People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-03-16
BLIND JUSTICE.
BY HEKEN y. MATHERS.
CHAPTER I-CONTIyUED.

OHhE Eh l-CONTINUED.
Let US picture her then watching
bis unavailing struggles and agonies
till the opiate deadened the effects
of the poison, and he sank down in a
StupOr that she knew must end in
death, nay, that may so have ended
abruptly, as she stood by and
watched him. Her crime is accom-
plished, but how to hide it, See her
eyes wander hither and thither over
the walls, the floor, upon the door
through which she might drag this
heavy weight, but that she may
meet her lover on the threshold!
Her glance falls on a discolored ring
level with the ground, and scarcely
visible save to those who know where
to look for it; she creeps nearer and
nearer to it She kneels down and
drags at the rusty ring; a square
door, about the width of a strong
mans shoulders, rises towards her,
beneath is black void, and that
void is to be the hiding-place of her
husbands body. Close at hand lies
a coil OF cord, she deliberately cuts
it in half, and kneeling down beside
him, makes one portion fast round
Ais body below the armpits, then
with the ends drags that huddled,
helpless body easily enough along
the floor until the open square is
reached. And now comes the most
difficult part. physically, of her en-
terprise. To thrust him feet foremost
down that pit would be easy enough,
but with all a woman's extraor-
binary inSensibility to crime, but
constituencies to cruelty, she could
not bring herself to do this, but with
arms stronger surely than a woman's
ever were, lowered them so carefully
that not bruise or mark was auy-
where to be found on his person.
H99lFs her placing her husband,
his feet to the git, his head to her
knees, see her give him a strong
push that sends his feet over the
edge. and instantly the body disap.
pears with such a jerk as nearly to
throw her forward on the ground;
but with straining muscles she holds
grimly on, her thighs bent back,
resisting in every fibre the dead
weight that seeks to drag her down
10 the place to which she has con-
demned him! Now the head is over,
has vanished, bit by bit she lets out
the cords that are twisted round her
hands; presently they grow slack, a
dull tremble runs through them, the
body has reached the ground, she
casts the cords in after him, drop!
the trap door, and all is over.
So far. she has acted with extraor
binary promptitude and skill, abb.
seconded by great physical strength
she is even able to greet Stephel
Croft as If nothing had happened
and to wash the cup out OF whicl
her husband drank; but in the morn
ing she breaks down, and attract
suspicion to herself in a way littl
short of madness. At breakfast sh
sets aside food as if for visitor, sh
returns to the house after they hav
both presumably left it for ever, sh
lifts the trap door, and leaves it oper
and from a hook inside suspends
long piece of cord, by which pei
son might easily descend to the vauI
below, or ascend from it to the roo
above. By the trap-door she place
the plate Of broken food, and havin
thus drawn attention to what woul
have never been suspected but fC
her indication, she rejoins her hu
band. very soon after committing al
other and even worse act of stupi
ity, since it is witnessed by one wi
grasps the full significance of Il
incident, and who in following I
the clue then given, brings all Il
facts home to the woman at last.
This gentleman. on reading OF Il
murder, went straight 70 the villa
of Trevenlck, found the poll
supine, and the villagers convinc
OF Judith's guilt, although they h
only their spite to convince thel
The rural police thought that t
man might have got in after the t.
left, and had chosen, for his o.
reasons, to conceal himself belo
but the medical evidence proved tn
he had been dead at least thu
days, and the key was found by
landlord in the place agreed upt
while every window was secur
bo!ted from within.
But suspicion was not certain
or Judith would probably hi
r6dCuGU aust! ALA uuEiOlOobOU,
remained there 10 this day, had
the stranger who travelled with tn
produced the arsenic box and
evidence. at the enquiry then be
held. The result you know,
woman was brought back and CT
mitted to prison to await her trial
One cannot sufficiently admire
Sagacity and aCumen of this amat
detective who put to shame a-br
heard no more. His praise sickle
me. lno longer felt proud OF
work, but as a mean fellow who
deliberately bounded down poss
innocent woman. But for my evide
about the poison seen in her
session, and that her of husband
only being in the world who lC
herr about the rope, she woul,
standing free creature in prim