Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-06-15

our mutual Investigations Of last night,
and have come to the conclusion that it
cannot harm my proceedings to en-
deavor to remove false impression
from your minds in regard to Mr..
Whidby's actions when hypnotized by
the criminal. l could have told you the
truth last night but was not quite
ready to do So"
"You don't think he was made to do
the deed?'' asked DR.. Lampkin.
HE didn't" broke in Miss Dclmar.
excitedIy. Il don't see how anyone
could think so for moment"
| Hendricks smiled. That's the way
i like to hear it expressed" he said to
tho young lady. "1f you had been pres
ent last night, Miss Dehnar, you would
not have let them think so."
"How are you going to prove it?"
asked Col. Warrenton, hopefully. Don't
make any mistake this time. Much de-
ponds on it. WILDLY has been fretting
his heart out over the horrible idea"
MAY we 60 into Mr.. Whidby's room
now?" asked Hendricks. "Atiss Del
mar may come also. I can explain things
better to ladies than to men,"
Warrenton opened the door. Ser
tainly; the room has been put to rights.
Come on
Now" began the detective, when
they had entered Whidby's room, "ws
won't indulge in SO much realism as to
have the colonel representing the dead
man, nor Mr.. WILDLY playing the role
of peaceful sleeper, out Of respect for
Miss Delmar's nerves; for, while she
would really make better detective
than any one of you, she is only
woman, after all, and we won't make
the picture any more gruesome than is
necessary. For our purpose we will
simply imagine that the other room
contains a sleeper, and that Mr.. Wild
i by is reclining on this bed. Now, DR..
Lampkin. when Mr.. WILDLY was hyp-
Noticed last night and you made him,
get up, did you notice whether his right
hand was closed or open?"
/! II did not" replied the doctor, with a
sudden start and then q questioning
stare into Hendricks face.
"Then you could not tell whether
he had knife in his hand when he got
up on the fatal night or not2"
"Ah! No. i was fool not to think
OF that; but could not watch every
thing. One has to concentrate his mind
on single idea to hypnotic success
fully"
"Quite right, doctor; but, having my
eyes we'll open last night, though I
did have to look through slit in that
screen over there, observed that Mr..
WILDLY, before getting up, seemed to
be trying to push something away from
him. It was a knife the murderer was
trying to give him. And finally when
Mr.. WILDLY did get out of bed his hand
was not closed"
"Ahl I see," cried DR.. Lampl<in. 81
was very stupid"
"Not at all, returned the detective,
with a laugh. II make a great many
mistakes, and sometimes my mistakes
help me to get on the right track in
the end. That was one point you
missed. Here is the other. Come over
to this window. Do you see anything
unusual here?"
II examined it early this morning"
broke in COL Warrenton, putting on his
eyeglasses, "but to save my life I could
not guess what you We're looking at
last night"
The detective put his finger on the
window-sill.
| Don't you see that little craclS?"
/ "Plainly now," said DR.. Lampkin;
"but 1t means nothing to me-"
Hendricks looked around at the circle
Of faces.
"After failing to put the knife into
Mr.. Whidby's hand, the murderer stuck
it-a big one it was, too-right here,
with the handle up; then he stood away
and tried to make Mr.. WILDLY go to
it and take it. He failed three times.
You remember how Mr.. WILDLY would
slowly draw near the window and then
go back? Well, that is the explanation.
The hypnotist could not control his
subject sufficiently. What did he do
next? He made Mr.. WILDLY sit on
the side of the bed, just as he did last
night, you know, for about ten min
utes. Then he took the knife himself
hastily, perhaps angrily, for you notice
the wood is splintered little. If he
had been perfectly cool lie would have
drawn it out carefully. He was vexed
over his failure to control Mr.. WILDLY
His next move was to hypnotic Mr.
Strong into merry mood, and then
he committed the deed.
"Hyhat did he do after that? To me
1t is as plain as the nose on mans
face, for made a thorough eyamina.
ton of that corner last night. He stood
there with his dripping knife in his
hand and succeeded in controlling Mr.
! WILDLY to the extent of making him
go into the other room. He made him
touch the murdered mans throat anc
return to bed. His plan was to max,
! Mr.. WILDLY sleep till he was foune
next morning with signs of guilt or
him. But, as you know, the cook, who
usually called the two men in the morn
, ing. was absent Mr.. Wildly slept til
late, walked of his own accord, anc
} summoned the police with such an APP
pearance of innocence that he was mo-
: arrested"
I'VE are delighted, and very grateful
TO you, Mr.. Hendricks" said Col War
: renton, when the detective had con
Guided. I'm sure it has taken a load of
the minds of this young couple"
y can only say that am 50 happ,
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