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

was fired from without and by won
an, and you inclined to the belief tina
you knew the identity of that woman
What, then, do you think of this?" HI
handed Burrows beautiful silvei
mounted revolver, in the chambers OF
which were four loaded cartridges ano
one empty cartridge. The weapon had
apparently been recently fired. Burrows
looked at it moment in amazemenl
and then asked:
Where did you find this?"
"Outside of the summer house, lying
in the snow, just where i claim that
the woman stopped. Now you see what
meant when said could guess why
she did So But you have not seen all
yet There is name ON it. Read.
Burrows examined the butt more at
tentiyely, and there saw piece of plate
let into the stock, and neatly engraved
thereon the name, "Alice Marvel"
Mr.. Barnes, what do you make OF
that"
II think that some one had that pistol
last night and fired it. From other evil
dence that / have l should say it is a
circumstantial probability that Miss
Marvel herself was here last night and
fired her pistol"
''This is the second time you have
used that phrase, 'circumstantial prob
ability Won't you explain it?"
Certainly. We are considering a
case purely on circumstantial evidence
l have all my life made speciality of
such, and divide it into three grades,
according to the logical deduction which
it indicates The first of these call a
circumstantial possibility For exam
pie, had the wound in this case been
differently located it might have been
IA 'ciIcumstantial possibility that it
was suicide. Second, we have cir
cumstantial probability such as have
here and will explain. Third, the cir
cumstantial proof where the attendant
facts leave absolutely no room for
doubt is in my experience a rare thing I"
Il understand. Now will you tell me
why you think it q circumstantial preb-
ability that Miss Marvel was here and
fired the pistol?"
From the facts which have already
given yau 1 should say it was ques-
tion whGther she was here or whether
some one else had her pistol. But l
found another pistol.
THE deuce you didn
And this one," producing dupli-
cate of the one already shown, "also has
a name-Harry Lucas. Now follow my
argument. Squire Olney told us that
these two young people are sweethearts.
The tracks indicate that woman play
ed the spy on man who came to meet
another woman. The weapons bear the
names of man and his sweetheart Is
it not plain? Miss Marvel came to hear
what the other girl had TO say to her
lover, and he to her. {"
You are right" said Burrows ex-
citedly, land is it not equally evident
that the second woman is Miss Lewis?
Remember, the meeting was in her own
grounds. T"
II am more inclined to think so than
at first, though do not commit myself
yet. But there is another matter worth
considering. found Lucas weapon in
the snow at the point where l claim he
was attacked by the dog. There is also
little blood STAIN
"Ah, l see, you argue that he drew
his pistol and fired at the dog, and so
account for the empty shell there?"
Yes. But the blood stain is impor-
tant. think that came from wound
made by to dogs teeth. As the discol-
grafton is visible, although somewhat
covered, l believe the snow stopped
shortly after Thus l reckon that he
left about 0 O'Clock. The woman left
after the snow had ceased"
"You think Lucas shot at the dog
and dropped his pistol i'll the scrim-
mage. Do you think Miss Marvel shot
at the dog also3"
"That we must find out I have
shown you the probability of the case,
ending with the idea that both of these
pistols were fired at the dog. But there
is another aspect which you must not
utRltCb, anu lDus " wv
possibility. Remember that both Lu-
cas- and this girl. according 10 the
Squire's story. had threatened the dead
man. They hoth came here armed, al
unusual thing for a woman at all
events, Suppose that Lucas saw Lewis
through the window and shot at him.
The noise may have attracted the dog,
and thus that contest may have occur
red after the discharge of the weapon,
instead of before. Further, suppose that,
seeing that her lover had left, the girl
had also taken aim at the same target
One shot may have made the hole in the
ceiling, and the other may have reached
the mark "
"Why, this becomes more complicated
every minute. What about the pistol in
Miss Lewis room?"
Ali That is the problem. But,
come; we will 90 across the river"
Thereupon they proceeded to the boat
landing, marked l. in the diagram. and
crossed i'll light row boat, which they
found fastened at that place. On the