Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-03-08


don the cab and it's CHASTITY freight in
the fog. However, they struggled on.
in the hope that he fog NIGH lif, and.
after some further wandering, almost
at random, Blake had to get down and
lead the horse. Blogg, having no fancy
for being found with corpse, should
any accident happen. got out, also,
shutting the doors to keep the body in,
and went ahead to try and ascertain
their whereabouts. 1t happened that
he had formerly lived in Soho for some
years, and soon recognized some old
landmarks, notably, Greek Street.
Then came some luck in the shape of
a drunken man, who could scarcely
stand, and could only just ask the way
to his room in Greek Street. This was
too good a chance to be missed, and
Blake readily assented to his plan. He
saw the drunken man to his room. and
watched him collapse into Il drunken
heap. No necessity to stun him by a
blow; drink had done it's work. He
simply carried the dead man into the
same room and left him stretched upon
a sofa. The fog had thus served them
admirably; and the responsibility for
.>rnewoods death was shifted to other
shoulders. The cab they soon aban-
doned to is fate.
The rest of tho confession was main
ly Il record of interviews between
Blegg and Blake's agent. Walsh, there
being Il difficulty about the paying of
the reward. Billys evidence fully cor
rcborated this. and the evidence as to
the final quarrel between Blake and
Blogg was, of course, overwhelming.
\ thorough examination of the house
in Rodney avenue resulted in the dis
covery of portmanteau marked l.. A..
containing nothing, apparently, except
some clothing. A sort of pocket, how
ever had been made by means of
slit in the lining of the portmanteau.
and in tbs were found two letters from
Alessrs. O'Bren & Grudgery and Philip
Blake, respectively, addressed to Luke
Arncwood, together with a we'll
thumbed copy of my advertisement in
the "Queenslander." These documents
not only threw light upon the tactics
of the murdered man in personating
Luke Arnewood, but Blake's letter,
clearly foreshadowing his intention of
meeting him upon his arrival.
The apparent absence of motive Cup
on which Blake's counsel took such a
desperate stanh proved to be a rotten
reed. The result of the post mortem,
insisted upon by DR.. Redwood, re
yaaled the presence in Captain Arne
woods system of Il little-known but ex-
tremely deadly drug called cyanide of
mercury, which has the property Of
causing paralysis of the heart; and a
small quantity of this obscure poison
had been found in Blake's pocketbooA
after his arrest. He had certainly had
frequent opportunities of administer
ing the drug to Captain Arnewood; and
though direct proof Of his having done
so was wanting, the general belief was
that he was guilty Of Richard Arne-
woods death as well as the fictitious
Luke's
Moreover, although it did not directly
enter into the charge upon which ne
was tried, a very strong suspicion eX-
listed that he had murdered the fat
man, known to me as the stranger and
to Blogg as Casey. What is certain is
that Casey, who had been his valet.
had disappeared as though the earth
had swallowed him.
1t was somewhat of disappointment
to me to find that, although an imprint
taken of Blogg's thumb and measure
ment Of his span tailed with the
marks on the murdered mans collar,
and my conjecture as to his trade had
proved correct, it was all superfluous
evidence, in the face of Blogg's own
confession. However, it elected
remark of interested approval from the
judge who tried the case, which was
some consolation.
The end was never in doubt from the
Tn 1,o fnn Of U1,nvy
ing evidence the judges summing up
by the jury to decide upon a verdict.
1--WE find him GUILTYr'
Very impressive was the judges adj
dress to the prisoner before he passed
sentence of death upon him.
"Philip Blake. you have been convict
ed upon the clearest and most convinc-
ing evidence of causing the perpetra-
ton of most brutal murder, for the
sake Of worldly gain. 1t is clear that
you planned the decoying of your in
tended victim to lonely house and,
as no one can doubt, with the intention
of removing him from your path You
did so. little dreaming that YOU were
but sending to his long account an i'm
poster, who had himself endeavored t.
to murder the man you thought you
had slain. Even this crime did not
place you in possession of the estates
YOU coveted, but it left only one other
life between you and them. That life
also passed away very soon afterward.
anu, in the eyes of all men, you were
the master of Arnewood hall. You
have not been tried for the murder Of
Richard Arnewocd. and, therefore. the
question of your guilt of that is one
YOU need answer before your Maker
alone. But mark how, in the very hour
of your apparent triumph, the veng-
eance of heaven overlook you! Your
mercenary confederate, Blogg. soush'
to share in yom blood-stained spoils
and you slew him; but, with his dying
breath, he denounced you and made es-
cape from the penalty due to your
crime impossible for you.
''Let me implore you to make your
peace with the God you have so terri
hlv offended while yet it lies in your
p wer to do so, for c trtaln death awaits
YOU"
Sentence in the usual form followed;
and Philip Blake, pale but self-pos-
sessed, followed his gaolers to his cell.