The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-05-25
A Fascinating MYSTERY
St0rIl
concluded fr ,m last week. J

VIC d AOllOH, IcIIdIkcu IL DTOkeE
named Stewart, who was sitting over
by, the city editors desk, 'that when
the lightning struck the building it dis
charged the revolver, which was aimed
right at Martha's heart; killed her ac-
cidentally something after the way
that cat killed Colonel Cromwell, you
know" nodding toward the professor.
Professor Gilman made no reply, and
the theory didn't seem to meet much
approval The city editor remarked
that the revolver would probably have
shown some marks on it if the light
ming had come close enough to dis
charge it and that it bore no such evil
dence of having been hit by the light
ming when he examined it.
I'll tell you what / think" said the
young reporter, who, with usual mod
esty, had waited till the others had ex-
pressed their opinions. 81 think that
fellow who tried to rob Miss Dodge
about year ago came back to have it
out with her. This time he got away
with her. He was the fellow seen go
ing up the stairs. He'd learned some
INV ohS " as UP lAcIC diOue. luluk
he slipped in quietly and got round be-
hind the cashiers window before Miss
Dodge knew it. I think she was at
work at Morse's desk over by the win
dow. Morse always left the key in the
desk. And it would have been the
easiest thing in the world for the fell
low to get in without her knowing it
while tho 6opx II oil J,o+
racket. He probably intended to rob
the place, but just then the lightning
struck, and he had to get out. He could
have got down stairs and in the crowd
that gathered to see the fire without
being noticed.
81 think they may have had strug-
gle before he shot her. Perhaps he
didn't intend to kill her when he went
in, but found he had to. She was
spunky girl-just the one to show fight.
During the struggle that glass globe
and the other things were knocked off
on the floor probably. The robber lit
the gas after he'd shot her, SO as to see
better"
The professor alone had not express
ed an opinion, and the city editor said:
'Well, We've each of us aired our little
theories. Now, won't you give us
yours, Professor Gilman?
The professor began deliberately.
Theories embracing suicide, accident
through agency of the lightning and
murder by one or another person have
each been advanced" he said. $50 far
as they have been explained to me,
none of these theories seems consistent
with the observed facts-that is, with
all the observed facts. To begin with,
let me go over these theories and ex-
pose some of the objections to them.
"You believe Mr.. Porter murdered
the girl" addressing the chief of po-
lice, "for the reason that he was jeal-
Gus of the attentions paid her by Mr..
Morse. 1t is true, jealousy Is power.
full motive and the cause of many
| crimes. You attach some Importance
to the fact that he claims not to have
quarreled with Miss Dodge, which
statement letter from him to her,
now in your possession, disproves.
Even if he had quarreled-and lovers
l
tremely natural for him to deny it, and
such denial need not necessarily cause
one to believe him guilty. OF course
| he feels grief at the death of the young
| woman, whom he was engaged to mar
ry, am told. The remembrance of
that quarrel must now be distasteful to
him, and he would willingly forget 1t
and would probably deny there had
been one in answer to unfriendly ques.
tioning. You assume that the man seen
! ascending the stairs was Porter. That
| however, could not have been, for it
was 2:30 when this man was seen, and
| Porter was with his friends up to about
3 o'clock. In passing let me say that
the fact of man being seen going up
the stairs does not necessarily have
any bearing on the case. All but one
of the four elevators in the building
| stop running at o'clock on Saturdays,
man entering the building and find
ing by the indicator that this one ele-
vator was up to the fifth or sixth floor
and still ascending might conclude he
could save time by walking up. Or it
may have been a stranger In the city.
Farmers come in from the surrounding
country frequently, am told. to place
little speculative orders with the grain
brokers. Finding no elevators waiting,
he would naturally walk up the stairs.
If 1t was one of these spectators from
the agricultural districts, he may have
read nothing about this case, which
would account for his failing to come
forward and make himself known.
"N1r. Laurence" indicating the city
editor. ''inclines to the suicide theory.
The disastrous speculations of Miss
Dodge and the fact that she may have
used some CT the firms money in spec
ulating-an allegation strepuously qe=
MED, however, by Mr.. Morse are the
motives advanced to support his the
ory.
''This theory might be tenable if the
facts that we have before us seemed to
bear it out. So far as we have learned,
Miss Dodge believed Mr.. Morse to be
her friend. and even il she had misap-
propriated the funds in her charge she
might perhaps safely have counted on
the leniency of her employer when she
confessed the matter to him. 1t ap-
pears, however, that she was a spirited
girl, and she might have preferred
| death to such q confession. / should