San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-25

especially when she knew that 1 had
the empty shell between my fingers!
But, as | sid t,iCrc, she is OH her
guard nov, and " haleyer 81 Z wishes TO
conceal frGm Us we shall need all our
skill to discover She will determine
on plan OF action and adhere to it -
''Wan!d We rot have the key to the
mystery If .eC'a,d ligin her reasons
for acting rs she has?"
mot necessarily, though Of course it
might be so. For example, suppose she
has committed the crime herself?"
why, do you suspect her already"
No should not make so scrious a
charge against woman, even to my
| self, on so little evidence. Nevertheless,
in case like this, we must consider all
| things as possible. BY her anxiety to
! destroy clew she proves that she does
rot wish the murderer to be known.
| This may te accounted for in two ways:
First, that she would hide her own
/ guilt, and, second, that she might be
! shielding some one else.
That some one else must be one in
whom she is deeply interested, =" said
Burrows, thinking over Mr.. Barnes
proposition. Then suddenly, us the idea
came to him: "What if it be her lover,
young Marvel? He would have a motive
for killing Lewis"
Mr.. Barnes smiled approvingly at his
companions quick perception of what
be himself was thinking, but he replied:
mot so fast We have nothing
against him yet except the motive.
Many Il man may have good and strong
reasons for wishing another dead and
yet not stain his hands with blood, Be
sides. remember that the same motives
which you attribute to Marvel might
equally well actuate the woman who
loves him. However, at present. | do
! not think that Miss Lewis con mitted
the crime.
IF not she and rot Marvel, whom,
then, do you suspect"
81 must have more evidence before l
suspect any one. 1t is different thing,
however TO think one not guilty, and
at present ] believe Miss Lewis is inno-
cent Later may find in her the Grim
inal, but | cannot think so yet.
Surely you are not influenced by her
sex you are not going to be sentlmen'
tal-you, detective?"
Mr.. Barnes smiled family. He was
amused and yet little troubled at his
companions ardor Why should not a
detective have sentiment? Because it is
his business to seek ont and punish the
criminal. must he necessarily be with
out heart? He could not accept such a
theory, although he knew it to be one
esteemed by the members of his craft.
The majority of these men hunt down
a criminal as a matter of business. A
crime committed gives them work to
do A man found to fit the circum
stances of that crime, and the detect
ives work is completed.
1t was not so with Mr.. Barnes. He
had heart, and this very fact though
unrecognized by his superiors, made
him the keenest man in the employ Of
the Pilkingtons. He did not work sim
ply to fit a crime on some ones, any
ones, shoulders, but rather that It
should not be fitted To an innocent man.
He sought diligently for the right man,
that the wrong man might not lie made
to suffer through the accident OF impli-
eating circumstances.
Replying TO Burrows, be said:
mo, would not think of her sex.
A true detective should consider the
evidence only. There is always danger,
however, of our mistaking it, or rather
to what il points. The evidence itself is
always dumb witness Of the truth. Un-
fortunately our ability or skill too often
fails to connect it. Now will tell you
why i think Miss Lewis innocent
1T is plain, from the charred condi-
ton of the tody, coupled with the fact
that the fire has entirely burned out,
that the man has been dead some
hours. If Miss Lewis had done the
shooting herself, the probability is that
she would have cleaned her pistol ear
lier. Still, she might have been dis
turbed, and, dropping her weapon in u
hurried fight from the scene OF the
crime, she might have returned later to
recover it.
outs NBilt SODSlNSl Nv - PNAocH
of great will power-from physical
standpoint quite capable of conceiving
and executing murder-yet, having
done the decd and accidentally having
left her weapon, doubt her having
the nerve power to return for it after
several hours had passed. She might
within a short period of time, but in
that case the cleaning would have Oc-
CURED then and not have been left for
the morning, for had she preIneditated
the killing she would also have premcd-
itated removing this evidence. But, re-
member, this is reasoning, not proof
The most speciOus reasoning may be
nay, often is disproved by the facts. "
"But you must think she has some
know ledge Of the crimeg' said Burrows.