The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-03-02
What Kotelmaun Saw
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For all that, he is excellent COM
pany. l have spent many hours, many
an evening, in his society, and must,
IN fairness, own that l have never
| found him wearisOme or dull.
| Not long ago / took walk with
him. AS we Sauntered through the
| stubble fields we discoursed of this
and of that, and at last we got upon
the topic of the latest murders which
had been reported in the press.
Kotelmann, as we talked about
| these things, had the look that al
ways makes my hair stand on end.
We were discussing the question of
circumstantial evidence and its value.
SIN ninety-nine cases out of a hun
dred," l remarked, "there is nothing
else to be done but to convict the
criminal upon circumstantial evidence.
No man in his senses would perpe-
trate d murder in the presence of an
| eyewitness"
probably not" returned Kotel-
mann, slowly. THAT kind of thing
is usually done in private. 1t may so
chance, however. that an eyewitness
is present of whom the murderer has
no cognizance."
After making this remark he walked
by my side for awhile in silence, ap-
parently deep in thought. Then he
began again, in his characteristic
| fashion:
Zone may travel all round the world
| and yet never witness a murder. l,
however, have seen one"
"What-you-you have seen one!"
1 exclaimed, almost terrified. ''EX-
plain yourself, man! Was the muir
derer caught? Was he punished?"
at was no he it was She" said
Kotelmann, with a laugh "And as
she was not caught it stands to rea-
son she was not punished"
"Yet YOU began.
My companion interrupted me.
81 had nothing to do with it. My
evidence was not called for nor re-
quired. The thing was accomplished
| in the neatest, most refined manner
possible. If you like, I will tell you
the whole story"
| I priclled up my ears.
"Four years ago l was spending my
summer vacation at the little water
ing place of B. This quiet, retired
nest suited me we'll, and stayed there
| for some time.
'In the house where l found a lodg-
| ing there were already a number Of
| other visitors-a fact which. to a So
cable individual like myself, was in
no wise distasteful.
Among others I made slight ac-
quaintance with a family consisting
of an old gentleman, his young wife
and his daughter by a former mar
riage. The girl, slim, delicate Great
IRE, apparently about 20 years of age,
was blind. She could not be termed
pretty. but her personality was indie
scribably attractive, gentle, and, I
may say. pathetic. The wife was a
beauty. She had a splendid figure and
a pair of gray eyes not easily to be
| forgotten. [ should judge her age to
have been about 20. These people
seemed to be in very easy circum-
stances and kept themselves as much
as possible apart from the other Wis
itors.
81 can boast. as you are aware, of
some small gifts of observation. AL
though my acquaintance with this
family was, as [ have already stated,
but slight one, yet took some inter-
est in studying the different members
which composed it. For, wherever I
go. make it a rule to study all the
new characters [ meet. 1t was not
| long isrcIe l discovered three things
concerning this trio. Firstly, that the
old man was passionately in love with
his wife, but had for his daughter
neither eyes, ears nor heart; secondly,
that the daughter had an almost
idolatlou reverence for her father,
bit a secret dislike for her stepmoth-
er; thirdly, that the wife had down
right hatred for the other two.
"None Of the other inmates of our
villa, however. had any suspicion of
this state of affairs; to the superficial
observer these three persons appeared
to be living together in perfect har-
mony
"Onc morning the old gentleman did
not appear, and in answer to inquiries
his wife said that he was i'll. In the
course CT the day a physician was
summoned to him, and in the evening
our host impaired to me in confidence
the distressing fact that the old man
had been attacked by typhus fever
and lay now in very precarious con-
dition.
al have no fear of infection. and
when l told our host so / rose prodi-
giously in his estimation. I even
tied the invalid and tried to cheer him.
On one occasion, when only hired
nurse besides myself was present, he
startled me by fit Of delirium, in
which he implored me to save him
from his wife. l did my utmost to
pacify him and soon his mood changed
and he began to-speak of his wife in
the most pathetic and endearing
terms. Ten days after the beginning
OF the old gentleman's illness +
CHANGED to encounter the doctor, who
was Just descending the staircase.
Well said I. how fares it with
your patient?'
"'Oh,' answered he, 'the symptoms
are very favorable. The crisis is over
or all but over NVa l-povv Of oc,,rco