Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-05-15
CHAPTER XIX.
THE EVIDENCE OF DIR. BLAIR.


iK~TAf<<Sl day was still bright
without The doctor
was sitting on his couch. staring at the
pretty pillow that Kendall had noticed.
He had not troubled himself to rise as
he called, Come inr' in response to the
detectives knock.
"Alr. Elmendorf." said he, good even.
ing. sir What can | do for you?"
IL want 10 ask you few questions,
doctor" replied Elmendorf. Hello!
Had burglaryT
He Dointed to desk in the corner
that seemed to have been broken open.
There was n blankbook that had
contained business memorandum, he
said, land 1t was locked up In that
desk. A friend of mine was so anxious
to see 1t that. calling in my absence,
be did not wait for me to return. He
broke the desk and got the book. But,
unluckily for him, | had already re-
moved the page on which the memo
randum appeared"
"BlackmailT' querIed Elmendorf
Something of the Sort" was the re-
ply.
eff | can be of any assistance, let me
know" said the detective. "And now
| want to talk about the case of Elsie
Miller. There's little medical point
"Why don't you ask Kendall?'
"Dr. Kendall is not talkative," said
Elmendorf. and
Neither am l." responded Blair.
However. let's hear your question
"You remember" said Elmdhdorf,
seating himself and looking across the
table In the center of the room, his
arms resting upon it. that Miss Miller
was stabbed in peculiar way. There
was little mark. a scar you might
call 1t, just below the collar bone on
the left side
'The mark of what we call green
fracture" said Blair; that Is, the bone
was broken In youth. | understand
she fell against a sharp point OF some
thing while she was at play. The RIB
at that spot was permanently weaken
ed and somewhat depressed afterward,
but not enough to interfere with the
lung"
wore low cut dress. was itT asked
Elmendorf.
"Quite the contrary" replied Blair.
1T looked like large dimple."
"An ordinary man wouldn't have
known what 1t was, ehY
"Probahly not"
"The knife couldn't have struck there
by accident" said Elmendorf. "It
looks to me like one Of those freaks OF
| a murderer who has brooded over the
| crime In advance"
"Curious point" said Blair.
$50 1t seemed to me-" said Elmen-
| dorf, land here's another. or course
the man who stabbed her meant to kill
her."
Certainly"
"a thief would have struck her on
the head"
81 should think likely"
$50 this was a murder case" said
Elmendorf. There was the intention
| to kill. Now, why didn't the murderer
strike againY
| "He probably thought the wound
was fatal" responded Blair.
That's the queer part of It," said
the detective. 81 wouldn't have
thought 1t was fatal. Most murderers
go on stabbing; they strike half a
| dozen times In q sort of frenzy. This
| man was content with one blow, but
| Il was good one, and if the knife
blade hadn't been bent"-
| "Was 1t bent? 2" inquired Blair.
"Yes," was the reply. And IL the
assassin was one who knew the loca'
| ton Of the vital organs, but was al
the time too much excited to notice
| the defect In the instrument, why
then, that bend In the blade may have
saved her life"
| 'Tf 1t is saved" added Blair.
'Tt was certainly saved for time.
said the detective, though every doc
tor who saw the wound Immediately
pronounced 1t fatal. That's point iI
, the case"
"From which you conclude-whatT
Iaid Blair. rising and taking a seat a
the table opposite Elmendorf.
The detective did not Immediately
answer the question. He seemed to b'
deep in thought.
"'By the way" he said suddenly
there's another point while ! remem
ber it. mean that letter"
"What letterT
"The one Alden wrote and Elsie nev
er got" replied Elmendorf. THE post
man really delivered 1t. of course
though he won't testify positively. l
was undoubtedly put by the servan
under the door of the vestibule, that lit
tie hall leading to Miss Miller's room
1t was put under that door, but not ia
enough"
Not far enoughY'
mo Somebody came along ant
pulled 1t out. If 1t happened TO be
man who was In love with Miss Miller
the reading OF 1t couldn't have bee
pleasant But how did the man &c
thereT
81 don't know" said Blair.
"As to the motive" continued the dc
tective, that's pretty clear now. Mis-
Miller has told about her marriage
She hasn't named the man, but 20
know him."
Eyes" said Blair; 81 know him."
He took up very little bottle fror
the table and began to turn 1t idly /
his hands.
"Now, then" said Elmendorf, "let'
recapitulate. The murderer was ma
who knew of that scar"
"Anybody might have seen that" r.
Joined Blair.
"He knew what 1t was" continue
Elmendorf. "He also was man wh
Rt,the first glance believed that woun
| which he had inflicted to be fatal. W
conclude that he was n doctor"
every pretty" said Blair.
1.-THE individual subsequently tried
poison Miss Miller" said the detectiv
"and his way Of doing It also beai
out the theory that he was one WI
had a knowledge of medicine. d
knew just what poison to employ, an
he guessed that there would be SON
sort OF food substance in the room I'M
which the poison could be put. Nov
besides being n doctor. what was hef
"a scoundrel. l should say" replie
:. Blair.
HE was a man who could go in ar