Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-08-13

IMM N 1t was about l
g " fN stormy evening
W that l badegood
night to my student. Tom Richards,
at the door of my laboratory, at the
south end of the college buildings.
Tom was very anxious to know
what would keep me up after IL
o'clock. so told him l was about to
commence analysing the stomach of
Mrs. Johnson. whose husband lay
in Pail, just across the road
from the college, on suspicion that
he was the murderer.
AS Tom was passing out of the
college yard through the gate, his
head turned, and bidding me good
night, he brushed against a man
standing with his back to the college
and his face to the prison. The street
lamp showed me that the man was
in police uniform.
Re-entering my laboratory took
down a glass jar from the shelf and
sat down behind my sink to examine
it. An hour had passed since the de-
parture of young Richards. l had
labored hard to discover traces ofthe
poison in all this, buthad been unsuc-
cessful. Joe Johnson, the suspected
man, had been a student af mine few
years before. I thought him good
hearted, intelligent fellow, only a
little wild, and really began
to hope that he might prove
innocent, when among the macer-
ated food, | came upon a small,
infnitesimal white grain. By care
full manipulation and the use of my
magnifying glass l managed to get
this upon piece ofsmoked glass and
examined it.
Twas then certain had discover
ed arsenic, but to make assurance
doubly sure determined to apply a
we'll known test for that poison.
"Yes," l exclaimed, AS l saw the
fatal blazon, "Joe johnson is the
murderer of his wife! With the evil
dence of that mark to back me no
power can save him.
sDo you really think so?'' said a
calm voice behind me.
turned quickly and discovered a
tall, lank policeman, having red,
watery eyes, standing at my office
door and staring in. His bodylook-
ed as if it had been rolled out long
before his hands like a molasses can
dy stick. He had no expression at
all in his face, and his .police-man's
hat Was so large that it threatened
to settle down on his shoulders. His
uniform treasured me and l address
ed him with some impatience.
"My friend, l suppose l am wanted
to attend aninquest, rwhat is your
purpose?''
I was police surgeon SIS well as
coroner.
Don't bother, professor; the man
amt dead vet, but they say he will
be before morning."
whats the matter with him."
Brain disorder. l mean some
thing here.'
| touched my forehead, and SO did
ne as he said: cay, as Thought I'd
drop in and tell you if you were 60
ing to the station tomorrow to take
look and see if it is post norton
or not. Besides I wanted to see
where l could always find you in case
OF need"
| bowed, and attributed his visit
to feeling of curiosity. He sat on
the sink, and while his eyes wandered
about like one who felt himself called
upon to say something, he said:
Professor, there has been an &C
cldent this afternoon-terrible, too"
What was it?;'
Nitro glycerine explosion up in
the iron mills-a hundred fellow NOR
tails busted
"Sad!'' II
Affecting, very" Here he rubbed
his mouth with the back OF his hand.
Professor, what is that nitro gly-
cerine?'
Its a very dangerous article" I
answered, happy to display my
knowledge st has nearly twice the
destrnctiveness of gunpowder, but.
unlike it. does notexplode on the APP
Piieatlon of heat. A red hot coal
dropped into it will not explode it.
1t will freeze. tits yellow and greasy.
You dom tsAmean to say SO, said
the officer, illterrupting me in disa-
greeable tones in the middle ola
choice extract from one of my lee
lures. Why, but you haven told
me how it goes of. If the fire won't
burst it, what in chem )will?'
I told him il ii were pressed, or