The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-05-26

door beneath the stoop opened, a chain
ratified against an iron gate, and a wom-
an half clad and with hair disheveled
came out amidst heap of garbage and
ash barrels and glared up at them.
"What do We want?' she asked crust
lily.
I'VE have an appointment with a Mr..
Farleigh, who has room here, | think"
Hendricks replied.
"a purity time o. night for it" snarled
the woman. But promised the gin
tleman to Jet ye in, an so, if yen wait
till l come up, I'll open the door"
In a minute she admitted them,
"Ye was tO go up TO his room-the top
floor froat; ye can't miss it, l would
go up ahead O. ye, but I'm that stiff
that"
Wen get there all right" Hendricks
interrupted, passing her "We won't
be long. Would you mind leaving the
door unlocked?"
Not at all, sir" she replied. The de-
tective thanked her, and went up the
stairs.
The door of the room in the front, on
the top floor, was closed. There was a
transom over il, but no light shone
through. Hendricks knocked and wait
ed. Then he put his hands on the latch.
As he did so, DIR. Lampkin drew his re-
volver.
Hendricks laughed grimly. Put it
up" he muttered. "You won't need
it"
The door was not fastened. Hen
bricks pushed it open, and as he did so
some strips of cotton batting fell to the
floor from the side and the top. The
room was very dark. The outside blinds
had been closed, and the curtains drawn,
so that no light came in from the street
below nor from the moon above.
The detective struck match, and
| lighted the gas near the door. The vel
low glare filled the room and revealed
a gruesome sight. A bed stood in the
righthand corner, aud on his side, his
face to the windows, lay the body of
man. A 44-caliber, old-style pistol had
been tied to the back of chair in such
"a way that the muzzle was within three
inches of a dark hole in the mans tenn
pie.
Original ideal" was Hendricks first
| observation. He pointed 10 faint line
of ashes from the chair, across the bare
| floor, to the airhole of little stove in
the fireplace.
81 can't understand it, said DR..
Lampkin, STOPPING to examine the ashes.
Hendricks opened the door of the
stove.
II have never seen this method be-
fore" he said, reflectively. "The line
Of ashes was made by a fuse running
from the tube of the pistol to candle
in the stove. See, here are the remains
| of the wick, and some of the tallow.
The fuse was fastened in the end of the
candle; he lit it, closed the door of the
stove, to keep the light from disturbing
him. and lay there waiting for it to
burn down to the fuse and thus fire the
pistol. 1t must have been his intention
to have death come upon him while he
was asleep"
my God! what an ideal" exclaimed
DR.. Lampkin. Il. see. He calculated
on painless death by hypnotizing him
self to sleep"
Can it be done?" asked Hendricks.
Hardly" the doctor replied. II don't
think the creature was ever born who
could, in that way, put himself to sleep
while facing eternity, especially after
committing a crime. His conscience
would not allow it." DR.. Lampkin bent
| forward, and made close examination
of the dead mans features. Poor fell
low!" he said. "He evidently tried to
sleep. l think he wanted to be found
with a smile on his face. But he failed.
Even in death he shows the awful dread
he must have had. There is no doubt
| that he mentally suffered. Do you
know what friend of mine is doing?
| He is making a study of the features of
the dead, for the purpose of scientifical
| ly proving to people who don't believe
in the immortality of the soul that
there is future life. He say3 if only
/ our sight were educated sufficiently we
could read on the faces of dead people
expressions that could not be put there
by mortal hought-eXpression that
are formed just as the awakened soul
! is leaving the body. / agree with him
that it is a great field for study. He
is an artist, and has painted the strong
est picture that l have ever seen. 1t is
the living face of a man distorted by
the worst of human passions and by its
| side is the same face, after death, wear
ing the spiritual expression / men
| toned"
II hope" Hendricks remarked, with a
shudder, as he glanced at the dead
mans features, 'your friend would not
argue that the horrible expressions on
the faces of some suicides would prove
that-that they have no-chance, you
| know"
Not at ALL replied the doctor. "He
says the soul is simply separated from
the body 50 hastily that there is no time
for it to leave its real expression. But
we are certainly en- gruesome subject.
| suppose Farleigh used the cotton bat
ting to close up the chinks in the door,
to deaden the sound of the pistol"
Hendricks nodded, lowered the gas,
end led his friend down to the street.
He hastily explained to the policeman
what had happened, and told him to
stand guard at the place till he could
summon the coroner.
II suppose you are going to notify the
coroner the first thing you do" OBJ
served DIR. Lampkin, as they were en-
tering a telegraph Office on Broadway.