The times., 1897-09-19

surgical examinations reNealeQ bhe Idct
that the man had been struck, almost OH
the exact top of the head, with some
heavy object, and in such way as TO
make circular fracture in lis skull nearly
two iIcies III diameter, breaking both
plates of the skull and pressing the de
tached piece OF bone against the brain,
| thus causing ins nsensibiity
The terrible blow which had occasioned
sthis fracture had evidently been given
for the purpose Of killing the man, and
there could he 10 idea of robbery cor
nectea with tle case Farris' valise which
he had carried III his hand was found
unopened hy mis- side. He had money in
his pocket, and his silver watch WAS un
| disturbed All the surgical talent of the
town waA gathered together at the hos
| pitai, and although the wound was con-
sIdered a most serious one, it was thought
I possible that the mans life might be saved.
For the greater Tart of the night this
murderous husIn essiu CamborUugh was dis
cHssed and early the next mornjng went
to tie sneItf's office, where / found
numier Of the town Officers and lawyers
OF the place. OF course they We're all talk
ing about the terrible assault on FArris.
He was sthl alive and an operation had
beea performed, but the doctors We're not
at all certain of thc result The small po-
lice force Of the town had been very busy
nearly all night, but they had nothing 70
report
Upon one point everybody was agreed.
and that was that this assault was very
nearly related TO the Kefford viii case
| Here wasa man who had come to town for
| the purpose of testifying in that case
| Some one tad wished to prevent him from
testirving, ind had struck him down.
| This seemed plain enough, but you'd, all
was darkness and mystery OF COURSE, it
was natural to think of Dr. Latimer in con
| nection with this matter. He was a party,
to the viii ease, and, moreover, people
| did not ike him; but two citizens who had
been sent ONT To the institution soon alter
the crime had been discovered, Ostensihly
| 10 give tile new to the superintendent,
| but realty 20 find out if he Were there, had
found lem in bed and had greatly shocked
| him by the account of the assault Ipon
! Farris They also discovered by aGroit
| remarks 10 tie attendants, that the 0oc-
tor mad been at hume all the evening
| when the doctor came TO town, early the
next morning everybody could see that the
unfortunate affair had had great effect
upon him. HI did not hesitate to say that
II Farrls should not recover his case would
DelOst. Without he testimony OF that wit
ness 1t would be impossible to prove the
validity or Nicholas Kefford's will. Every
thing in regard 10 himself. the true legatee
/ 2r Nicholas kefford, had depended upon
Reuben Farris.
A great deal OF detective work was now
begun in the town by amateurs as well as
lawyers Tic " J,ind on F arris' head was
very peculiar ore. Probably il lad been
inflicted witt some neayy instrument, suCl.
as a hammer, but IL was found that it
would not be easy, with even d very large
hammer, TO make such fracture in the
skull # man. The indented portion Of
hone had been forced down SO evenly, 40
part of its circular edge having descended
! deeper tf,ln any other part, thatit was Ger.
tain that the handle OF the weapon which
inflicted il must have BEEN in nearly
horizontal position Now, man standin Z
or he ground and striking the head OF an-
/ other mar as tail as Reuben Farris, would
not bold harnmer in that position.
Many experiments with hammers proved
that such an instrument, welded by per
| son OF ordinary height aud descending upon
] the lead Of another person Of ordinary
I height, would strike the second persons
skull wirh the edge Orits lower surfaceaear-
! est to tie handle To strike the top Of a
mau 5 head With the bottom surface of the
hammer head held perfectly horizontal
would he difficult, and would prevent the
full force OF the blew. 1t was evident,
therefore that thu man who had struck
Farris with hammer must have stood
higher than his victim.
/ This conclusion led TO further investiga-
tion. Mas there anything in Decatur street
! near the place Of the assault on which the
/ person who struck Farris could have stood
] at a sufficient height to make horizon
! tai blow? Such place was soon found.
! Decatur street at the place where the as.
/ sault had occurred ran at the back OF a
large building, three stories high, which
! contained offices Of lawyers and business
men.
fhe back windows on the first flaur
OF THIS Guiding were about four feet from
/ the ground. II one OF these were open. 1t
idght be possible for man with q hammer
liz his hand to reach out into the street
and strike horizontal blow 'upon the
head of anerher man upon the sidewalk
Such Il window directly overlooked the
scene OF the assault, and the two men
WHO nearly stumbled over the body OF
arris We're now quite certain that when
they made the terrible discovery that
window was open, because one OF them,
in looking about to call for assistance.
lad shouted into / (. Everything was
dark inside, but he thought that some
ore might hear him. That window was
la the back office of Mr.. Archibald Kef-
ford.
When this stage of the inves Il cation had
been reached, it made me perfectly furious
TO see how people looked at each other and
said nothing. But I did not say anything:
| would remain silent forever rather than
even hint at the diabolical idea which
seemed TO come into other peoples minds
j Went directly to Mr.. Kefford's office,
but he WIS not there. Then l went across
the street to a carpenters shop and bor-
rCwed a hammer, the largest one l could
find Witiithis l repaired to Mr.. Kefford's
back room. The window was open For th.
weather WAS warm. / leaned out with
| the hammer in my hand and | found that
it would have been very difficult for me
to reach, with the head of the hammer the
head Of man walking on the sidewalk
An iron railing about two feet from the
wall of the building, separated it from. the
sidewalk and unless the man assaulted
should stand up close to that railing q
person at the window could not reach him
with 2 hammer. Farrishad not heen found
close to the railing he bad been found in
the middle Of the sidewalk
/ summoned several persons and proved,
hV r. Taa btcia I