The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-01-18
cHAPTER /.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CHAPTER ].
TEE ssoUTH AUDLEY STREET MURDER.
Duncan Brett, commander r. N,
anwillingIy confess that the complica-
lions which arose ont OF the Mayfair
murder were all caused in the first In
stance By my pitiakle lack of nerve
believe am fairly plucky under or
dirary circumstances. Once they gave
ne tie y. e. and though should not
have mentioned this except as last
resort think It is due TO myself here
10 bring forward some sort of certif-
cate Of character to you who are stran-
gers TO me. It was, I say, in large meas
me my fault, because il I had not lost
my head the greater part Of the trouble
need never have happened bat my
nerves we're upset by seeing the wretch
ed woman as she lay huddled dead
Epen the pavement. and the sight OF
Menton standing crouched. like q man
horror struck, above her, made up q
shock uader which think few would
have remained unmoved.
For q full minute ntood there
watching him in silent horror, he the
whils eying rne with frightened side
long gaances, but without speech. Then
N,ords came from me like q torrent.
so Gody I .hlurtsd ont 8 Eou
haYa Murdered herl You devil. you
hava killed the womanl What have you
done Il for?''
George Fsnton rose srom the body.
facing me.
Great beaVensp' be, cried. You
he.e, Duncan? You saw lne:'
How could help its What unlucky
sate brought me here to looE at your
ghastly work do not know, but here
am, and there is no getting over it. :
Eenton stared at me heavily without
speaking, and then his eyes wandered
Of my face to something he held In his
hand something Of metal with the
glstterm glass at the end Of it. In q
dim way seemed to remember having
seem the thing before myself, but could
not renoiiact when orwhere. Twill own
that Twas TOO confused TO think clearly.
and while my mind was still hunt
ing.dulIy fcr some memory OF the object
ia Georges hand he Strengthened him
self with a sobbing gasp, and then, cry
ing like a frightened child, he ran away
into the night.
watched him go along the wet mir
sror of the pavement under the yellow
glow Of Che gas lamps until ne doubled
round the conner, and then I turned to
the woman who was lying huddied on
fias ground and lifted her hand There
was no tracecf q pulse. placed my
fingers over her heart. There was not a
fickefof movement, but instead I found
something else. It cut me like glass 1t
vas glass. ! stopped down and saw the
glimmer Of it with my eyes, and then
with start recalled what George
Fenton was clntching in his hand when
ne ran away from me. It was the metal
hilt OF Venetian dagger, with the
blade half broken Off The rest Of that
missing white glass blade was sheathed
IN fhe life center OF the unhappy woman
who lay at my feet. knew the dagger
well Is was rare curio which had
hung on the wall Of Fenton's room.
stopped down and again passed my
hand over the place OF that ghastly
death thrust. 7.he falling rain was be-
ginning to drench the woman's clothes
but round the projecting end OF the dag
ger all was dry. Not drop OF the poor
creatures Iifebiood had oozed from the
wound. She had been stabbed with
single blow, and the hilt had been bro
ken or with snap. The Venetian dag
ger had done It's work.
] was SO utterly overcome by the hor-
ror of my discovery that for some mo-
ments knelt there absolutely dazed.
staring at the murdered woman, whose
face was surely not whittier than my
cwn. Sodazed Has that did not hear
footsteps approaching me down the
pavement and did not know shat any
one had come along this secluded back
street until ! heard a voice speaking be-
hind my elbow. looked up and saw
long, lean, dissipated looking individual
clad from head to foot in seedy black.
he held an umbrella over his head,
which let the ls:mplight through many
OF its seams, and bunch IF dirty gray
cotton showed through the toe of one Of
his boots. He spoke in jerks
Lady fainted:" heard him say.
Bless 'em. they will do these things!
Intense heat, intense cold, moderate
temperature-equal result all around
Sometimes other things = excessive
moisture this time, I should think, sir.
A most interesting case. Allow me,
Mr.. -. forget your name. though !
can see you are a gentleman--present
myself, medical man, sir. DR.. Fitz-
gerald OF z. c. D. and County Water
ford. Although ] say it, sir, we'll
u