The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-08
Bye
GEORGE r.
SINS - ~ II
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Copyright, 1901, by Geo. X. Sims.1

$1,000
his face in his hands.
My God. it's true; she daren't have in
vented lie like that. And If l don't ac-
cept her terms she'll do it, She may do it
IN some mad moment even II 1 obey her TO
the letter. She says she's been tempted a
hundred times TO do 1t. Some day she win,
and then"
with muttered oath Vivian joyce rose
from the chair and went to the spirit stand
on the sideboard. He poured himself out a
glass OF brandy and drank it at
guip.
Lady Joyce. the wife of General Sir
Vivian Joyce, was found late last night
brutally murdered in a lane within hum
dred yards Of the lodge gates, of the family
mansion at DOLLS Hill"
This brief announcement In the morning
papers sent a thrill Of horror through all
classes. of society, for the general and his
wife were universally beloved and respect
ed. On the evening of the murder, Sir
Vivian being from home. Lady Joyce had
diped at O'Clock with her younger son, Mr.
Eric Joyce. After dinner Eric, who had a
bad cold and had been confined to the house
for a few days, retired to his own room
Lady Joyce went to the drawing-room, and
her hat and cloak saying she was going
for a stroll in the grounds.
The woman was rather surprised at such
an unusual proceeding, for it was a dark.
cold November night, but obeyed her lady
ships orders. That was the last that any
member of the establishment saw of
Lady Joyce, until two hours later
the lodge-keeper was reused by a
| violent ringing at the bell and
a ccttager living in the neighborhood in
formed him that her ladyship was lying
dead in the lane that ran by low wall,
which inclosed the grounds of the mansion
! the west side.
The lodge-keeper summoned help from
| the house. and with two of the men serv-
| ants followed the cottager to the spot
| where her ladyship was found. The front
of her dress was saturated with blood A
doctor, who had been sent for by the horrl-
/ fed servants, announced after a brief ex-
animation, that the unfortunate lady had
been stabbed to the heart
| Inquiries made at the lodge ELECTED the
fact that her ladyship had not quilted the
/ grounds that way, as after nightfall the
gates were bolted, and if her ladyship had
let herself out she could not have closed
the gates again from outside. When the
cottager rang, and the lodge-keeper went
| to the gate, he found it bolted.
| Lady Joyce must therefore have passed
out Of the grounds by the private door in
the wall, which opened with a key. On
search being made the key was found in
| the pocket OF her dress.
That her ladyship had been murdered
| the police, who were soon on the spot had
| no doubt. There was no question OF sui
eide. for the most diligent search failed to
discover the weapon which, if the wound
rad been self-inficted. must have been
| lying close at hand.
/ The grief Of Eric Joyce when he learned
the news OF his mothers fate, was terrible
| Mother and son had idolized each other
and it seemed to the young man impossi-
bic that the loving, tender-hearted mother
| who only an hour or two previously had
been showing her tender solicituds for his
health, should be now lying dead, killed
by an unknown murderer
The news OF the tragedy was communi-
Gated to Sir Vivian as gently as possible
Dazed and bewildered he FASTENED home
| and father and son in the moment OF
agonized meeting in the chamber of death
| fell into each others arms and wept
To both Of them it seemed like hideous
nightmare. That a foul crime like this
should make their name the talk of the
world, their stately English home a show
for the curious and the morbid who fockeC
to the place to gaze at it, seemed to them
something that passed the bounds of pos
sibility.
The evidence at the inquest ELECTED little
Every effort of the experienced detective.
who took charge Of the case to find a cleW
failed. The expert evidence pointed to tn,
fact that the murder had been committed
with a long knife, but nothing that wa.
said by any member of the household threw
the slightest light on what was one of thu
most mysterious parts of the case. viz.
why Lady Joyce should have left the hous,
after 10 o'clock on a cold November night
and have let herself out into the lane b,
the private door.
But though nothing was said at the in
quest Eric had made a communication Il
his father. On the morning of the murder
while Eric was with his mother at break
fast, she had opened her letters. One O.
them seemed to upset her for a moment
Eric noticed that her face grew pale as sh,
read it, and he said to her Anything tn,
matter, mother?" "No, no." she had re
piled. its nothing. It's from a poo
woman l knew years ago-she's in trouble
her letter panied me-" But the young maj
noticed that his mother crumpled the lette
in her hand. and presently flung it in tn,
fire and watched it burn.
! The story troubled Sir Vivian, and n,
asked his son to say nothing about it q
the inquest. He didn't want the gapin,
crowd to build their own theories and per
haps draw their own vulgar conclusion
from that letter. But after the inquest h
sent for the detective who had charge o
the case-Inspector Lawrence, of Scotlan,
| Yard-and told him what he had learned.
II don't suppose for moment it has an!
connection with the crime but / though
| you ought to know it," he said.
The detective listened TO the story eager
ly AZ disagree with you. Sir Vivian" h
said. 1T is most likely that what was ii
that letter took her ladyship out into tn
| lane that night. If could find out VIII
wrote ii we should have something to g
upon. As it is we can only take it that tn
letter made an appointment for the even
ing, and her ladyship went out TO keep il
| At least that's how l see it,
You are wrong, I'm sure. 1 should thin
the letter was what my wife described it t
be, letter from some friend of her child
hood-one gets painful letters from oil
4 A.