The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-16

| There was ladder at the window and jar
ring sound Mt the door below. Manning sprang
down the opening took away the bar, opened
the door and stepped forth. He had no
weapons, but those at the door fell back before
him Something hit him in the face, another
missile struck tho wall behind.
Hang the wretch; don't let him escape! !"
said gruff voice.
Hang i'm Stone i'm !" shroked another
The toad and snake of my dream. thought
Manning. Looking rapidly over the faces of
the crowd no saw many women present. One
pair of black eyes and very pale face turned
boseechingly toward him. Not all alone, he
thought.
"This is the man" said Brggan, approach
ing and raising his voice. who steals bodies.
The corpse of Mrs. Strylser now lies in his
Office DR. Mum and Mr.. Jones arc ready to
swear that they saw it there. lie ought to be
tarred and fcathcred and hung up"
The mob had become quiet while he was
speaking, and tho young doctor saw his oppor-
tunity.
MY friends" said he sending his voice
through the crowd, "you would not murder q
man without giving him a chance to defend
himself, would you? 1t is true that tho re-
mains of Mrs. Stryker lie in my Office cham
her" CA man raised stone MS if about to hurl
it at him, but lid not throw.) How that body
came there may be a matter for future consider
| alton. That procured it merely to experiment
upon is false. Those two men" (pointing at
Briggan and Munn) claim to be physicians
and they assert that Mrs. Strylser died of ty-
phod fever. | say 1t is lie. Mrs. Stryker
was poisoned"
Tho crowd were as still rs death.
~ have examined her remains, and find large
quantities of arsenic in her system"
=" 1t is lie! 1t is a lie! 1t is game to es-
capel Don't let him get away" shouted
Briggan.
"If there is arsenic there he's put it there
himself" squeaked the echo.
Stryl1er, who stood near, said " Nancy, the
Coffee" and swooned
Manning saw the danger was not ovoryet. His
| thoughts flew like lightning. This strange act
on the part of the man Stryker no coupled with
| the mystery.
"All ask, my friends" said he, addressing
the crowd, " is that you take the several parties
concerned, including myself, tho two doctors,
Briggan and Mum. tho husband of the do
ceased, and Nancy If there be such person,
into custody. Hold us all till experts can be
sent for and the matter thoroughly sifted.
Take me into custody, John Brggan. NJ. d.,
of L! I'd like to see the man who dare
lay his hand on me, when Pm innocent"
Mum had faced the crowd aud was gesticulat-
| ing wildly to be heard. " 1 tell you he put tho
arsenic there himself. Don't let him escape !
| Seize him and hang him up at once He stole
the body and now he's put arsenic in it to get out
| of it,"
A stranger moved from the crowd and took
his place Mt Manning's side,
i think the proposition of this gentleman is
| fair one" said he. 81 desired to see the face
of my sister and to have post norton. but
was told by DIR. Brggan that decomposition had
been so rapid to absolutely prevent both.
| This must have been falseho0d, If this gentle
man has since analysed her stomach and found
arsenic"
Manning erasped tho Rentleman's hand and
inquired when he reached l..
This morning at daybreak," he said.
It occurred to Manning that Briggau must
have known that the body was not in tho coffin
when lao objected to its being opened. Turn
ing 20 the crowd he said:
My friends. neither stole the body nor put
arsenic in 1t. Tho body must have been placed
in my Office last night | saw IL there for the
first time when the funeral was in progress.
believe 1t was placed there by those two men
yondcr. ! slept last night At my boarding
honse."
That's so7 said his landlady, from the
crowd"
Arsenic he continued, 4" IF placed in dead
body, connot be made 10 penetrate the tissues
Ia any extent. Ps medical men we'll know. But
in this case, believe traces of arsenic can he
found IN ali parts Of the organism"
The crowd seemed 70 be divided. The nd
tive aud noisy, but Manning sympathizers were
evidently increasing. Sheriff owen and Judge
GTidlcy were talking with the stranger; at
that instant Brlfsans party, with yeiis oil
Take hold OF biml" Strike him :" "Kiil
him!" surged forward. From the females
Manning heard cries Of No no " aPd shrieks.
s1he Sheriff aud Judge faced about. The former
brought q revolver 10 bear on the advancing
mob.
Citizens OF L. ! command you 10 keep the
peace, and in the name Of the Law / command
| you 10 assist in arresting Drs Rrlggan.
Mum aud Manning also Andrew Strykcr aud
| Nancy, his servant maid"
| The impetus of the crowd was checked. The
| parties offered no rrsistance-not oven Brig
| gan; aud amid much confusion, but without
| violence. the prisoners were conducted directly
| 10 the Courthouse for examination.
Manning was not entirely free from apprehen-
| sion. lie could not help thinking OF the moral
aspects of the case. They had searched his
| Office and found the implements which lie had
| intended 10 use for accomplishing The very
! cTtme-tf II were a cTimG-wth which now he
was charged and of which he believed himself
! innocent His judgment ran TINS: In deed not
| guilty In intent guilty. Still had he really
| exhuIned "A body aud by dissection obtained
| such "a knowledge thereby TO have saved
| human life, would il not have been better even
| than the discovery of crime in this case? He
uih not use tHth ARGUMENT ~ Lub tAhtnluAsluli,
however. Neither, indeed, was ae called upon
20 explain why he had the instruments in his
possession or troubled about bail nor Jail, as lac
| had feared
The mind ofthe man Stryker had been giving
| way aud at the fret request TO state what he
| knew about the matter. he said: Nancy gave
the poison in the coffee, hut | hope-I hope
| God will forgive me for IT," Heck planned that
| she had begun with very small doses of arsenic
| increasing them during the week. He had been
| heard To calculate Nancy and coffee no.
| pcatediy since the death Of mis- wife; while
| other suspicious circumstances relating 10 him
| self and Nancy were proven sufficiently to
| establish "A motive. His statements were re-
garded as true. though tho woman Nancy called
| God TO witness" that he was "a.tollin' a
| most vile lic"
Stryker also stated that neither Briggan nor
| Mum knew anything about tho poisoning.
| When asked If he knew about stealing tho body
no replied that DIR. Briggan said that the corpse
| would generate disease If the coffin was opened
| that there should be no post mortem, and he
| thought So too; that the doctor said the post
| norton felers were AS bad a. the corpse steal
ers, and lie hoped some OF en- would get
| enough Of it. The mystery was clearing.
Did you know that the body of your wife
| was stolen 7" inquired the Judge.
No. sir; | wouldn't have had IL happen for
anything"
The truth burst upon Manning. There were
| two sets of criminals acting in conjunction,
| yet each pair ignorant of tho others crimes
| The grave had been opened meanwhile, and
| the coffin WAS now brought into tho room and