Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-04
CHAPTER XIV.
For Mr.. SmitherS

1t has been Sholtc, Graham's inyari-
able custom since taking up the duties
of his new and renuneratiye appoint
ment to lock the GCor of his private
office on quitting it for the day, and
put the key in his pocket. He had not
departed from this usual course on the
day on which Sir Andrew Gwenap had
been brought home badly hurt and he
(Sholto) had tainted On hearing the
news.
Mr.. Graham'S private office was
approached by q staircase that led di-
rect from the street and that had no
communication excepting through his
room) with the offices occupied by the
second manager and the clerks. Ac
cess was had to these apartments
from the managers office through q
| doorway which opened into a long pas
sage. The staircase door was used
only by Mr.. Graham himself, except
ing on the rare occasions when Sir
Andrew Gwenap paid him q visit
On this day, it seemed, Sir Andrew
had been seen by the commissionaire-
who was always in waiting outside the
premises-pass up Mr. Graham's pri-
vate staircase. About an hour after
Mr.. Graham had cCme out alone, but
to this circumstance the commisso-
nare naturally attracted no impor-
lance, as he took it for granted that
! the mighty head of the houeo had gone
! out by way of the other offices. Ac-
| cOru,np1V he wac corci6ara hIx, c+or+lo5
| when shortly afterward a clerk came
| running out in frantic haste calling for
! assistance and declaring that awful
| groans and means were heard proceed
! ing from the managers private room.
! On the door from the long passage be-
| ing broken open Sir Andrew Gwenap
was found lying face forward on the
fender, with a frightful cash on his
| forehead.
Both doors, that onto the staircase
as well as the one into the passage,
were locked and at first this seemed n
suspicious circumstance to the police,
who had been instantly summoned by
the agigated clerk, until the latter
remembered that Sir Andrew had a
pass key which admitted him to every
room of the premises. This key was
afterward found in his pocket there
fore there could have been no difficulty
about his making his exit had he bea1
able to do so at an moment
At the time of the groans and means
being first heard there were only two
Of the firm left on the premises. One
was the clerk already mentioned, who
was at the time absorbed in the perusal
, of the days racing record. the list OF
| all the winners being, as he admitted
! of vital importance to him. he baino in
the habit of backing one Or two horses
nearly every day In the year. -
t other was the night porter, who was
} having his tea and reading a salvation
army tract in the kitchen, as a sort G
| antidote or corrective to Smithers
(the clerks pernicious studying of thu
Star
, When Sholto Graham recovered thos
:. facts were told to HIM by the constable
= in the presence of the doctor who haS
O brought him cut OF his swoon, and Il
+ his dispairing horro~ the brief nara
: ton was scarcely ended before the con
: stable told him it would be necessar.
to arrest him on suspicion of beini
, concerned in the circumstances whic'
: seemed likely to result in Sir Andrey
Gwenap's death
. In vain he inveigneG with hysterica
: almost feminine-veheme agains
: the heinously gross injustice Of tn
q fact. In vain his sister implored, en-
L..
The arm of the law was rigid. Appear