Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-27
CHAPTER II.
SEEKING FOR CLEWS,

front door shut by the squire as ne ana
Lewis went out. Then Mr.. Barnes said:
"Well, Tom, you are in luck-a mys-
terious murder, which will, in my judg-
ment, require much skill to discover the
truth. Come, now, tell me where you
would begin?"
81 have found clew already" qui-
etly remarked Burrows.
"Goodp' said Mr.. Barnes, well
pleased at his pupils shrewdness.
"That is better than I expected. What
is it?'
81 think that the murderer fired from
the outside through this window. y
Burrows indicated a window opening
on the lawn to the east. ''You see that
there is hole through the center pane.
That it is of recent origin is evidenced
by the broken glass on the carpet, which
also shows that the bullet came from
without, since the pieces have fallen
inward"
"Very we'll reasoned, Tom, as far as
the time and origin of the shot go,
but you have jumped to one conclusion
not as yet warranted. Mr.. Barnes
went to the window and examined it
closely. 'You started by saying just
now that the murderer fired from out
side. That is where you have gone be-
yond your evidence. This pane of glass
with that hole and the fragments on
the floor probably attest the passage of
a bullet, but there is nothing as yet to
hill OF hxy
murderer.
"Why, who else could have fired it?''
II have heard that physicians make
diagnosis sometimes by exclusion, but
it is a dangerous plan for q detective.
Look again, and you will note that it is
the lower sash which has the broken
pane. Being raised as it is, the upper
sash is between it and the point from
which you argue that your pistol was
fired. This proves conclusively"-
''That the lower sash his been raised
since the shot was fred" interrupted
Burrows. "You see, I have thought OF
that. I argue this way: Mr.. Lewis was
standing in the room when he was
struck by the ball. He turned and
threw up the sash, endeavoring to dis
cover the identity of his assailant.
Then he staggered from the window
and fell a few feet away, as we find
him, with his head in the fireplace. "
''It is, of course, possible. But as he
is in his nightdress it is curious that
he should have been in this room where
ho
suspect, could fire upon him. There is
another chance, which is that some one
has opened that window this morning.
Now, looking out, what do we see?'
"a summer house directly opposite, "
said Burrows. "A most convenient
place for man to hide in and shoot his
victim as he passed in front Of a light
in room at night"
II see," said Mr.. Barnes, "what we
may be most grateful for, and that is
fresh snow. We must extend our inves-
tigation presently in the direction OF
the summer house and search for foot
prints"
He then turned toward the body. 1t
was lying Oh the right side, thus plain
" exposing mass of blood which sur
rounded the wound. The burned con-
dition of the head, owing to its proxim-
ity to the fire, has been mentioned.
There was upon one finger a massive
gold ring set with diamonds, which
ring, Mr.. Barnes thought, would nee
essarily be known to the dead mans
family, and besides he found the name
"John Lewis" embroidered upon the
nightdress.
''Evidently not the work Of bur-
glar," he remarked, pointing to the
diamond ring.
"No," replied Burrows, "for here on
the mantel are handsome gold watch
and chain"
"Notice, Tom, that he is in his night
Dress In connection with later discov-
cries that may prove very significant
fact. At present it puzzles me, for l
cannot see why a man should be so
dressed in his parlor and murdered
without sign of any struggle. The
latter fact seems to strengthen your the
ory."
"There is q door," said Burrows.
"Let US see if it leads into his bedroom.
In that event, he may have come here
for any trivial purpose and so have af-
forded the murderer the opportunity for
which he was waiting" "
The younger man led the way, fol-
lowed by Mr.. Barnes. He opened the
door and both entered, when they at
once started back surprised. A young
woman was sitting at writing desk,
a small upright cabinet. with one of the
drawers open. This she hastily closed
as the two men appeared. There was
also letter, sealed and addressed, ly-
ing on the desk, which she nervously
concealed in the bosom of her dress as
she hurriedly rose and turned toward
the intruders. This last motion caused a
small object to drop from her lap and
roll half way across the room, where it
rested. The eyes of all three were at
tracted toward it. The woman moved
forward to recover it, but Mr.. Barnes,
thinking it thimble, with a quick
"Allow me-" stopped and picked it up.
f16 WAS dUUuG " ISIuIu IL "ucIi, SQli-
denly realizing what it was, he looked
the woman straight i'll the eyes, still
holding the object between his thumb
and forefnger, and said
Madam, pardon me. You are, / pre-
sumo, Miss Virginia Lewis:"
"That is my name. But who are you,
and why do you enter my apartmei t
unannounced?"
II assure you that when we entered