Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-03-18

y "A YYNDHAM left Carmen Pen
AnS dleton at her hotel after
lingering long enough 10
have conversation with
Pancho, who was as simple and direct.
as straightforward and honest then as
he was with Burr Pcndleton the night
when he4ook him on horseback to the
dueling ground.
Before leaving the hotel Craig in
structed him not OH any account to
leave the apartments Of his mistress
and ut the desk down stairs he gave
explicit instructions that Carmen was
to be denied to all callers. no matter
what name was given. After that IL"
felt easier, for now he also feared shat
the cnragcd Mexican might attempt Il
summary vengeance upon the sister of
Burr PendlctOn.
From there he went directly to the
district attorney. who. fortunately. was
personal friend and had stood In the
same relation to Burr, and to him he
related the whole story In detail be-
hind closed doors.
He omitted nothing. He began at
the moment Of his meeting with Burr
after his arrival from Mexico and told
of every incident that had occurred
which could In any way relate to the
crime. He graphically explained th'
discovery of the body, the consterna-
ton of James, his own deep perplexity.
but also the absolute certainty he felt
in his own mind of the innocence OF
the valet. He related how he himself
when boy had passed many months
I'm Mexico and had witnessed the knife
throwing exhibitions that are frequent
ly held there: how it had occurred 10
him that this Mexican might have
thrown the knife. and that when he
more mirutely examined the position
of the body and the position Of the
knife the suspicion became certainty.
Then he told how utterly hopeless
had seemed to him then the possibility
of fixing the crime upon Escudera If
he were ut once accused. but that he
believed If he could for the time being
cause suspicion to rest upon another
and thus allay the fears Of the guilty
one he thought it might be accomplish
ed.
He explained how and why he had
sent James away and admitted that
the valet was at that moment in his
own rooms awaiting gladly arrest or
ANYTHING else that would lift from his
shoulders the burden Of constantly liv-
Ing a lie. and then he told enough Of
the family history Of the Pendletons to
make his point. He explained the pres
ence Of Carmen in the city and told aS
much Of what she had told him rs was
necessary. and finally he described the
scene in the restaurant and told how
this same man had attempted to as
sassinate him by the throwing of n
knife.
"That knife" he concluded, "is the
exact counterpart, so far as the hilt Is
concerned. of the one that took the
life of Burr Pendleton. l have it with
me. If you vii! produce the other. VIZ
will compare them. for have not the
slightest doubt Of the result"
The district attorney sent his clerk to
the cabinet for the weapon with which
Pendleton was killed. They were plac-
ed side by side and found, as Craig had
prophesied, to be precisely alike.
"There is still another test to be ap-
Piled" continued Craig. "People who
are adept in the art Of knife throwing
are most particular regarding the
weight Of their weapons. The more ex-
pert the thrower the more particular
lie is regarding this point. / have
known them to file away substance
from one in order to make 1t weigh pre-
eisely like the model from which 1t was
made. SO that placed upon either side
of delicate scales they would perfectly
balance. Send for an apothecary's
scales and let us test these. If they do
not weigh alike to q hair, l miss my
guess"