left it
when retiring from his bloody work. The
murdered gentleman was sitting with his
back to the window and with his head
bowed forward upon the table amid a mass
of papers. 1t must have fallen forward
thus after the reception of the deadly blow,
which had probably taken him altogether
unawares, for the attitude of the body and
limbs was natural, with no evidence of
there having been struggle.
The physician pointed to stab Just behind
the collar bone on the left side, and around
which the shirt collar and that of the dress
ing-eown were stained with blood
The wound must reach clear down to
the vitals," he explained at therefore
must have been made with an exceedingly
long bladed weapon"
The coroner moved around the edge of
the table and pointed through the window
to the tell tale tracks in the snow. one line
approaching the window straight across the
lawn from an old boat house at the waters
edge, the other series retreating from the
window toward the boat-house as though
made by the murderer in effecting his
silent-f footed escape.
This much is perfectly plain, said the
coroner, the villain came first by water and
then stole up to the window, at which he
was probably admitted by the victim, who
must have been engaged with his papers at
the time. There must have been an ac-
qualntance between them, and CONVERSE
ton followed. Then the deadly blow was
struck from behind, after which the muir
derer retreated in the direction whence he
came. The footprints prove it,"
DO you really think SOP" said !, sur
prised at his stupidity.
"Of course dol" said he. But tell me
what you think, Piercer.
Precisely to the contrary" I replied
Mark the two lines of footprints. The re-
treating ones are half obliterated by light
fallen show-which ceased falling alto
gether at two O'Clock this morning, as l
chance to know-while these approaching
the window are as fresh ls when newly
made"
They all hung upon my words with in
tense interest.
"You are right" exclaimed the coroner,
and you infer"
Merely that the approaching tracks were
made after the retreating ones. Conse-
quently, the murder must have been COM
mitted by an inmate of this very house;
the footprints must have been made after
the deed TO mislead detection"
Great Heaven! you must be right
never thought of that" cried the coroner.
while the others glared at me in astonish.
ment.
Search the house at once, from cellar
to garrett, suddenly shouted Jocelyn, the
steward, starting away, followed by every
one except young Dixon and myself, and
we presently heard them setting out upon
the search, probably accompanied by
others.
"Oh. sirl it is horrible!" gasped nv
young companion, sinking into the same
seat he had occupied on the previous after
noon BY the side Of Miss Digby, and COW
cring his face with his hands. ITO think
OF my poor grandfather-tha kind hearted
harmless old man-lying there, foully
murdered
His anguish seemed so distressing that
made no attempt to console him.
In IN unexpectedly short time the
searchers returned, with horror Of sud
den revelation lighting up their pallid |
faces.
What have you discovereds" ex-
claimed.
"Look!" cried the steward, lifting with
Ona hand n blond otosnad J.ocs;r1 x...-