The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-03-30
What K0Eefnnann Saw
A Case Where There Was No Need
of Circumstantial Evidence.
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convict the criminal upon circumstantial
evidence. No man in his senses would
perpctrate a murder in the presence of an
eyewitness"
"Probably not" returned Kotelmann
slowly. THAT kind of thing is usually
done in private. 1t may so chance, how
ever, 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, apparently
deep in thought. Then he began again,
in his characteristic fashion:
"One may travel all around the world
and yet never witness murder. l, how
ever, have seen one"
"What, you-you have seen one!' ex-
claimed, almost terrified. Explain your
self, man! Was the murderer caught?
Was he punishcd?"
at was no 'he;' it was a She" said
Kotelmann, with a laugh. "And as she
was not caught it stands to reason she
was not punished"
Yet you began.
My companion interrupted me.
81 had nothing TO do with it. My evil
dence was never called for nor required.
The thing was accomplished in the neat
est, most refined manner possible. If you
like, will tell you the whole story"
pricked up my ears.
"Four years ago l was spending my
summer vacation at the little watering
place of B. This quiet, retired nest suit
ed me well, and l staid there some time.
"In the house where / found q lodging
there were already n number of other
visitors, fact which, to a sociable indi-
yidual like myself, was in nowise dis
tasteful.
among others l made q slight ac-
Quaintance with q family consisting Of
an old gentleman, his young wife and his
daughter by q former marriage. The
girl, a slim, delicate creature, apparently
about 20 years oil, was blind. She could
not be termed pretty, but her personality
was indcscribably attractive, gentle and,
may say, pathetic. The wife was a
beauty. She had splendid figure and
pair of gray eyes not easily to be forgot
ten. 1 should Judge her age to have been
about %. These people seemed to be in
very easy circumstances and kept them
selves as much as possible apart from the
other visitors.
II can boast, as you are aware, Of
some small gifts of observation. Al
| though my acquaintance with this family
slight one. | yet took some interest in
studying the different members which
composed it. For, wherever l go, l make
| it Il rule to study all the new characters
| meet. 1t was not long before | discov
cred three things about this trio-frst
| ly, that the old man was passionately in
| love with his wife, hut had for his daugh-
| ter neither eyes, ears nor heart; secondly,
| that the daughter had an almost idola-
trous reverence for her father, but a Sc
cret dislike for her stepmothcr; thirdly,
| that the wife had downright 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 harmony.
"One morning the old gentleman did
not appear, and in answer to inquiries his
wife said that he WAS i'll. In the course
| of the day n physician was summoned to
him, and in the evening or host impart-
| ed to me chat the old man had been at
tackled with typhus fever and lay now in
| 4 very prCcariouS condition.
The honest Thuringian well nigh shed
tears Of chaEr!n one would have thought
| to hear him that the poor gentleman had
| taken the fever out of sheer wickcdncss
| and spite, on purpose to give the house
bad name. There was some cause for this
| Iamcntation. TIE secret could not be
| kept long, ard as soon as it became
| known that typhus was in the house the
visitors dccamped with all speed. Only
two or three. more reasonable than the
rest, remained
Il have 10 fear of infection, and when
| | told our host 50 rose prodigiOusly in
his estimation. even visited the invalid
and tried to cheer him. On one occasion,
when only n hired nurse besides myself
was present he startled lie by fit of de-
lirium, in which he implorcd me to save
him from his wife. did my utmost to
| pacify him. and'soon his mood changed,
| and he began to speak of his wife in the
| most pathetic and cndearing terms. Ten
days after the beginning of the old gen.
| tleman's illness | CHANGED to encounter
the doctor. who was just descending the
staircase.
WELL said l, how fares it with your
paticnt?'
oh answered he, the symptoms are
very favorable. The crisis is over--or all
but over. We know, of course, that he is
an old man, and his constitution is weak
-eAlTelliSly Wcdk- II he pulIS through,
as trust he will, he will have his wife
| and daughter to thank for it-especially
his daughter The girl is born nurse!
| He is asleep now, and upon this sleep DE-
ponds all. If he awakes of himself in
three or four hours time, then, humanely
speaking, he will be out of danger. Every
thing depends upon this sleep. have i'm
pressed upon Herr X, your landlord, the
str at of Oh l.Itn n will
give orders TO the servants. Should the
| patient be frightened, startled out Of
sleep, there will be catastrophe. His
nervous system is SO greatly depressed
| that the slightest noise in his proximity
such. for instance. as the summing Of q
door-wouid in all probability prove as
fatal as ballet shot into his head or
heart. have warned his wife. Sleep IL
now everything!'
with these words the doctor put on
his hat and departed. As l stood for n
| minute in the hall, thinking over what l
had heard, Herr *. crcpt toward me OH
| tiptoe.
"Listen, Herr Kotelmann,' said he in
an undertone. 'Fraulein Won ", who
was SO brave at first, left my house early
this morning. She took herself off be-
cause she was afraid of catching the
fever. Are you, then, somewhat super
stitious?
~ laughed.
"'All right said he triumphantly. I
came to tell you that if you please you
can have the fraulein's room. You will
| like its situation so much. 1t overlooks
the whole valley right away to the for
est. You shall have it for the same price
as you have been paying
81 was delighted.
asked.
""This very moment replied the land
lord. 'The room stands empty. Ah,' he
added, Il forgot. 1t is next to the sick
mans chamber. Will that make any diff
ference to your
81 laughed and shook my head.
every good. The room has been
cleaned lately and is quite ready for your
reception
81 thanked him and was ascending the
stairs when he softly called me back.
Pardon me, Herr Kotelmann, l for
got again. The doctor has given orders
that on no account must any sound be
heard in the neighborhood of the sick
room. He says that the old gentleman's
life depends upon his sleep being undis-
turbed. Perhaps you will be so very
kind rs to defer moving your things until
this evening"
Il expressed myself perfectly satisfied
with this arrangement, but as / felt Gu
rious to behold my new habtation, espe-
cially the belauded view from its win
dows, l, when the host had left me, stole
l,rhf OF MI hn