The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-06

who visited us l was at the bedside the whole
time and heard all that was said as to the
strangs taste my wife had for some time past
detected in the food the girl had given her.
The inspector wished to see the cupboard in
which the food was kept, and moved several
articles from the shelves himself and took pos
session of them.
Gas have told you we occupied only two
rooms, and the cupboard was in the sittingroom.
We were alone there, examining the things in
the cupboard, when he suddenly turned on me
with the question, DO you yourself ever keep
poison in the house?' l replied that l never
did. IF 1 kept any, said l. you may depend
that should keep it safely locked away TO
be sure you would, and you would keep the
keys safe in your pocket. Are they there now?'
l at once produced my little bunch of keys, and
told him that they were never out of my own
possession. He took them in his hand Don't
be alarmed said he, 'but have particular
wish to have a peep inside any drawer or box
they will unlock. Have you any obiectiong
advanced to snatch my keys from him and de-
mand his authority for taking such liberty.
But he had come all prepared. Taking out his
pocketbook he showed me search-warrant. l
had raised my voice angrily, and so, as l sup
posed, alarmed my wife in the next room. She
had hastily slipped on dressing-gown and came
in to where we were. She was white as paper,
but calm enough. was not. 81 was trembling
with rage and indignation. l explained to my
wife what it was the police inspector wished to
do. well, where is the harm p said she inno-
Gently. There can be nothing, my dear, that
you wish to conceal, or that you need be afraid
| off, l could say no more There were only
three things that were locked in the room-the
two drawers of writing table and desk that
stood on a sideboard The desk contained only
few private papers, including the two insur-
ance policies, and it was weeks since 1 had
opened it. That was the first thing the inspector
unlocked, my wife and myself looking on. In
one corner there was small linen bag, half full,
| which had never seen before, and in my won
derment made some exclamation and put my
hand toward it. But the inspector was too quick
for me. Having secured it, he put his finger and
thumb into the bag and took out pinch of the
stuff it contained and held it up to the light.
1T is salt; isn't itg' my wife remarked THE
same kind Of SALT maam, that your arrowroot
was seasoned with, if 1 am not Mistaken the
inspector answered. as he carefully tied up the
| bag again; this is arsenic.' Hearing this my
wife shrank from me with look of horror and
without a word went back to the bedroom,
while 1, feeling stunned or like one in dream,
was taken away to the police station.
II have already tried your patience, gentle
men, with my long story and will not trouble
you with the terrible details of what followed.
was committed for trial for the attempted muir
der 1t was shown that with my small salary
had insured my wifes life for 96OO, and the doc
tor was called to prove that Within month the
symptoms which were consistent with slow poi
soning began to appear. 1t was shown that the
packet Of arrowroot in the cupboard and the
beef-tea essence, which were intended for my
wifes exclusive use, were already poisoned, and
could not deny my own declaration to the po-
lice inspector that the keys of the desk where
the little bag of arsenic was discovered were
never out of my possession. You may be sure
that the prosecution did not fail to point out
how much my guilt was increased by the cum
ming attempt to put the crime on the innocent
servant girl, and the end of it was that l was
sentenced to ten years. penal servitude.
GAS have already Informed you, never from
the time of my conviction received any com
munication from my wife, which of course
added much to the bitterness of my cruel pun
ishment, since it put it beyond doubt that she,
too, believed me guilty, and scores of times 1
prayed that might soon die in prison, like Seth
Taplow. But my consciousness of innocence
supported me, and l lived through it, And
now comes the most terrible part of my strange
tale. never thought to see my wife again, but
on my way here this morning l met with her.
| did not know her at first, she looked so old
and altered. 1t was joyful moment when |
beheld her. and put out both my hands, but
she clasped hers behind her. and there was re-
lentless hatred in her eyes. Good Godr |
said, 'can it be that you have all along and
still think me gulty?' There was no wasting
of words between us. with no one to overhear
u.s. she said, 'listen to what l have come on
purpose to tell you. 1 know of no guilt of
yours but one-your murder of the man loved.
1t was for that l married you, that might be
we'll reyenged.' And then she told me how she
herself had planned the poisoning for which |
had been tried and convicted 1t was she who
had procured the arsenic, and with a false key
placed it in the desk where it was found; she
who had mixed the poison with the food. To
carry out her fendish design she had taken
small doses of the deadly stuff, and finally a
larger though not fatal dose, so as to make it
abundantly clear that it was my villainous in
tention to murder her so as to obtain the insur-
ance money. 'And still with no one to oyerhear
u.s. said she, 'let me tell you that it was not
that you might be sentenced for paltry ten
years that ran the deadly risk. hoped you
would have been sent away for twice as long
for your life, perhaps. But | have not done
with you yet, John Lock. To be rid of me you
will have to kill me. | will goad you to it,
and die happy, knowing that you will end your
|