Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-02-01

try doctor arrived the coI'ineSs OF the
body and tue rigor n ortIs were symp-
toms quite compatible with death in
the manner the tall passenger related.
The bitter GOODNESS Of the night, said
DR.. Truefit, wonld have led him to
expect similar appearances about the
corpse even had he arrived considera-
bly, earlier. Nor did the doctor s. in
spcction Of the scene where the mutt
lated body bad been found suggest to
him any want of reconciliation be-
tween that wu4cA he saw, and that
which he had been told bF
well. He saw ~ occlslon, hc Sid, 70
conduct any necropsy before the coro.
ner's inquest was held.
Mr.. Yorke rapidly wrote out a
guarded report of the incidents Of the
night, scribblcd letter of instruc-
tlons to colleague in London, and
prepared the packet containing these
two manuscripts for carriage by the
next train. His next step was to tele-
graph to Superintendent james, the
head Of the railway company police,
to send down his smartest detective.
Upon the arrival of Inspector Waring
events began to move rapidly. Gress-
we'll, truculent and abusive, was ar
rested; the Coroner was communi-
Gated with, and a post-mortem examl-
ton was ordered. The inspector,
like the journalist, felt confident that
he was upon the trail of diabolical
murder.
But both, as events proved, we're
wrong. They had discovered crime,
but it was not murder, as the post
mortem examina ton subsequently
proved by showing that death had
been due to natural causes. The
whole story came out when the guard
was arrested.
Murder !"he repeated, wildly, when
the charge was made in the station
masters Office at the terminus. No,
before God, it wasn't murder. I'll
make a clean breast of it. Listen
Gresswell has been the curse of my
existence. l once placed myself in
his power by foolish act, which
committed at his instigation. [ gave
him the slip in Brisbane, came tc
England and had worked faithfully
for the company and forgotten his
evil face almost until one day 1 me1
him near the Elephant and Castle.
haven't known a happy moment since
jail would be relief, SO long as il
helps me to keep out of his way. HI
was ut me for weeks before he coulC
get me to consent to go in for thi
thing with him. He lent me bool
/ forget the title, but I've got it a
home with his name IN it to prove
what l say. 1t was about a mHrder
and the agony of the murderer whel
he came to dispose of the body.
| 'Gresswell used to discuss thi:
story with me. He brought ever,
conversation around to the one topic
the stupidity of the murderer in no
seeing that the corpse, so far from
being in the way, was really valua
BILE possession. He illustrated thi
by saying that his wife was dying rap
idly; that he expected to make thou
sands out Of her body. 'How?'
asked, and then he went on to explain
that if he threw the body out of th
train and proved that she fell on
through the company's negligence
there would be grand haul for com
pensation. | resented being asked t.
join in this scheme. I told him
filled me with horror. But he talke,
me down. 1t was not SO much tn
share of the gain he promised me. Oh
my oath it wasn't. But he seems t
have control over me. / can't ex
plain it, but ii he wanted to make m
put my arm on the line In front Of
goods train, | believe he coulddo it. H
said there was nothing horrible in tn
affair; that l was as sentimental as
school girl, and that, as far as mutila
ton Of the body was concerned, hi
wife had always intended for leave he
corpse TO some hospital to the dlssect
ing room. In short, the william, b
got ne 10 agree TO be a party TO III
scheme, and then he hurried me alon
so fast that I never could put th
brake OF. He got ne 20 explain SPOT
where there were 60 dwellings. and
therefore. no doctors; ne got ne t