Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-10-04
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER v.
"who has the key to the attic Of the
house?" asked the detective, when they
had descended from the piazza.
Miss Hattie, master; she asked me for
II Yesterday morning."
..Is there more than oneY"
NO. master, only de one."
Come round here on the east side of
the house Is that you. CalbanY'
.'Yes, Mars Lang, it's Calban."
'No one has left the house, save those
Sou know
"No. Mars Lang.
Now, Hannah, who murdered your
master?"
Il don't know that, Mars Lang"
You do know who rang the door bell;
but DO you mean when Robert Campbell
sounded it?'
-"No. Mars Lang, no. diden know Mars
Robert was in de house till after l heard
de bell: but he must have been, for 1t was
he that went to de door. and not five min
utes after, when l went to de door of de
library, dar he stood. with de bloody knife
in his hand, and Mars Herman 'cusing
him of murderin' master"
Was that the first you knew Of his be-
ing in the hOuse?"
wait, Mars Lang. l had been dozin'
in de kitchen. Millie had gone upstairs to
bed and when / wake up I thought I'd
see if ole master had gone to bed, and put
out de lights in de hall. You see, l know
ed. unc' Duke had gone to bed, so passed
through the dining room and out into the
hall. Somehow, happen to look up. l
spose / was lookin' at de hangin' lamp:
but | seed someone standin' on de stairs,
about five steps down. Da had on long
white night gown. At first, thought it
was Miss Hattie; but then I seed it was
too tall and big for her, and de hair on
he head was too black and short. l was
jest about TO speak when de person on de
stairs bent ober, sideways like, and reach
ed out one arm. and wild de hand seized
hole of de wire dat leads to de bell at de
lower end of de hall and pulled it. He
pulled it several times. and as he was
bent ober. saw his face"
1T was'the face of Herman Craven"
"Yes, Mars Lang, and he was as white
as death. I diden know what to do. A
tremblin' seized me. and l was that skeer-
ed l LAX. to fell down. Suddenly, heard
ole masters voice, and someone started
for de door from de library. l thought it
was ole master. Mars Herman had dodg-
ed back upstairs, and 1 ran through de
dining room and into de Kitchen"
.sThen you did not see Herman Craven
descend the stairsY'
mo, Mars Lang. Mars Herman was il
his night shirt, and he ran back after he
had pulled de bell wire"
Did he see you, Hannah?'
Il can't be certain; but don't think he
did, Mars Lang"
IF ne did, your life may be in peril,
not that he would fear your testimony,
but that you might give me information.
You must be on your guard, and watch
him closely. You must never be alone
never leave the house by yourself. He
must have committed this murder"
How could he, Mrs. Lang? l haden
been back in de kitchen no time when l
heard a groan. 1 ran back to de dinin'
room door. and was standin' there trem-
blin', when Mars Robert pushed open de
front door and run in. He was bare
headed, and lodged back, as he entered
de library door. The next thing I heard
his cry: Help! Murder" then l hear Mars
Herman knock on Miss Hattie's door and
call her, and saw them come down stairs
together"
Robert Campbell, you say, pushed open
the front door and ran in? 1t must have
been unfastened. then"
The door was standin' ajar, Mars
Lang. lax he left it. when he went out to
see who was dar."
Then you do not think Herman de-
scended the stairs after you saw him
pulling the wire, until after the murder
had been committed!"
80 'No, Mars Lang, he hadn't time"
"Do you know when Herman entered
the house to-night?"
NO, but know he was in de library.
and | was in de dinn' room, when he pass
ed through de hall and went up to bed
How long was this before he pulled the
wire?"
'Oh, a long time, Mars Lang. before l
was dozin'-perhaps an hour"
Did you hear loud voices, as though
your master and Herman were Quarreling
tO-night?"
mo, Mars Lang. Ole master nebber
quarrel. He say what he mean, but he
nebber quarrel, and heard no loud voices
until heard Mars Roberts cries OF
.Hcip Murder!7
For a moment the detective stood ther,
in the darkness, in thoughtful silence
Suddenly he said: You know, Hannah
that it would not have taken Herman
Craven long to run down the stairs, strike
that blow and dash up them again."
II know that, master; but he couldn't
have done it. If he had already been
down stairs when de bell sounded, and hid
p In masters room, or in de library, he
might have had time after Mars ROber;
went 10 de door to have killed ole master
and dashed up de stairs before I heard
that grean and got back to de dining room
door. He didn't run up after that"
You forget" said Sellars, that II he is
the murderer of your master he was down
stairs at the time you heard that groan.'
He couldn't have been, Mars Lang
Mars Herman is not the murderer Of oh |
master''
Why did he pull the wire and sound !
the bell? He must have known that Rob |
ert was IN the house, and 1t must have
been for the purpose of calling him to the |
door"
EITHER he or old master, Mars Lang. /
lie must have thought had gone to bed
es, either Campbell or your master.
lou say that when you finally advanced
10 the library door Robert was standing |
with the bloody knife in his handT'
es and right over ole masters body. /
as though he had just pulled the blade
from his breast. There was blood on his
nand and sleeve, and horror on his face |
Aars Herman denounced him as master's
murderer, but Mars Robert did not kill ole
master He was not in the mouse when
silat blade was driven to his heart and ]
heard that cry"
Did you see anything of bag of coin /
"nen you entered the library, Hannah 2"
Nothing, Mars Lang
has Herman any personal friends,
wnom ne sometimes brings to the housei
1oung men, probably"
No. Mars Lang; none have ever ac-
co@papied him here"