Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-05-03
the gas name, pracrce common

the gas name, practice common
among women.
Meanwhile the storm had drawn
nearer and now broke with tremen-
dous crash of thunder. ALI who were
in this vicinity agree that the crash
came very suddenly and was very loud.
l assume that Miss Dodge had heated
the tongs once or twice and got her
hair partly curled. l have not been
able to prove this from observation.
for when l viewed the remains the
hair on the forehead was nearly
straight, and no one who saw her soon
after she was killed seems to have no.
ticed whether parts Of her hair were
more curly than other parts. did not
view the remains until two days after
death. and by that time any differ
ences that may have existed at the
time she died would have disappeared.
But l assume she had proceeded that
far and was holding the tongs up over
the glass globe and heating them in the
gas flame when the thunder crash
came. Startled by the suddenness of
the crash, she made quick movement,
which loosened the globe from it's
place. Seeing it about to fall she at
tempted to catch and save it, In the
act she stumbled against the stool at
her side and overturned it. Her own
equilibrium was lost, and she did
natural. but, as it proved. a fatal,
thing.
"She threw out her hand to save
herself from falling and caught at the
shelf on which lay the pistol This
shelf was not strong affair. and if
you examined it closely, gentlemen,
as did. you perceived that it was bent
downward little. assume that as
she clutched at it the weapon was dis
lodged and fell with her, exploding as
1t fell. and, with that fatal. not to say
malevolent, accuracy Of aim which
noted in the case of Colonel Cromwell,
the bullet pierced her heart. The weap-
on, striking against some object-the
stool probably-was diverted from it's
course and rolled under the high desk.
II have talked with the lad Walter
Jones and see no good reason for
doubling his story. He says the crash
in the room above came prior to the
pistol report, if anything, though the
sounds all seemed to come together
and mingle with the noise Of the thun.
der. That would agree with my the
DRY, for of course it all happened al
most simultaneously, and the girl was
dead, in all probability, before the re-
verberations Of the thunder peal that
startled her had died away.
"This theory may not be the correct
one, though all the facts seem to fit
well into it. There are two circum-
stances, however. that make my con-
viction that it is correct very strong.
The first is the mirror. The girl friends
of Miss Dodge whom have talked with
say that she sometimes curled her hair
in the office. They are positive, more
over, about one very important thing
they say she kept the little mirror in
the drawer, taking it out and hanging
1t on the hook when she curled her
hair and putting it back in the drawer
when she was through. Mr.. Morse and
the clerk Savage agree that she did not
keep the mirror hanging on the hook
habitually. but it was hanging there
when she died and has hung there ever
since.
The other circumstance is this"
Here Professor Gilman drew a crum-
pied piece of paper from his pocket and
passed it to the city editor
What do you observer" he asked.
Nothing but a piece of ordinary
white paper. with something that looks
like SCOT on it,
Exactly. 1t is SCOT. picked that
paper up off the floor in Mr. Morse's
office 1t is paper that Miss Dodge
used to wipe off the SCOT that collected
on the curling longs"
Professor Gilman. do you mind if |
print that story in The Daily Tele-
graph?' asked the city editor. a little
eagerly.
why, no. don't know that there is
any objection to making it public. 1t
may help to ease the mind of the girls
mother. She feels distressed because
some people think her daughter COM
mitted suicide. Yes. you may print it,"
And you won't let The Enterprise
have it|
mo, no! You may have your
SCOOP" replied the professor with
his wintry smile.
j. q. Hood Justice of the Peace Crospy