The Press., 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 50 different spots, but after a long dav's work it became certain that mo- 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 a ruin, but now he entered upon a 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 a dozen boys enter ed the house and clambered about, but as rule it was avoided as an uncanny place. Up to this time no one had hint ed at ghost or strange things, but that was to come.
 MT. 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 did not say, but he made up his mind 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. l bOlted at once, but the constable followed at my heels, and when Cummings joined us below he was pale and tremb bling. It was a queer sound we had heard, and after discuss ing it for spell the constable went for a MT. Hastings, who was a justice of the peace. Hastings arrived to ridicule our fears, and toge ther 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. It was agreed to keep the affair 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 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, tho floor was sinking and cobwebs hung from the corners. Queerly enough, access was had to the garret above through this, the best room in the house. There wGs the scuttle ill the ceiling, with the trapdoor shut down, and 1 wondered that had never taken notice of it before. Cummings had just remarked that he would like tC take a look up there ill the garret wher there came wailing. gurgling, sobbins sound which lasted for at least 15 sec onds Every one of us h.d the same ides about it. It sounded as if a hand hac | clutched a woman's S throat and chokec the life out of her.
 Thero was a move for the stairs, anc every one's face was as pale as death but Cummings made gesture whicl checked the retreat, and there was { | long minute of silence. Then there wa: heard what might have been called { death rattle--a queer sound to make the flesh creep. After it had died away Cummings said:
 | "GentIemen, murder has been done in this house. Let no one go away. Wt will get a ladder and take look into the garret. ''
 The constable fetched ladder, anC Cummings was first through the scuttle The garret was 40 feet long by 20 wide with the end windows broken out ant daylight and sunshine streaming in There were loose boards over the joists and the garret was the roasting place O. scores of pigeons. For two or three minutes nothing was to be seen. Ther | Cummings, who had made his way tC the west end of the garret, beckoned tt us and pointed to an object lying on tht | laths between the two end joists. was bundle of black mold and bones the skeleton of the missing woman She had been murdered iD the room be low and carried up there, and ont might have looked into the garret hundred times without discovering tht body. It had been there so long tha there was only dust and bones to b' gathered up and taken down for identi fication and burial. The murderer haC stripped the body of all clothing, bu on one finger had been left ring, whicl the brother had given her as a brida present. There was not the shadow of { doubt as to who the victim was, and sc great was the popular excitement oveI the ghastly noises and the dreadful finC that 100 men turned to and pulled tht ruins apart and made a big bonfire O. the last board. Steps were at once take1 to apprehend the murderer, and hi trail was followed for many months but to this day his crime is unpunished
 Iodine 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