Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-11-24

unknown 10 me, SO you are lar lTOm
the truth. No man is in an enViable
frame of mind when woman rejects
him. Was 1t extraordinary, then, that |
should have wished his friend to join
him at such a timer" She spoke with
considerable feeling.
mo, Miss Lewis, your action under
the circumstances was very commenda-
BILE. But did you not have deeper mo.
tive? Did you not think that be might
become desperate enough to take lifer'
II admit that I did,"
"Whose-your uncle's?"
"No, mol 1 thought he might commit
suicide; he is passionate and impulslve.
l thought that in moment Of despair
he might raise his hand against himself.
He would never take anotber's life"
"He attempted to do so once before,
I believer"
To this Virginia made no reply, but
her face assumed an expression of the
utmost contempt
Miss Lewis" continued the lawyer,
"will you kindly tell us about how long
you remained at the interview with Mr..
Marvel? ! don't expect any exact reply.
An approximate one will do"
II cannot tell very closely, though I
know about when I reached the house
again. But Twill not answer unless you
explain why you wish to know"
Mr.. Upper had recognized at the
outset that Virginia was not to be
frightened into anything, and be de-
termined to deal with her openly.
~ will do so willingly" said he.
"We have found that you left the sum-
mer house at or near 8 o'clock. Soon
after several shots were fired, one at
least at the deceased. We are not sure,
however, that eiti.r Of these killed
your uncle. Now, it you can give us
the time when you returned, it may be
the means of proving whether he was
alive or dead at that hour. These mat
tiers of time often prove of inestimable
value"
Every we'll. 1t was half past 10
when reached my room.
"Thank you 1t was his cue to con-
ciliate her as far as possible. when
you went in, did you pass through the
parlor?'
"No, sir. / entered my apartment by
the door opening into the dining room."
Mr.. Barnes believed that this was
true, for he had traced her footprints
from the steps of the piazza by the din
ing room, and returning they reached
the same place. Thus she must have en-
tered the house at that point, and natu-
rally passed through the dining room
to her own chamber. Resuming the ex.
animation, Mr. Tupper asked:
During the night did you hear your
uncle moving about?"
"No, SIR"
"Now let us come to the discovery Of
the crime. You will recall that when
the detectives accidentally disturbed
you in your room, the morning afte2,
you admitted that you had already
found out that your uncle had been
murdered. Thus you were the first to
do SO. Is that fact?"
II believe so. At least it is true that
knew of the death Of my uncle at that
time"
Exactly. You had gone into the
parlor, and you had found the body,
which you recognized as that of your
uncle, or may say stepfather, before
the squire and the others arrived?
ayes, sir"
Ibid you take anything from the
room?"
"Yes, sir; I took pistol"
"Where did you find this pistol?"
Goa the floor"
"Why did you take it3''
because it is mine and has my
name on the stock, and because If found
by any one else it might have been un-
pleasantly suggestive" )"
81 believe it showed evidence Of hav-
ing been fired off, did it not?"
"That was another reason why was
anxious to have it. "
Virginia was causing profound aston
ishment by her admissions. Even Mr..
Barnes himself was puzzled to under
stand why she should acknowledge that
she had purloined the weapon to avoid
suspicion, when that very confession
would undoubtedly attract closer in
vestigation into her connection with
the crime.
"Mlss Lewis" said Mr.. Tupper,
chow came your pistol to be dis
charged?"
II use it constantly, and therefore it
is quite possible that I fired at some
thing on Saturday"
"That is, the day before the murder"'
"Yes, SIR"
"How did it happen to be out of your
possession on Sunday night?"
81 had it when I started out, but
changed my mind about taking it with
me, and as ! passed through the parlor
I laid it on the mantel."
This answer suggested tho possibility
that this was the pistol used by Mr..
Lewis when he fired at Lucas, as had
been testified by Miss Marvel. The next
question was:
Now, if you please, will you explain
why, if you were so anxious to avoid
suspicion by hiding the pistol, you
should now be so ready to tell the whole
story?'
II never intended to conceal the fact
that the weapon was found by me where
it was, but thought that If I offered it
in evidence myself would avoid the
suspicion which might naturally enough
have been aroused had any other person
made the discovery"
MIR. Barnes knew this was not true
and that her first intention had been to
destroy all trace Of the use of the pis-
fol ns WIS plaiulY proved nv her hav