The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-01-20

bricks and was lying at the bottom OF
the pond. When the satchel was found,
Cummings felt sure he was on the right
track, and the rear yard of the inn was
explored Men dug into the ground in
so different spots, but after a long
DAVIS work it became certain that no.
body had been buried there. The barns
had never been rebuilt after the fire.
Cummings hired a dozen men and had
the debris removed, but still the search
was unsuccessful. He had previously
gone over the house, which was little
better than ruin, but now he entered
upon closer investigation. The win
dows had been broken, doors carried
away, and the leaky roof had let in the
storms until the floors were rotten
Now and then half dozen boys enter
ed the house and clambered about, but
as a rule it was avoided as an uncanny
place. Up to this time no one had hint
ed at a ghost or strange things, but that
was to come.
Mr.. Cummings, a constable and my
self entered the old inn one evening
after supper to make thorough search.
What the brother expected to find he
that his sister never left Birnley alive.
My persistency in declaring that she
did not go away with her husband and
the fact that the husband left at such an
unusual hour probably gave Cummings
the idea that she had been made away
with during the night
On entering we mounted to the second
story and entered the room the couple
had occupied that night We were
standing still and gazing about when
there suddenly came sound as of wo-
man sobbing. ] bolted at once, but the
constable followed at my heels, and
when Cummings joined US below he
was pale and trembling. 1t was a queer
sound we had heard, and after discuss
ing it for a spell the constable went for
a Mr.. Hastings, who was a justice Of
the peace. Hastings arrived to ridicule
our fears, and together the four of us
went up to the room. It was not yet
dark outdoors, but very gloomy up there.
The justice walked about, knocking and
rapping with his cane, and perhaps ten
minutes had passed when we heard a
noise as of slippered feet crossing the
floor, followed by gurgling and sobbing.
The sounds were SO real and at the same
| time so uncanny that the four of us
made for the stairs at once. When we
had got safely down, Cummings said
the noises had been produced by the
wind and wanted to go back, but no
one would go with him. 1t was agreed
| to keep the affair a secret and inspect
the house next morning, and after break
fast our number was increased to six.
The two others were merchants of the
town, and they had a hearty laugh at
| the way we had been driven out
At half past o'clock in the morning
we gathered in that room. Most of the
plaster was off, the floor was sinking
and cobwebs hung from the corners.
| Queerly enough, access was had to the
| garnet above through this, the best room
in the house. There was the scuttle in
the ceiling, with the trapdoor shut
| down, and l wondered that had never
taken notice of it before. Cummings
had Just remarked that he would like tc
take look up there in the garnet when
there came wailing, gurgling, sobbing
sound which lasted for at least Is Sec
onds. Every one of US hid the same idea
about it, 1t sounded as if a hand had
clutched a Woman's throat and choled
the life out Of her.
There was move for the stairs, and
every ones face was as pale as death,
but Cummings made gesture which
checked the retreat, and there was q
long minute of silence. Then there was
heard what might have been called q
death rattle--a queer sound to make the
flesh creep. After it had died away
Cummings said:
Gentlemen, murder has been done
in this house. Let no one go away. We
will get ladder and take look into
the garrett. -
The constable fetched ladder, and
Cummings was first through the scuttle.
The garnet was 40 feet long by 20 wide,
with the end windows broken out and
daylight and sunshine streaming in.
There were loose boards over the joists,
and the garnet was the roosting place Of
scores of pigeons. For two or three
minutes nothing was to BIZ seen. Then
Cummings, who had made his way tC
the west end Of the garnet, beckoned tc
US and pointed to an object lying on the
laths between the two end joists. Il
was bundle of black mold and bones
the skeleton of the missing woman
She had been murdered in the room be-
low and carried up there, and one
might have looked into the garnet g
hundred times without discovering the
body. 1t had been there so long that
there was only dust and bones to be
gathered up and taken down for identi
fication and burial The murderer hao
stripped the body of all clothing, but
on one finger had been left a ring, which
the brother had given her as a bridal
present. There was not the shadow of q
doubt as to who the victim was, and sc
great was the popular excitement ovel
the CHASTITY noises and the dreadful fine
that 100 men turned to and pulled the
ruins apart and made big bonfire Of
the last board. Steps were at once taken
to apprehend the murderer, and his
trail was followed for many months,
but to this day his crime is UNPUBLISHED.
iodine as Detective.
Another use has been found for the
Vapor of iodine. This is the discovery of
alterations in manuscripts Professor
Bruylats Of Louvain, the discoverer Of
the process, noticed that when a sheet
of paper which had been sized and fin
ished was moistened and, after being
thoroughly dried, exposed to the vapor
of iodine the part which had been
moistened became violet, while the I'm.
moistened portion became brownish vel
low.
1t appears that when a manuscript
has been altered both the nature and
extent of the alteration can be deter
mined by the use of iodine vapor. Those
parts which have been rubbed become