Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-08-29
"yvhat kind Of a man was your

bad days Illness"
well. it's very stnnge case" I
said. "and very sad one. But. frank
~. I believe your uncle died from nat
uinl causes. You are prcjudiced in the
matter; I am not"
We reached Basingstoke at few
minutes past 10, and then separated.
Young Edward Kincaid was to go
straight home and explain to his father
VIVA, he had done. and get him to help.
When arrived I was received by faith.
er and son, and taken privately to the
dlning-room, where the death occurred.
You must quite understand, MIR.
Somers," said the old man, that am
not prepared to indorse my sons opln.
ion that my brother was murdered. His
death was shockingly sudden. and my
nephew. Harry. is, ain sorry to say,
a thorough rogue. hut should be sorry
to think he was guilty Of this"
II can't see any reason to suspect him
Of it," said. dryly.
This Is the cigar which he was
smoking" said the young fellow. II
took it out of his hand, and placed 1t on
the mnntelpiecc. DO you think" he
went on quickly, "a man could be pois.
cned Ivy cigar. because, now l come
TO think Of 1t, this one came out Of my
cousins case"
II don't think cigar could be made
so rs to kill man on the spot" re.
piled. 1T might make him very sick.
or send him TO sleep. but not kill him."
Besides" said Edward Kincaid ST..
several Of us smoked cigars out Of
lInrry's case. think you did for one.
You see" lie continued. turning to me.
"whcn we were lighting up my brother
had cigars handed round, but my
nephew produced his own case and
offered It to those present. My brother
was connoisseur Of cigars, and.
knowing that Harry always had some
thing especially good. and wishing, per-
haps, to please him. lie said. from the
other end Of the room, Harry, l think
Ill have one Of yours"
"Yes, II you remember" said the
young man, Harry walked up TO him
ana picked cigar out Of his case ami
said, TRY this one, uncle"
I felt rather pcrplcxcd. but to he on
the safe side put the half.smokcd cigar
in my pocket for further examination
I'm afraid this doesn't prove any
thing" said. 1T isn't even suspicious.
You sec. Mr.. Clavcll asked for It,"
"Ycs. but perhaps Harry calculated
he would do 80. because Uncle Clavcll
often said that his cigars were the hest
part of him, and lie always liked to
smoke them"
could you mn mage for me to see your
co,,sin!" l asked.
As luck would have It the person In
question sauntcrcd into the room. He
was u WORKOUT Misunderstanding man
Of about five and thirty. very sallow
and bOny. with q rather unpleasantly
easy bearing.
Twas introduced rs representing the
solicitors, and We began to discuss the
death. l watched him narrowly. He
talked about II with horrible compos.
IRE. and didn't pretend to be sorrow
stricken.
swell. I suppose you three are talk.
ing business" lie said ut last, lazily.
so I'll clear out. I hate that sort Of
thing. l shall run Up to town tO.mor.
row, and call on your people," he added,
turning to me. Good morning."
what do ycu prOpcse 10 do. Mr..
Sonhers!" said Edward Kincaid.
ITS impossible TO form an opinion
until we have heard a proper medical
report" I replied. "Whcn does tho post.
mOrtcm takc place"
This afternoon"
every well. ! can't do any good here
until that In over. shall 90 straight
back TO town now, and have this cigar
examined by an expert, and return here
tonight, when you can tell me what tho
doctor says"
My visit to town was not very sue.
ccssful. The cigar expert pronounced
the l,alf.smOked specimen, which ask.
cd him to examine, to be one of a very
Tine brand Of Havanas. and he mention.
cd the name. but there's no need to re-.
peat It now. On making closer ex-
animation, however, he said he was
mistaken. 1t was an imitation. and he
pointed out number of trihing differ.
cnccs In the dOlllng ana wrapping
which nobody but an expert would oh.
serve.
"You must be able to Sec" he said.
ITS beautiful cigar; quite rs good as
II 1t were first-class brand. Only it's
not any brand Mt all. 1t was made
privately; there's nothing exactly like Il
ON the market"
The next point was to ascertain II II
had been dOctOred In any way. With
that object ! called on a certain cele-
brated specialist to get his opinion. On
hearing an outline OF the case he be-
came most Interested.
II don't believe It's possible" he said.
"for a cigar to be so manipulated that a
person smoking 1t would drop dead.
Hut Wen make a careful cXamina ton
and see what we can find"
Then we cut 1t open and every bit of
1t was put under strong glass. But
after parts of 1t had been submitted to
various tests no trace OF poisonous mat
ter could be discovered.
I returned to Basingstokc. arriving
half an hour before dinner. Tho feel
Ing In my mind was that, though there
was some reason. perhaps. to suspect
Harry Kincaid of the crime. there was
not q particle of evidence In the true
sense of the word.
! told Edward Kincaid and his father
the result Of my journey and then had
consultation with the doctor who