The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-02-14

her room over the roof. The report of
the chemist that the wine had been
dosed with prussic acid strengthened my
case, though it was a strong one before
that
lido not crave the glory reaped by the
detective who brings his cases to sue
cessful issue, and | was therefore will
ing to aid the regular" who had charge
of this case. Logical deductions and
conclusions are matter of pride with
me. however, and I was not willing to
give him the whole case on the palm of
his hand. Let him deduce and conclude
for himself. l therefore said to him:
THE captain was to be married soon.
He may have had business in the city,
but what could take him to that hotel?
He made no inquiries, and the landlord
is sure he had on false whiskers. Why
in disguise? Did he go there to meet
some one? Isn't it odd that we should
find a wineglass and no bottle in the
room? Have you asked the landlord If
the man ordered up single glass OF
wine? You say he was robbed, but did
YOU search the room for the plumber?
You say he was struck on the head with
a Jagged piece of iron. Did you look
about to see if that cut was not the re-
suit Of his fall?
1.-THE chair he doubtless occupied was
upset as he sprang up, but the other was
only showed back little. Two people
cat at that table. There was a bit of
wine left in the glass, but it did not oc-
cur to you that it might furnish the key
to the mystery. You did not search the
room for letters or kilograms or torn
bits of paper. You did not ask who oc-
cupied the adjoining rooms that night.
You did not ask if any guests left by
the midnight train. Would you say that
a lone woman, for instance, who could
take any of six trains a day for Buffalo,
would prefer the midnight train to all
others?"
BLAST your theories!" growled the de-
tective in reply. 1.-The captain was killed
by a man who came over the roof. The
fellow would have got the diamonds, but
was scared away. have him spotted,
and before you have the case half worked
out I'll have him hung for murder"
Don't you think there might have
been a woman in it?"
Impossible"
Couldn't the wine have been poison
ed?"
"Of course, but it wasn't"
"Won't you work on the theory that
the captain went to the hotel to meet a
woman?'
''No, sir. IF you want to make an ass
of yourself, there's nobody to say no, but
am responsible to my superiors. It's as
plain a case as I ever handled"
eff woman who had room 36 for two
DAYS, and who received a telegram on
the afternoon of the murder, left on the
midnight train that night, would 1t
change your opinion any?"
"Not the slightest"
"But suppose the captain actually tel
egraphed from Philadelphia to woman
in that room that he would arrive at 8
o'clock that night"
Suppose you come around and see my
man convicted and hung" he sarcastical-
ly retorted as he walked away.
While the pig headed regular" was
piping off his man made a trip to Fort
Monroe. When the commandment WA
satisfied as to my errand and had been
informed of my suspicious, he took the
liberty of overhauling some of the pri-
vate effects of the murdered captain.
There were a score of letters signed
"May." all dated at Buffalo and all writ
ten within year. "May" was deeply
infatuated with the captain, and in two
of the letters she made threats of what
she wouId do if he grew cold.
One of the letters gave her street and
number. She had learned of the APP
preaching marriage and desired meet
ing to talk the matter over. With the
letters was a cabinet photograph of q
good looking young woman. When l
exhibited it to the landlord and bellboys
and hambermaids of the hotel, all rec
ognized it as the photograph of the wom-
an who had occupied No. SO. Next day
Invent to Buffalo and called at the street
and number given in the letter. 1t was
plain house and plainly furnished. the
home of an aunt, with whom the young
woman lived. The house was in mourn
ing. Three days before my coming the
murderess had suicided by jumping
into the lake. She had been away from
home at the time of the murder. She
Eryd returned all broken up. Among her
keepsakes we found a dozen or more
letters from the captain, and in the last
one was the announcement OF his in
tended marriage.
One should speak reverently of the
dead. No matter what had passed be-
tween them. death had atoned. She may
L 1,,z4