The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-03-01
THE DEATH TEST.

"It is a foul and bloody murder
and may God punish the one who dit
the deed! But may there not be som,
life remaining? May 1t not be in m,
power 10 rob the grave? It is a dan
gerous undertaking. and II am fount
here shall most certainly be accused
of the crime"
He drew back few steps from tn,
corpse, upon which he had come sud
denly and unexpectedly, and looked
around. Without noticing his patti
he had journeyed to the bottom of &
deep ravine before his progress wal
arrested. High hills rose upon either
side. covered with a heavy growth o,
timber and tangled underbrush. A
little stream found its way with grea,
difficulty through the rocks at the bot.
tom, and its waters were never gildet
by single ray of sunshine.
The corpse was that OF girl wht
must have been under 20 years, and tn,
face was one Of more than common
beauty. The figure was tall and deli.
cately proportioned. The clothing
now torn and stained, was of fine ma.
terial and the discoloration OF the
neck, ears, fingers and wrists--ths
piece torn from the bosom of the dresi
and the pockets turned outward-told
that robbery as we'll as murder had
been committed. The marks upon the
base of the skull, caused apparently
by heavy blows from a sharp stone
seemed sufficient to have produced
death alone, but, in addition to them
blood was slowly oozing from ant
congealing upon several wounds, IL
one of which a knife was still sticking
with this knife" he said, giving
utterance to his thoughts as he drew
out the weapon, II could even thui
kill all my enemies, make myself rich
and l.
The sentence was never finished
Before 1t could be dozen men, whe
had been watching and creeping near.
sprang out of the bushes and pinioned
him beyond the power of resistance,
Taken beside the corpse, with the
blood-dripping knife in his hand, what
could he say in defense?
His defense must be made at another
time and place, and in truth he was
thinking more of the corpse of the
murdered girl than OF his own desper.
ate situation, and, drawing himself up
proudly, he asked that she might be
cared for.
Whatever may be your purpose
with me-" he said, "at least see II there
is not life yet remaining. Take your
hands off and let me see II my skill
cannot be of some avail. am O ply.
| sician."
Scowling brows and clenched fists
were the only answer he received.
| They paid not the slightest attention
to his words, except it might be to
grasp him even more firmly than be-
fore and hurry him before a neighbor-
ing justice to be examined and exhib-
tied as monster! But he had the sat
| isfaction, If indeed it could be called
by that name, to learn who the sup
| posed victim of his murderous knife
was; that her name was Ethel Loring;
| that she was comparatively a stranger,
upon visit to an old uncle who lived
near the scene of the tragedy: that
she was an orphan and rich In her
own right that she was known to
wear costly jewelry and carry with
her considerable sum of money (all
| Of which was missing), and that she
had gone out to take walk alone and
was found as described. These facts,
together with his having been deteot-
ed bending over the body with q
knife in his hand, and that in his pock-
cts was found about the same sum of
money and of the same description as
that known to have been In the pos
session of the murdered girl, were
dwelt upon by the prosecuting attor.
ney with remarkable force, and the
| prisoner saw that 1t was next to use.
less to attempt defense.
To all questions he replied In O
simple and truthful manner, statins
that his name was Alonzo Martin, his
age 25; that he was by profession O
physician, unmarried, possessed ot
some means: that a love of geology
had led him thither. As for his being
the murderer of the girl, he denied II
in the most emphatic manner, and ex-
planned how he came to be bending
over the body with the bloody knife
in his hands.
you will deny next" sneered the
attorney, that you threatened to kill
all your enemies in the same manner. -
Il heard him distinctly" volunteer
ed strong, rough-looking man, who
was said to have been among the first
If not the first, to discover the murder
who had guided others there, and had
been the most willing and strenuous
in his testimony against him.
"It is case that might happen @
thousand times" was the reply; "but
permit me to ask II she is indeed
dead?"
"You will soon see." growled the
stiff-necked justice; see more than
you want to-"
IF dead | have no wish to look up.
ON her again. The horrible sight
have had is fully sufficient, and have
seen enough of death not to be curious
in such matters"
mo doubt of it! Murder and rob,
berry is your trade!"
"The old uncle Of the murdered gi.
stepped to the side of the justice, and
they had short whispered converse.
tion, but evidently an important one
The nuInnrt Of IL was saan mn d.