Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-05
cd avenue to the house, and proceeded
ut once to the fatal bridal chamber.


NHA-AH EN- AA
Here all paused In the center Of the
room and looked around. A feeling Of
deadly faintneSs came Over the strong
est man present. Had the body Of the
victim only been missing. there had
been no proof of crime. But there was
no MISLEADING tine awful language OF
those bloody tokens! Murder had been
done! And there had but too evidently
been a violent and protracted struggle
between the victim and the assassin!
The overturned chairs. the dressing ia
BILE wrenched from its place. the white
draperies Of the room rent away by the
clutch Of crimson fingers. the blood
sprinkled walls, the blood-stained floor.
all cried aloud to earth and heaven OF
the desperate struggle for life that had
preceded the violent death.
The magistrate stood dumb with hor-
ror and amazement for some minutes.
Mr.. E~rlingford was the first 10 break
the spell.
Here has been no silent assassina-
tion. She was rot murdered IL her
sleep, nor ever in her bed. You all per-
ceive that that has not been disturbed!
She was evidently first struck while sit
ting in that easy chair. previous to re-
firing! She must have been struck from
behind, and. In starting up violently.
overturned her chair! And observe how
we can track her steps by the blood. as
she fed for life from the chair 10 that
door, from the door to the dressing ia
bile. from the dressing table to the win
dow! STE the prints of her small fin
gers on the curtains rs she graSped
them! Oh! here must have been a fear
full struggle. before life was Yielded
here must have been heavy falls and
piercing shrieks that We're heard all
over the house. Did no one hear
them?' inquired the young magistrate.
in conclusion.
mo. sir: / did not" answered each
one that was present
Miss Powers. did rot hear no dis
turbance in the nightT"
"None. but a very slight noise in
front of the house below my windows,
which might have been made by Il cat
passing"
"Yet. judging by these signs. the con
fict must hc re been loud and alarming!
Where do you sleep. Miss Powers"
'In the room above this"
''Do you sleep soundiy?"
Il usually do; but last night I was
and wakeful. or I should not
have heard the slight sound that / did.
/ am sure If there had been such a
struggle as you speak Of. I should have
heard it. for I did not get to sleep until
nearly sunrise"
Does any one sleep in the roons be-
low these?"
mo. sir; they are the drawing
rooms"
"NVho sleeps on this fioor?"
no one but Col. Greville and his
wife, that wasr" andswered Miss Hit,
with a burst of weeping, for her nerves
had been quite overtasked.
"And you tell us. sir" said the mag,
~istrate, turning and addressing himself
the night In your wife's chamber last
nightg'
II did not moaned FuIke Greville.
"Will you tell us where you did pass
it," significantly inquired ErlingfoIj.
I'm my own dressing room"
"Humph! But. passing over for the
present, the singularity of the circuIn-
stance of your doing so. allow me TO
ask-does your dressing commune
cate with this Chamber
OtEtIIltll. tllOtSu iAltlt 10 IA I
vening apartment-my wife's dressing
room: but all communicate by doors,
my chamber being the back n of the
suite"
"And you say that. with enc in
~terven!Dg between you, you heard no
unusual noise that night?'
"Not the slightest"
"Humph! Look around upon these
es-~. - ,r~In ord xinlrpnN on. tall
me il you think such a desperate con
hearing it-without every one in the
house being aroused by it"
"No: certainly no,. The Eoise that
must have attended such a struggle
must have been loud enough to have
aroused the heaviest sleeper in the re-
mctest part of the building"
Then how do you account for the
fact that neither yourself. who was re-
person In the house, seems to have
heard any unusual sound?'
II cannot account in any manner for
anything that has occurred in this fatal
event" replied the colonel, in despair.
"Iet Mrs. Greville's maid be called
up said Mr.. Erlingford.
n ultSScuSeI StdIttI III scJiCu VI htt.
But here the elder magistrate spoke
up:
1T seems to me. Erlingford. that we
are proceeding very %irregularly in the
investigation of this affair. There has
been a most heinous and atrOciOus muir
der perpetratod, and we are proceeding
10 examine the servants Of the house,
by taking their mere statements. unsup-
ported by oath. This should not be-"
Il beg your pardon. sir; You have had
more experience on the bench than my
self. Pray take the direction Of the in
yestigation ard conduct it rs you gee
fit. / will give you all Che assistance in
nv power.:'' replied Erlingford.
Major Burns picked up the overturned
easy chair. drew it TO a writing table
and seated himself, saying to Ole of the
c~cnstahles:
"Mix, you can play the clerk upon
this occasion. Take pen and ink and
rake notes of the present condition OF
this chamber and it's furniture"
Mix seated himself. pen in hand, and
began carefully to glance around and
carefully 70 take notes.
The magistrate, turning to the other
constable. said: