The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-06
PRIZE pETEcTV STORIES, No. Ie.

He was discharged, at any rate,
although suspicion still clung To him.
Many people believe now in his guilt
those who do not believe in mine; and
some believe we were accomplices.
After Henry's discharge | was arrested.
There was no one else left TO accuse.
There must be motive for the murder;
was the only person left with a motive:
Unlike the others, who were discharged
after preliminary examination, i was
held TO the grand jury and taken 10
Dedham, whore / spent four weeks IN
jail awaiting the meeting OF the grand
jury.
Neither at the preliminary examination
nor before the grand jury was | allowed
TO make the full and frank statement that
/ am making here. 1 was told simply TO
answer the questions that were put 10
me, and to volunteer nothing, and 1
obeyed.
know nothing about law. l wished
TO do the best I could-to act In the
wisest manner, for Henry's sake and my
own. 1 said nothing about the green
silk dress. They searched the house Tor
all manner of things, at the time OF my
arrest, but the dress was not there-lt
was in Phoebe Dole's dye-kettle. She had
come over after il herself one day when
] was picking beans in the garden, and
had taken il out OF the closet. She
brought IL back herself, and told me
this, after had returned from Dedham.
"1 thought I'd get 1t and surprise
you," said she. "It's taken beautiful
black"
She gave me a strange look, half as IL
she would see into my very soul, In spite
OF me, half as il she were in terror OF
what she would see there, as she spoke
i do not know just what Phoebe Dole
look meant. There may have been a
stain left on that dress after all, and she
may have seen il.
L suppose If it had not been for that
hour-pas which had learned to make,
/ should have been hung for the murder
OF my own father. AS IL was, the grand
| jury found no bill against me, because
| there was absolutely no evidence to con-
| vict me; and 1 came home free woman.
| And ii people were condemned for their
motives, would there be enough hangmen
| in the world?
They found no weapon with which
| could have done the deed. They found
| no blood stains on my clothes. The one
thing which told against me, aside from
my ever-present motive, was the fact
that on that morning after the murder
| the doors and windows were fastened.
| My volunteering that Information had,
| of course, weakened its force as against
myself.
Then, too, some held that might have
| been mistaken in my terror and excite
ment and there was theory, advanced
| by few, that the murderer had medi-
| tated making me also a victim, and had
locked the doors that he might not be
frustrated in his designs, but had lost
heart at the last and allowed me to es-
cape, and then, somehow, fled himself.
Some held that he had intended TO force
| me to reveal.the whereabouts OF fathers
money, but his courage had failed him.
Father had quite sum i'm a hiding
place which only he and 1 knew. But
no search for money had been made, far
| as any one could see-Anot bureau
drawer had been disturbed, and fathers
| gold watch was ticking peacefully under
his pillow; even bis wallet in his vest
pocket had not been opened. There
were a small roll OF bank notes in il, and
some change; father never carried much
money. | suppose il fathers wallet and
watch had been taken 1 should not have
been suspected at all.
81 was discharged, as / have said, from
lack of evidence and have returned to my
home, tree, indeed, but with this awful
burden of suspicion upon my shoulders
That brings me up to the present day. l
returned yesterday evening. This evening
Henry Ellis has been over to see me. He
will not come again, for j have forbidden
him 10 do so. This is what / said to
him:
Il know you are innocent, you now
i am innocent. To all the world we are
under suspicion-I more than you, but
we are both under suspicion. IL we are
known to be together that suspicion is
increased for both of us. / do not care
for myself, but / do care for you. Sep
arated from me, the stigma attached TO