The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-10-25
" | lsSSED A TRAGEDY.
"Why DO Not Like Menken, AL
though He Never B0res BE.

don't like Menken. Undoubtedly he
is a clever--alinost brilliantly clever
man, bnt he is, to my mind. just a trife
too unconventional IN his ideas.
He is. however, very good company,
and have passed a good many evenings
with him over a pipe, and viii acquit
him Of ever having bored me.
( | went to his lodgings with him a few.
nights ago from the club, and soon found
myself seated in an armchair by the fire.
side, with pipe in my mouth and a
glass of most excellent whisky and water
beside me. We talked of many things,
till at length, forget how, the CONVEX
sation turned on murders and murderers.
Some time previous London, and in
deed the whole country. had been APP
palled by series Of CHASTITY murders.
all apparently committed by the same
hand, though in no case was clew af-
forded by which the murderer might be
discovered.
Menken explained a theory Of his own
on the subject. as novel as it was start
ling, when the subject tuyned to cir
cumstahtial evidence and its value.
After ALL" said sin ninety
murders out of a hundred circumstantial
evidence and motive are the only helps
to conviction. No one in his senses com
mits a murder If there is any one look
ing on.
s.No." said Menken slowly, people
prefer doing these things in private, if
possible. But sometimes they are not
aware that there are witnesses,
He paused and filed his pipe.
sit is not every ons," he went on,
'swho has been asecret witness of a muir
der, but have. =
"You?n l exclaimed.
Menken nodded.
"Was he convicted and hanged?'' ]
asked,
1T wasn't he, but 'she,'n said
Menken smiling. And she was not
convicted and hanged, or even tried"
"But surely you was beginning,
when Menken broke in.
My dear fellow, nothing could have
said could have convicted the woman.
It was a very odd case altogether; one
of the most ingenious things ever heard
of. will tell you the STORY. If you Like.
It will be simpler than you getting it
ont of nue. by cross examination.
about four years ago Twas travelling
in Switzerland. In the course of my
rambles / reached Tauserwald. / was
much taken with the place; the scenery
was superb, the hotel old fashioned but
delightfully."- comfortable.
'sThere were several people staying
there besides myself, but as l am gre
garious sort of fellow, was rather glad
Of it. After | had been there about
fortnight, on entering the dining room
for dinner / noticed some new arrivals.
Among them was party of three Eng
1ish-an old gentleman, his young wife,
and daughter Of the old gentIeman's
by former marriage. The daughter,
poor girl, was blind. She was about
twenty. and looked delicate. / cannot
say she was pretty, but yet she was not
unpleasing. The old boy, her father,
was just ike other English gentlemen
you see about.
The wife was decidedly pretty; she
was about eight and twenty, fair, with
gray eyes and most undeniable figure.
They seemed to be well off, but they did
not hold much intercourse with the rest
Of the inmates Of the hotel
you know rather pride myself on
my powers of observation. Though /
made no sort of acquaintance with the
party, used to watch them and study
them, as / do all my fellow creatures
whom come across.
Il was not long in finding out three
facts. First, that the old gentleman was
madly fond of his wife and Indifferent
to his daughter: secondly, that the
daughter adored her father and did not
like his wife; thirdly, that the wife hated
them both
II was all the more pleased with my
perception Of these facts, inasmuch as no
one else in the hotel had the least idea of
the situation. Outwardly there was
perfect harmony in the trio.
Gone morning, after the party had been
in the hotel about week, the old gentle
man did not appear as usual at breakfast,
and in reply to inquiries his wife said
that he was not feeling well. In the
course of the day the doctor-an English
Aildil, ny LILO Way ~ WAS Stub lOl, du1 III
the evening the landlord, who was as
angry with the old man as if he had got
his illness on purpose, told me confden-
TALLY. with tears of rage, that the old
gentleman had been pronounced by the
doctor to be i'll of gastric fever, and that
the case was serious. The landlords
anxiety was not without reason. The
fact could not be concealed, and the Wis
itors began to leave in haste. Only a
few besides me remained. am not
in the least nervous about illness, and
had no intention of leaving the place for
such cause, resolve which raised me
greatly in the landlords esteem.
Zone morning, about ten days after
the old gentleman's seizure, met the
doctor coming down stairs He looked
much less anxious than for some days
past; indeed, there was an expression al
most of satisfaction on his face.
"'How is your PATIENT asked.
"sThe crisis is past, or almost past,
he answered cheerfully. He owes his
life, If he pulls through, to the nursing
of his daughter and his wife, especially
the daughter. who is trump! He is