The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-24

We we're talking OF Lecoq and his his.
,e,Ian, Emile. Gaborlan. and wero ex-
pressing more or less cocksure. opinions
on the art Of detection the while my
friend Inspector Bronson. sat Idly puff
ang his cigar. Usuallytf enjoyed the
Inspectors reflections and cigars alone,
but tonight we had for company two
other newspaper men. who had dropped
In at headquarters on some quest or
other. and had found their way to the
Irsnector's cozy room. lEAt
Yes" said one OF our. visitors, after
tie manner Of a man announcing
rev truth discovered all by himself,
murder VIII QUIT"
''RubbIsh!" said the inspector.
II wasn't polite, but 1t was the IN
spcctor and he had rather abrupt
way of announcing his opinions. He
did not follow up this intersection into
the conversation Immediately. but the
quick, jerky pulls he gave at his cigar
we're to me the regular symptoms OF
the beginning OF a story.
Murder will out---ln story books,"he
said. land no wonder. When you fix
the plot and arrange the characters 1t
is easy to find the criminal after you've
chased your own tail through lengthy
volume. but let me tell you that when
you're stacking UP against crafty
criminal In real life II is story of a
different texture entirely. I have work
ed on hundreds Of murder cases in
my time and more murderers got away
than were caught. have even known
instances In which we knew and were
morally sure OF, the murderer, but for
lack Of legal and convincing evidence
We couldn't bring the criminals to jus
tlce. There's a thing most novelists
overlook: n Jury wants plain, under
standable evidence before it will exc
cute man. No finely manufactured
chain of fancy proofs and ultra-scien-
t.HS tiitpllSs VIII put a man III Btl u 4. IL
plain, human evidence Is lacking"
The inspector was now fairly launch
cd. and 1t required only silence on our.
part 10 have yarn finely spun.
Il remember one particular case"
continued the Inspector that has since
gone on record as one of the unfath-.
Omed mysteries and l can only wish
that were. as convinced of the guilt OF
every man have ever been Instrument
tai lnJsendlng to the death penalty as
was and am Of the guilt of one of those
concerned in that business. 1t was n
murdcr-you newspaper chaps will
surely recollect lt-of national import
ance Every paper In the country was
full of II. but never once was the real
guilty person mentioned publicly
Tho victim was a big man in the
educational world. His name was Har-
old Watterson. Prof. Harold Waiter
son. president of the Danvllle Univer-
sity. His body was found on the high
road near his home, which was In the
University building. and when discover.
ed. 1t at first. had all the appearances
OF death from heart failure or u stroke
Of some kind. The autopsy, however.
did not show this. and the cause OF
Death became a matter OF fierce dispute
between the local doctors. Finally en-
perts from New York and elsewhere
were called down to Danville, but they.
like the others. disputed among them
selves. Some declared it natural
death. but the others were positive
that It was an undoubted case of pols-
oning. To support the latter view,
however. no traces of poison could be
discovered on the closest analysis, and
equally against the theory OF natural
Death no two Of the experts could
agree as to what precise disease or COM
pl'cat!cn caused the fatality. The
welshtiervopnlon was In favor OF pois-
oHtng, and certain circumstances, ap-
parent only to the expert, made the
conclusion finally accepted to be that
Professor Wattcrson had been poison
ed by some new and unrecognizable
drug. The opposition to this theory
Weakened. and 1t became generally ac-
eep'ed that the president of Danvlllc
University had been murdered.
But by whom?' And for what mo-
tive?