Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-24
finger into it and then calculated under
his breath:
UR1ood and c1Otted ~

:. blOOu anu ClO'ocu'
Standing upright, he once more peer
ed into the room. The figure in bed had
not moved. Without further hesitation
he slowly slid the doors apart. One
glance within, and murmuring the single
word "Murderv" MIR. Barnes was no
longer slow in his actions. Stepping
across big pool Of blood which stained
the carpet, he stood at the side of the
bed. He recognized the features Of the
woman who had claimed that she had
been robbed of her diamonds She SEEM
ed sleeping, save that there was an e1-
preston of pain Oh the features, con-
traction of the skin between the eye
brows, and one corner of the mouth
drawn aside, the whole kept in this po-
sitiou by the rigidity of death. The
manner of her death was as simple as
it was cruel. Her throat had been cut as
she slept. This seemed indicated by the
fact that she was clad in her nightdress.
One thing that puzzled Mr.. Barnes at
once was the pool of blood near the door.
1t was fully six feet from the head Of
the bed, and while there was another
Just by the bedstead, formed by blood
which had trickled from the wound,
running down the sheets and so drop
ping to the floor, the two pools did not
communicate.
"Well," thought Mr.. Barnes, II am
first on the scene this time, and no busy
bodies shall tumble things about till l
have studied their significance.
This room had not been designed for
sleeping apartment, but rather as a
dining room, which upon occasion could
be opened into the parlor, converting the
two into one There was one window
upon an airshaft, and in an angle was a
handsome carved oak mantel, with fire.
place below Mr.. Barnes raised the cur
tain over the window, letting in more
light. Looking around, he noticed almost
Immediately two things-frst, that a
basin stood on a washstand half filed
with water, the color Of which plainly
indicated that the murderer had washed
off telltale marks before taking his de-
parture; second, that in the fireplace
was pile of ashes
1.-The scoundrel has burned evidence
against him and deliberately washed
the blood from his person before going
away. Let me see, what was it that
Mitchell said, L should have stopped to
wash the stain from the carpet while
fresh, and also from the dogs mouth.
| -, Lo %r1l l. hicf fri ha
do if bitten while committing crime
In this instance the stain on the carpet
was too much for him, but he washed it
from himself Can it be that man
lives who, contemplating deed of this
character, would make wager that he
would not be detected? Bah 1t is i'm.
possible" Thus thought Mr.. Barnes as
he studied the evidence before him. He
next turned to the woman's clothing
which lay on a chair. He rummaged
through the pocket, but found nothing.
In handling thepetticoat he noticed that
piece had been cut from the band
Examining the other garments, he soon
saw that the same had been done to them
all. Like a fash, an idea struck him.
Going over to the bed, he searched for
some mark on the garments which were
on the corpse He could find none until
he lifted the body up and turned it over,
when he found that piece had been cut
from the nightdress.
"That accounts for the blood by the
door," thought Mr.. Barnes. "He took
her out of the bed to get her nearer to
the light, so that he could find the in
itials marked Oh the clothing. While she
lay by the door the blood flowed and ac
cumulated Then he put her back III
bed, so that he would not need to step
over her in walking about the room
What calculating villain! There is one
significant fact here Her name cannot
have been Rose Mitchell, or there would
have been no reason for destroying these
marks, since she had given that name
to several.
Mr.. Barnes next brushed the charred
ashes from the crate upon newspaper
and carried them to the window in the
front room. His examination satisfied
him Of two things-the murderer had
burned the bits of cloth cut from the
various garments and also number Of
letters That the fellow was studiously
careful was plain from the fact that the
burning had been thoroughly done.
Nothing had escaped the flame save two
buttons with bit of cloth attached and
various corners of envelopes. With dis.
gust Mr.. Barnes threw the ashes back
where he had found them.
Next he paid his attention to the cab.
met desk, which stood open. He pulled
out all the drawers and peered into ev.
cry nook and Granny, but his search was
fruitless He found nothing but blank
paper and envelopes, and these Of com
mon kind.
Once more returning to the room
where the corpse lay he noticed trunk
from which protruded part Of a gar
ment. Raising the lid he found every
thing within in promiscuous pile. Evi
IDENTIFY it had been hastily searched and
carelessly repacked. Mr.. Barnes took
each article out and examined it closely
Everything upon which name might
have been written showed place where
piece had been cut out. "There must
be some good reason for hiding this wo.
Il IL al l.,