Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-27

she has just effected her purpose, that
being suddenly confronted by the an
nouncement that detectives are already
on the scent-what wonder, / say, tina
her eye should instinctively seek tn
place where she had hidden the pistol
especially when she knew that l hat
the empty shell between my fingers
But, as I said before, she is on he'
guard low, and whatever she wishes II
conceal from US we shall need all ou!
skill to discover. She will determine
on a plan of action and adhere to it
Would we not have the key to th'
mystery if we could learn her reason
for acting as she has?"
"Not necessarily, though of course i
might be so. For example, suppose sh'
has committed the crime herself?"
"Why, do you suspect her already9"
mo I should not make so serious
charge against woman, even to my
self, on so little evidence. Nevertheless
in case like this, we must consider al
things as possible. By her anxiety II
destroy a clew she proves that she doe
not wish the murderer to be known
This may be accounted for in two ways
First, that she would hide her owl
guilt, and, second, that she might b'
shielding some one else"
THAT some one else must be one II
whom she is deeply interested" sait
Burrows, thinking over Mr.. Barnes
proposition. Then suddenly, US the ides
came to him: "What if it be her lover
young Marvel? He would have motive
for killing Lewis.
Mr.. Barnes smiled approvingly at hi
companions quick perception of wha
he himself was thinking, but he replied
"Not so fastl We have nothing
against him yet except the motive.
Many a man may have good and strong
reasons for wishing another dead an:
yet not stain his hands with blood. Be
sides. remember that the same motives
which you attribute -Larvel might
equally well actuate the woman who
loves him. However, at present l dc
not think that Miss Lewis committed
the crime"
"If not she and not Marvel, whom,
then, do yor suspect"
81 must have more evidence befc re ]
suspect any one 1t is different thing,
however, to think one mot guilty, and
at present believe Miss Lewis is inno-
'ent. Later may find in her the Grim
hal, but I cannot think so yet"
"Surely you are not Influenced by heI
sex; you are not going to be sentimen'
tal-you, a detective?"
Mr.. Barnes smiled family. He was
amused and yet little troubled at his
ccmpanion's ardor. Why should not q
detective have sentiment? Because it is
his business to seek out and punish the
criminal, must he necessarily be with.
out heart? He could not accept such q
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 net so with Mr.. Barnes. He
had heart, and this very fact, though
unrecogpized by his superiors, made
him the keenest man in the employ OF
the Pilkingtons. He did not work sim.
ply to fit 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 be made
to suffer through the accident Of impli-
eating circumstances.
Replying to Burrows, he said:
"No, 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 it points The evidence itself is
always dumb witness Of the truth. Un.
fortunately our ability or skill too often
fails to connect it. Now I will tell you
why I think Miss Lewis innocent.
lit is plain, from the charred condi-
tion Of the body, 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 q
hurried flight from the scene Of the
crime, she might have returned later tc
recover it.
"But, while I consider her person
of great will power-from physical
standpoint quite capable Of conceiving
and executing murder-yet, having
done the deed and accidentally having
left her weapon, doubt her having
the nerve power to return for it after
several hours had passed. She might
within short period Of time, but in
that case the cleaning would have oc'
CURED then and not have been left fo1
the morning, for had she premeditated
the killing she would also have premed.
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. u
"But you must think she has some
knowledge of the crime?" said Burrows.
my theory is this" replied Mr..
Barnes. miss Lewis entered this room
this morning, perhaps opened the win
dow, and then discovered the dead body,
the weapon and perchance more-at any
rate, enough to make her suspect young
Marvel. Here let me point out that the
fact that she does 10 is not suficien,
reason for our suspecting him. 1t was
not necessary for her to know him guilty