Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-07-20
CHAPTER VII

THE DETECTIVE UNFOIDS MS THEORY.
After a moment Fosdick resumed
Il went over the ground that Burke
had passed over on his way home that
night. | noticed the place where
search for some missing article appar-
emily had been made and agreed with
the sheriff that Burke, probably having
dropped one Of the little steel rods that
he had with him, had spent few mo
ments searching for it. Then l crossed
the river 10 the east pier and examined
the boat, with its paddock and chain,
which had not been disturbed since the
body of Burke was discovered. II
Burkc's death had resulted from an ac-
cident. as | now firmly believed, il
must have occurred near the river. That
was a fact admitting Of no dispute
This being true, il was almost certain
to have occurred either at the pier after
the boat was secured or between the
pier and the top Of the path passing
over the rocky ridge near 1t, for just
beyond that point the path to the OBJ
servatory turns eastward and does not
again approach very near t. the river.
This little stretch Of path, then, was
evidently the proper place for pursuing
my investigations Ny early eXarnina-
tions there were in a measure disap-
pointing / found That the path passing
over the ridge had on one side preci-
pice descending to the water. A stranger
passing in the dark might easily make
Il misstep and plunge down into the
river That was conceivable enough.
. lsfpora,tf He
was as familiar with the path az with
the geography Of his own room. II he
ia been intoxicated, he might have
walked of into the water, but so far as
we know Eurke was perfectly sober.
Indeed a man who could row across
the river and secure his boat properly
could hardly have been too intoxicated
to walk straight.
"In ascending the path Burke might
have suddenly grown dizzy and fallen
over. / considered this but the more ]
considered it the more improbable did
1t recm. II would be most difficult, II
not wholly impossible, for a wound in
the position and Of the description Of
that on Burke's skull TO be made by
the simple act Of his falling off the cliff
The descent is 80 sheer that n man los
ing his balance and falling would, IN all
probability, strike nothing in his pas
sage 10 the water below. At this time
/ could think Of no better solution to
the mystery than that, in sudden fit
| Of dcIncntia, Burke insanely dashing
| his head against the rocks above tho
| path, had made the wound In his head
and then topplcd over into the water
| and drowned did not believe this 10
| be II true solution, Of course, though /
| did propose b inquire if Burke was
| fubiect To attacks Of mental dcrange-
ment. Happily did not have TO.
Having examined the ground in tho
J locality Of the east pier, ] went up TO the
| observatory and talked for an hour Qr
| two WI tn Professor Gilman and others
| Among other things / learned that at
half past 10 on the night Of Burke's
| death "A brilliant meteor was seen in the
| sky, and that 80 eminent an astronomer
| as Professor Gilman here shrcwdly sus-
! uected that mcteorito had fallen in
| the vicinity Of the river. not far from
| the pier / returned 10 my hotel aud
chewed gum that afternoon. The pext
| day I made another examination Of the
rocks near the pier which proved en-
| tirely satisfactory. | went 10 the city
| that afternoon, and the following morn
| ing / had a subraarinc diver as work
under the cliff over which the patn from
the pier passes The diver brought up
aevcra! things of interest. This Is one Of
them.
! Tho detective took the slender steel
| rod in his hand, and holding IL up 10
| view said This is ono Of the rods that
were sold 10 Burke tho evening Cf his
! death. or. If not, il is exactly like II in
! every respect There is no reason to
| suppose that IL is not one Of the very
gnmc The presence of the steel at that
spot in the river convinced me beyond
all question, that that was the point
where Burke fell into the water. This
dark piece Of rock or mineral" tho do
tectivo lifted the larger Of the two pieces
as nc spoke -'eis, am told by Professor
| Gilman. a IuctcOritc. was reasonably
certain Of it before, but his statement
is all the confirmation that is needed.
II il one Of tho things that tho diver
brought up from the river bed under
the path on the cliff.
"Now, then, let me review some OF
the facts known tous Burke said good
by 10 Mr. Dobson Mt the hotel mt almost
exactly 10 O'Clock that evening There
il no doubt about the time, for Mr.
Dobson remembers setting his watch by
| Burhe's Just before the latter left lie
recalls the time with great distinctncsa
became. he tells. me. the town clock
struck 10 juat then. and hc remarked 70
| Burke that IL was minute fast 50 wo
| know that ut almost precisely o Burke
| left tho hotel The distance from 1t 10
the west pier Is about mile An Or