Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-02-12

nlRnt, anu Tue hcduS " "AiSH
unraveled them.
81 confess" said be that any theories
which had formed from the newspaper
reports were entirely erroneous. And
vet there are the indications there, mao
they not been overlaid bY other details
which concealed their true import. L
went to Devonshire with the conviction
that Fltzroy Simpson was the true Gull
prit. although, of course, l saw that the
evidence against him was by no means
complete.
ut was while I was in the carriage,
inst as wo reached the trainers house,
that the immense significance OF the
curried mutton occurred to me. You
may remember that l was distract, and
remained sitting after you had all
alighted. was marveling in my own
mind how I could possibly have over
looked so obvious clew."
81 confess" said the Colonel, shat
even now I cannot see how it helps US. "
at was the first link in my chain OF
reasoning. Powdered opium is by no
means tasteless. The flavor Is not dis
agreeable, but it is perceptible. Were
it mixed with any ordinary dish, the
eater would undoubtedly detect 1t, and
would probably eat no more. A curry
was exactly the medium which would
disguise the taste. By no possible sup
position could this stranger, FitZroy Sim
son, have caused the curry to be served
In the trainers family that night, and
it is surely too monstrous coincidence
TO suppose that he happened to come
along with powdered opium on the very
night when dish happened to be served
which would disguise the flavor. That
is unthinkable. Therefore Simpson be-
come eliminted from the case and our
attention centers upon Straker and his
wife, the only two people who could
have chosen curried mutton for supper
that night. The opium was added after
the dish was set aside for the staole-ooy,
for the others had the same for supper
with no i'll effects. Which OF them,
then, had access to that dish without
the maid seeing them?
"Befere deciding that question had
grasped the significance OF the silence OF
the dog, for one true inference lnvari-
ably suggests others. The Simpson In
cident had shown me that a dog was
kept in the stables, and yet, though
some one had been in and had fetched
out a horse, he had not barked enough
TO arouse the two lads in the loft. %
viously the midnight visitor was some
one whom the dog knew well.
II was already convinced, or almost
convinced, that John Straker went down
TO the stables In the dead OF night ana
took out Silver Blaze. For what pur-
pose. For dishonest one, obviously,
or why should he drug his own stable
boy? And yet l was az loss to know
WHY. There have been cases before now
where trainers have made sure of great
sums of money by laying against their
own horse, through agents, and then
preventing them from winning by fraud.
Sometimes it is a pulling jockey. Some
times it is some surer and subtler means.
What was il here? l hoped that the
contents Of his pockets might help me
to form a conclusion.
And they did so. You can not have
forgotten the singular knife which was
found in the dead mans hand, knife
which certainly no sane man would
choose for a weapon. 1t was, as DR..
Watson told US, a form of knife which
is used for the most delicate operations
known in surgery. And it was TO be
used for delicate operation that night.
You must know, with your wide expe-
rience of turf matters, Col. Ross, that II
is possible TO make slight nick upon
the tendons of horses ham, and to do
| il simultaneously so as to leave aoso-
| lutely no trace. A horse so treated
would develop slight lameness which
would develope slight lameness which
else or touch Of rheumatism, but
never to foul play"
"Vilian! Scoundrel" cried the Col
one.
1--WE have here the explanation OF why
| John Straker wished 10 take the horse
out on to the moor. So spirited a Great
ure would have certainly reused the
soundest of sleeperS when it felt the
prick OF the knife. 1t was absolutely
necessary TO do 1t in the open air.
81 have been blnd!' cried the Colonel.
"Of course, that is why he needed the
candle, and struck the match"
! Undoubtedly. But In examining his
belongings, l was fortunate enough &c
discover, not only the method OF the
crime, but even its motives. AS a man
OF the world, Colonel, you know that
men do not carry other peoples bill:
about In their pockets. We have most
OF US quite enough to do to settle oul
own. at once concluded that StrakeI
was leading a double life, and keeping
a second establishment. The nature OF
| the bill showed that there was lady In
the case, and one who had expensive
tastes. Liberal as you are with your
servants, one hardly expects that they
can buy twenty guinea walking dresse:
for their women. l questioned Mrs
Straker as 10 the dress without heI
knowing it, and having satisfied myself
that It never reached her, made a note
of the milliner's address, and felt thai
by calling there with Straker's photo
graph, | could easily dispose OF the
mythical Darbyshire.
"From that time on all was plain
Straker had led out the horse to O hol
low where his light would be Invisible
Simpson, in his flight, had dropped his
cravat, and Straker had picked it Or
with some idea, perhaps, that he might
use it in securing the horses leg. Once
in the hollow he had got behind the
horse. and had struck light, but the
creature, frightened atthe sudden glare
and with the strange instinct OF animal;
feeling that some mischief was intended
had dashed out, and the steel shoe haC
struck Straker full on the forehead. he
had already, in spite OF the rain, taken
of his overcoat In order TO do his deli
cate task, and so, as he fell, his knife
Qashed his thigh. Do make it clear?'
Wonderful !" cried the Colonel
"Wonderiull You might have beer
there"
my final shot was, confess, very