The Colfax chronicle., 1892-01-16

DIR. Healy met the great physician at
the station, and on the way to the
manor house tod him of the squire's
death. and of his difficulties as to the
cause of it. Sir William asked careful
| ly as to the symptoms, and as to the
deceased's habits of life. He gave no
| opinion as to the cause of death until
he had seen the body. Then he spoke
decisively.
Don't trouble your mind about it,
doctor" he said; ''it's a perfectly clear
case"
"But what did he die of, Sir Will
liam?" asked DIR. Healy anxiously.
"Why, everything. There isn't q
sound organ in the mans body. Say,
as the most obvious, cirrihosis of the
liver. That will do very well. When
can get train back to town."
DR.. Healy gave the certificate Of
death, but still he was not quite so
easy in his mind as Sir William, and
when he saw Capt. Roke seated in the
library again, he felt less comfortable
than ever. That mans face showed
| that he meant mischief Dr. Healy
felt inclined to turn him out again, but
on reflection he overcame his natural
desires. After all, the captain was the
squire's next-of-kin. Perhaps he had
a legal, at any rate he had a moral
right TO be there until the will was
read and the funeral had taken place.
| A second shock was in store for DIR.
Healy. by Mrs. Devenish's direction
the will was read the next morning.
Under it she was appointed sole legatee
and devisee and sole executrix of the
squire. When this was read, the look
in Capt Roke's face sent a shiver
through DIR. Healy. But what startled
and shocked the doctor more was this:
the will contained direction that the
testator's body should be creamated!
Here, then, was situation. Capt.
Roke meant mischief. What If after
the cremation he charged Mrs. De-
venish with poisoning her husband
and DIR. Healy with being an accessory
to the fact? How could the charge be
disproved when the body was gone
and how could The evidence that Capt
Roke could easily procure be met, that
many of the symptoms were consistent
with poisoning?
That evening, DR.. Healy left Saxby
for London, to consult Sir William
MacFissic. He returned the next
morning with determined look on his
face. He offered to undertake the
arrangements for cremating the squire,
and Mrs. Devenish accepted his offer.
The day after that ceremony the
crisis came Mrs Deveuish, white with
terror, called to consult Dr. Healy.
Capt. Roke that morning had demanded
a private interview with her. He there
and then declared that unless she
divided the inheritance with him, he
would charge her and DIR. Healy with
poisoning the squire, and he would
prove it. He had taken all precautions,
he added. significantly.
"Let him do the worst" said DR..
Healy calmly.
That evening Capt Roke called again
on Mrs Devenish and asked her for her
answer. She refused, pointblank. to
give him shilling. The captain,
without a word, left her. The next
morning he swore an information
against Mrs. Devenish and Dr. Healy
for the murder of John Devenish of the
manor house. They were both i'm
mediately arrested
When the case came before the mag
istrates 1t was soon clear that the e.
PENDANTS had an ugly series of circum-
stances to meet As counsel for the
prosecution stated Capt Roke would
swear that, suspecting som ething was
wrong from the behavior of the widow
and the unsatisfactory answers of the
doctor, he privately took some of the
medicine and other things which had
been administered to the deceased and
sent them to London for analysis. Un-
fortunately the analysts report did not
reach him until after the cremation. 1t
was to the effect that they were all
charged with arsenic. The analyst
would come forward, and the medicines
would be produced. Then, further, a
distinguished medical man had been
consulted, and would give evidence to
the effect that the symptoms of the de-
ceased's illness were not merely con-
sistent with, but suggested, arsenical
poisoning. Much other evidence was
promised, which seemed to raise the
strongest suspicious of guilt.
A considerable part of the day had
been occupied in stating the case for
the prosecution, and hearing Capt
Roke's evidence. Then counsel asked
for an adjournment to enable more evil
dence to be brought forward.
Perhaps" said the counsel for the
prisoners, 81 may as well now state
my defense. 1t will. think, make an
adjournment unnecessary"
''What is your case?" asked the chair
man skeptically.
Simply this = that the arsenic was
put into the medicine by Capt. Roke.
which the detective now beside him,
and who has been watch ing him since
the morning after the SOU Tres death,
can prove"
Capt Roke turned CHASTITY pale.
s.Yes - said tho starf1od oh o;~snou