Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-08-31
A VITAL CLEW.

my life hangs on that scrap Of paperi
II it cannot be found. Edith, 1t is impos-
Gble to prove my innocence. The facts
are dead against me-"
colbert, l am 80 confident that you
are innocent and all that you have said
is true that will not rest until the pa
per is found"
BE took her in his arms and impressed
passionate kiss on her brow.
Gilbert Stanton was under arrest on
suspicion of having caused the death Of
Raymond Wild. The facts Of the case
were, as he said, dead against him."
Stanton lived in chambers in Whites
inn and was reading for the bar. Wild,
who justified his name, was an old COL
lege acquaintance, who had attempted
several things in life and failed in all
Gilbert had not seen him for several
years, when Wild suddenly turned up
at his chambers and announced that he
was "stone broke"
The man had no claim whatever on
Gilbert Stanton, who told him so and
also gave him the benefit Of some candid
opinions as to his past career. Raymond
Wild was hot blooded, and high words
resulted. The quarrel was at its height
when Mrs. Morton. Gilbert's old laun-
dress, who had been completing her
morning duties in another room, closed
the door of the chambers and passed out.
Shortly afterward the tempers of the
two men cooled. Wild apologized for
some offensive remarks he had made, and
they shook hands. Gilbert now prom
ised to do his best to help his old ac-
quaintance and invited Wild to remain
for an hour while he went out to keep
In appointment.
When Gilbert Stanton returned, he
mounted the stairs to the door of his
chambers, but did not Immediately enter.
he stood for few minutes on the land.
ing, considering what course he should
adopt with regard to the man inside.
Should he give him money! Or might
not that be doing such person posi-
tive injury?
AS he leaned against the door smoking
cigarette he was startled by loud ex-
plosion inside. What could it be? He
hastily unlocked the door and went IT,
The place was full of gunpowder smoke.
and he rushed into the sitting room. 1t
was empty. There was door communi-
eating with his bedroom, and he openedit.
A horrible sight was before him
Stretched upon the floor was Raymond
Wild-deadl Stanton Immediately found
that bullet had passed through the
mans brain, and that his own revolver,
which he always kept loaded in the room,
was lying on the floor beside the body.
The evidence at the inquest was simply
this: The police, when called in, had
found the dead body of man, identified
as Raymond Wild, with bullet wound
in his head. A revolver was also dis.
covered, which Gilbert Stanton had ad.
mitted was his, and the contents of one
chamber had been discharged. Mr.
Stanton had said: "The man committed
suicide. Twas not inside the chambers
at the time"
William Carey, solicitors clerk, de-
posed that he was looking out of the
Office window on the ground floor, when
he saw Mr.. Gilbert Stanton enter the
building and heard him run up the
stairs. About five minutes afterward-
certainly when ample time had elapsed
for Mr.. Stanton to enter his chambers
he heard the explosion.
The result was that Gilbert was ar
rested, brought up before the magistrate
and committed for trial.
His defense was that Wild had found
the revolver during his absence; that he
was standing outside the door of his
chambers. as we have described, when
the shot was fred; that although they
had quarreled they were on pacific terms
when he went out, and that the deceased
had left a written confession of his own
guilt and Gilbert's innocence.
But where was this written confes-
sion? Gilbert Stanton declared that he
found it on the bedroom mantelpiece,
but during the excitement of the hour
had mysteriously lost or mislaid it, He
had searched everywhere for it, but with
out avail.
He distinctly remembered that, after
examining the body and finding it was
ifeless, he went into his sitting room
with the confession in his hand to con-
slider what he should do. He placed the
paper on small table in front of him,
and glancing out of the window saw a
policeman in the quadrangle. He at
once decided to call the constable and
ran down stairs to do so, leaving his door
ajar.
On his return the paper had disap-
peared, and he had never seen it after
ward. The most diligent search had
failed to discover it.
"Now, Mrs. Norton" said Edith as
they stood alone in the chambers, ''this
is matter of life and death. That piece
of paper must be found"
eyes, MISS" was the laundress' COM
monplace reply.
"First of all, you must please answer
very carefully some questions shall put
to you. Did you on that day destroy
any paper?"
"No, miss"
"Have you destroyed or removed any
SINGER"
"Not scrap, miss. You see there
amt no fires this time O the year. and
the little cooking does is all done on
the gas stove"
"What do you do with your waste
paper and rubbish"
"What little there is takes down in a
pail once week, or more often if finds
it necessary"
"And has the pail been down since
that day"
"No, miss"