Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-07-06

washed, stitched aud haudaged the
wound in the haby's forehead, Then
| asked, Where do YOU live@ Il will
see her safely To bed. Thank YOU,
was the SOllen response, my address
is my own business and he carried
his child out, got into n cab with her
and said birmingham to the driver.
There was No means OF stopping him,
hut | had presence OF mind enough tN
iot down that drivers number on my
shirt cum.
The next day employed secret
inquiry agent 70 find Rupert Kerr
He had driven 10 q new street. taken n
fresh cab and doubled back to Hands
worth, where he directed the cahman
to take him to Il Roman road, rhe
second tahhy had been found through
the help of the police at New street
station.
II now did what should have been
done before While the first agent
was instructed To find out Kcrrs pres
ent manner of life. n second detective
was sent to Cheltenham to inquire
into his earlier proceedings.
Kerr was, as | had always known,
an inveterate gambler, 1t was ascer-
tanned that he had brought to England
With him the greater portion OF his
wives had been heavily insured,
dissipated this, when poor l.auras
death put him IN possession OF her
fathers savings for poor Col White
had died soon after his daughters
| rlopemcnt, and had hequenthed his
possessions to her Moreover both
both wives had been heavily insured
From the other detective learnt that
he followed no occupation, hut fire.
Quented betting clubs and hotel bars,
and seemed to he rather deeply in
VOWED. Moreover, II was popularity
, believed that Arthur Wren. as he now
called himself, would soon marry n
lady Of supposed wealth. whose ac-
Quaintanco he had made at local gar
den party. Fagg. the inquiry agent,
had also ascertained that his daughter
Laura had recently been insured for
t5o0, She had hitherto enjoyed alb
solutely good health but since the as.
snranee mad been completed she had
suffered from catalep;ic fits,
When this last development OF tho
situation reached me, my smouldcring
suspicious Of the man hlnzcd into
lame at once. Remembering TINT
! percive', who had been stationed with
the cavalry brigade nj the cantonmcnt
| IN, I,h
wired him to come over ut once 'on
a matter OF life ana death M |
really feared II WINS.
Gen, Perclyal arrived that night
and We sat up TIL dawn discussing the
state of affairs. lie had remained In
India some years later than had, and
was able Ia give me clcw. II seems
that previous to his marriage with the
half-caste woman who was his first
wife Kerr had been on terms OF
friendship with several Rrahmin mag
Mates
Ills most usual associate was a
man named Saga Nnni-and this same
fellow had aftorward been convicted
Of poisoning his brother ana had been
! hanged for the crime
We nj last resolved to seek the nd.
! vice and assistance Of the local police,
| that lHtle laura's life might, AZ least
be preserved. consultation with the
chief constable followed, and the
doctor who attended little Laura ar
ranged to telephone the news OF her
next attack. His summons came with
in week, and Kerr alias Wren, was
arrested at his daughters bedside.
He made a most frantic resistance,
crying out that he, and he alone
could restore the child to conscious
ness. but was AT last removed to the
station and searched. A hypodcrmic
syringe. filled with a dark blood.
colored fluid of unknown properties
and curlously qungent odor. was
found In the room where Laura's APP
parently dead body lay. This con
tanned sort OF vivid green matter
quite unknown to European medicine.
and smelling like rotten bananas. Two
peculiarly shaped pitfalls, marked
one and two In Sanscrit characters.
and containing decoctions that cor
responded to the two syringcs, were
found In Kerr's bedroom, concealed In
an old hat-case.
Laura remained unconscious, and
at last even my hopes OF her recovery
faded away, and the corpse OF the lit
tie one was laid out to await post
norton examination.
"Swanstrom, the local practitioner.
noticed that there were seven punct-
nres made by the syringe on her left
arm and six on the right On this
slender basis, and on Kerr's excited
declaration that he could save her,
Swanson built up a curious theory. II
was that, az the insurance had not
been In force six months. and, there
fore had not matured, the man had
no present intention OF staying his |
daughter, but was only preparing the
way, and he pointed out that this was |
her seventh attack. He therefore |
argued that an injection OF the blood
colored fluid would restore her To life |