Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-02-20

II tctth thC slipper"
her own misdoing on IN or both OF
these unfortunate old men. she is suf-
to do so. and circumstances certainly
favored her. Shall | show howY
Mr.. Fenton consulted Knapp. who
nodded his head. The Boston detect
i've was not without curiosity as to
how S~wcetwater would prove his case.
'Old James label had seen his broth.
cr sinking rapidly from hamilton.
This their condition amply shows. lie
was weak himself but John was weak
er. and In a moment of desperation he
rushed out to ask a crumb Of bread
from Agatha Webb or possibly-for |
have heard some whispers of an old
custom of thcirs-to join Philemon ut
his yearly m~errymaklng and so obtain
in n natural way the bite for himself
and brother he perhaps had not the
courage TO ask for outright. But death
had been in the Webb cottage before
him. which awful circumstance, acting
on his already weakened nerves, drove
him half insane from the house and
sent him wandering blindly about the
streets for q good half hour before he
reappearcd in his own house. How do
| know this? From a very simple fact.
Abel here has been to inquire, among
other things, If Mr.. Crane remembers
the tune we were playing at the great
house when he came down the main
street from visiting old Widow Wal.
ker. Fortunately he does. for the trip.
trip. trip in it struck his fancy, and he
has found himself hummlng 1t over
more than once since. Well. that waltz
was played by us at n quarter after
midnight, which fixes the time of the
encounter at Mrs. Webb's gateway
pretty accurately. But, as you will
soon sec, 1t was 1880 before James
label knocked at Lotions door. How
do ] know this? BY the same method
OF reasoning by which ] determined
the time of Mr.. Cranes encounter.
Mrs. Lotion was greatly pleased with
the music played that night and had all
her windows open In order to hear II,
and she says we were playing Money
Musk when that knocking came to
disturb her. Now, gentlemen, we play.
ed Money Musk just before We were
called out TO supper, and rs we went TO
supper promptly at l:45 you can see
Just how my calculation was made.
'Thirty-fiye minutes then passed be-
tween the moment James label was
seer rushing from Mrs. Webb's gate
way and that in which he appeared ut
Lotions bakery. demanding n loaf OF
bread and Offering In exchange one Of
the bills which had been stolen from
the murdered woman's drawer, Thirty
five minutes. And he and his brother
were starving. Does II look. then. as
IL that money was In his possession
when he left Mrs. Webb's house?
Would any man who felt the pangs of
hunger ms he did or who saw n brother
periShing for food before his eyes. al
low 81 minutes to elapse before he
made use of the money that rlghtfully
or wrongfully had come into his handg
No, and so | say that he did not have
II when Mr.. Crane met him. That. In.
stead of committing crime TO obtain 1t,
he found II in his own home. lying on
his own table. when. after his freDZied
absence. he returned TO tell his dread
full news to the brother he had left be-
hind him. But how did II come therei
you ask. Gentlemen. remember the
footprints under the window. Amabel
Page brought Il. Having seen or per-
haps met this old man roaming In or
near the Webb cottage duriog the time
she was there herself. she conceived
The plan Of throwing upon bn,i the onus
OF the crime she had herself commit
ted and with n slyness to be expected
from her stole up to his home, made a
hole In the shade hanging over ar open
window. looked Into the where
John sat. saw that he was there alone
and asleep. and. creeping In by the
front door. laid on the table beside hi"