The Newtown bee., 1900-04-06

Miss Grinnelrs bell ring again. Had hurried up the back stairway to the secs ond floor hall, about midway of which l she had been halted by Mrs Gibson. The latter party put her head out of her room door and asked: ssMartha, did you hear dull exploding kind of sound a moment or So ago?" Had answered she had just come in from the area and had I heard nothing. Had found Mrs Keith and Miss Linton in Miss Grinnelps apart I ment. Miss Grinnel1 was stretched out l in the easy chair, but before she had had | time to see what was the matter Miss l Keith had cried ouE: ssMartha, run for life for doctor and send Sam for 8 po- liceman." Officer Potts confirmed the testimony of Mrs Keith and Miss Linton in respect to the relative situation of the various articles connected with the tragedy. Dr Semple, who had arrived at the scene few minutes behind Officer Potts, l testified as to the ap .,earance of the wound and the length of time since its ip fiction then followed details of the post-mortem. - Several pistol experts testified, first, that the weapon must have been in close proximity to the body of the deceased at the time of it's discharge; second, that the pistol, quite new, had previously been tested and loaded by one proficient in the use of firearms, and, lastly, that ] it's construction was such that the | chances of it's accidental discharge in the hands of any one of ordinary intelligence ! and possessing any knowlege at all of the nature of such weapons were ex-. | treme1y remote. About half-dc n of the inmates of the lodgings, exclusive of those named, furnished testimony, which, while it threw no further light on tte shooting, supplied data for an approxi- mate estimate of the time elapsing be- tween the firing of the shot and the ring ing of Miss Grinnell's bell. This, 1t ap. peared, could not have much exceeded i three minutes.
 Their testimony also involved in its rambling course the facts that Mrs Keith was the widow of a high clerical, herst Il of unsullied reputation; that Miss Ltn- ton, though surmised to be in rather l straitened circumstances, was of unin- peached character; agd that Martha Gibbs, an orphan, whom Mrs Keith had reared, had an unexceptionable record. ] Of course the verdict was suicide, au- perinducfng causes unknown. The letter. it was decided, was purely accidental | faaf fnr nS ho aos mony as to it's unimportant character having been direct. The money, it is true, was not forthcoming, but, on the other hand, the young lady had had ample time to have secretly disposed of it. Clearly, from the situation of her pocket, taken In connection with her po- sitIon in the chair, no one could have robbed her purse in three minutes; while the fact that no room on the second floor was without an occupant at the time of the. firing, precluded the possibility tbat any one, at least stranger, could have fired the shot and found harboring in
 some neigbboring apartment.
 MT Gaston appeared satisfied with the
 verdict, but not so Mir Grinnelr; and I subsequently, learned that the father had employed several detectives to work Np the case for evidence of foul play, as he persisted in believing that his daughter had been robbed and murdered by some
 inmate If the c street lodgings.
 ! One of these detectives bothered me 8 good deal for time, but nothing came | nN ' nf ed when I noted from day to day that l had less and less mail matter to deliver at 1000 G street; aud short of year there was 8 bill up announcing the premises for sale. Potts and I rare ly met without exchanging opinions on tt e case, but we never agreed.
 1T tell you what 1t is,' he would say, through the money; the old man, who has my heartfelt sympathy, has set 8 : watch, as understand, st all the banks. Who knows?' he would pursue, medi- tatively. "The young lady might have : been counting some of her money ] wome n are like that-then, you see, 8
 shot, 6 grab, a toss of the pistol, and the
 thing was done."
 "But blow would have answer red jut : as well," l would demur; "besides,
 where could he hidep You forget the long hall, Mrs Keith and Miss Linton.'' "You bet don't." Potts would re ,in, } but he never seemed to care to enter into sn explanation.
 sWen," would conclude, s'I always shall believe. until know to the con.
 trary, that the letter with the blot
 had something to do with it.'
 Four years later was still on the car rier division, but working suburban route, when one day very unexpectedly ? came face to face with Potts, now ser geant on the force. "Why, good day, sergesnt!" I exclaimed. s'We haven't met for an age; how fares the world with you?'
 "Fairish," he responded. "Bus say,
 Wells, do you recollect the Crime ] case?'
 'The letter with the blot! Of course I do-anything found outs'
 "All out"
 "Found out through the monsy?'
 "No; that money was spent and scat tered in hundred directions, perhaps before the deed was done.''
 "Come, Potts, don'G give it to me in piecemeal--time's short, art long" '.
 "Female art,yes We'll, two weeks ago 8 letter arrived at headquarters, pur-