Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-03


! run cold with horror" said the young
man. with shudder.
| 1--WE shall see; few hours will de-
eide between u.s." replied the doctor,
grimly. N...
"Where is the unhappy girl now?'
inquired Malcolm Montrose.
''Where she must remain for the
present; in the death-chamber of Lady
Leaton, which is now in the charge
Of the police. And now, Mr. Montrose;
the coroner awaits us in the crimson
drawing-room," said the physician,
leading the way thither.
| 1t was broad daylight, the sun was
high in the heavens, though the dis
mayed servants seemed only now to
remember to extinguish the lights and
open the windows.
| Breakfast was prepared in the break
fast-parlor, but no family circle gath
cred around it.
The doctor, the Princess Pezzilini,
and finally Malcolm Montrose, strayed
separately and at intervals into the
room. quaffed each cup of coffee,
; and withdrew.
Meantime, the coroner formed his in
/ quest. The investigation required some
time and much caution, therefore the
whole house was placed in charge Of
the police while the examination was
in progress.
Physicians and chemists were sum-
moned to assist in the autopsy of the
dead bodies and the analysis Of the
water of which they had both drank
Immediately before death.
The autopsy and the analysis both
proved successful. Traces of a viru-
lent poison were found in the bodies
of the deceased, and the presence Of
the same fatal agent was detected in
the beverage of which they had par
taken. 1t was so far clearly proved
that Lady LeatOn and her daughter
had died by poison!
But by whom had it been prepared
ard administered? That was the next
point of inquiry.
Alas! the question seemed but too
easily answered. Nevertheless, the
coroner went coolly, formally, and sys-
tematically to work.
The witnesses, that has been kept
jealousy apart during the progress of
the inquest, were called and examined
separately, and their testimony care
fully taken down and compared to-
! gether. The coroner's jury then de-
liberated long and carefully upon the
| evidence before them.
The inquest lasted through the whole
of two long summer days, and the
sun was setting on the second when
| they made up their verdict.
"The deceased, Matilda, Baroness
Leaton, of Allworth, and her daughter,
the Honorable Agatha Leaton, came to
| their deaths by the poison of Ignatia,
administered in tamarind-water by the
hands of Eudora Leaton."
J A warrant was made out for the ar
| rest of Eudora Leaton, and put in the
i hands of an officer for immediate exc
/, cution.
''There! what do you think of that
; Has my charge been proved? Is my
statement confirmed by the coroners
inquest? What is your opinion now?'
inquired the doctor Of Malcolm Mon
trose, who had been pale and agon.
lied spectator Of the scene.
.'My opinion is what it ever has
been and ever will be-that Eudora
| Leaton is innocent; innocent as one
of Gods holy angels; and upon that
issue stake my every earthly and
every heavenly good, my every tenn
poral and every eternal hope, my life
honor, and soul!"
"Then you'll lose them, my young
friend, that is all. All, Montrose, ii
is hard to believe in atrocious crimes
even when we see them recorded ir
newspaper paragraphs as committed
by strangers and at some distance; but
we are appalled, and utterly incredu
lous when they come closely home tt
ourselves. This self-deception is nat
ural, for doubtless other great crimi
nails have seemed to their own partia
friends as unlikely to commit tn,
crimes of which they have been con
victed, as this beautiful young demon
has seemed to us. People of notori
ously bad character seldom or never
commit great crimes. They seem tt
fritter away their natural wickedness
in a succession of small felonies. Il
is your quiet, respectable, common
place people that poison and assassi
nate just as though they boarded al