Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-09-10
VOL. LXVII.

long, Tor In no walk Oh IlIe moro LusA
In the detective business is the accur'
acy of this statement more often and
more positively born out. In case
which passed through my hands some
seven years ago and which created a
profound sensation under the name OF
"The Margrave Mystery" it was the
presence of a tiny witness, about one
tenth of an inch in dimension, which
. enabled me to track the perpeirator
of the crime, and to bring him to the
scaffold which he merited.
One morning, early in June, l re-
ceived telegram from headquarters
bidding me to proceed at once to the.
!. village of Margrave, In Berkshire,
where q certain DR.. Powis desired to
interview me Immediately. Arrived at
the doctors residence after 40 min
utes journey in an express from wat
erloo, I was usnered into his library,
s and found him awaiting me with all
xious eyes.
He was a broad-shouldered, firm
faced man, with eyes and mouth which
proclaimed honesty and steadfastnsss
of purpose, but it was obvious to me
that he was under the influence OF
some terrible shock, and his very first
words proved that my diagnosis OF his
emotions was correct.
ga horrible and painful episode has
]. just occurred, Mr.. Harding" he said,
speaking very hurriedly. my patient,
Sir William Margrave, of Margrave
Hall, has been poisoned by bottle
ofphysic sent to him from this house
by me-understand that-a bottle of
physic prepared by me, with my own
hands, last evening and taken by my
messenger to his house. Unless the
mystery is cleared up before the In
quest, shall be in a dreadful posi-
ton, and may even have to stand my
trial at the assizes. For Heavens
sake, tell me What is TO be done"
II can tell you, DR.. Powis. what is
not to be done," I answered, without
hesitation, "and that is not to excite
yourself thus unnecessarily. BY pre-
serving your calmness as much as pos
sible, and giving me lear and con-
else account of this affair, you will
be helping the cause Of justice, and
have no doubt that shall be able to
aid you to some extent"
Very well, then," he exclaimed, ris-
Ing and pacing the room nervously.
81 may ten you at once that for some
time past I have been attending Sir
William for gout, and have been in
the habit of sending him bottle Of
physie every Wednesday evening, to
Sconnteract the effects OF the complaint
In some degree. Last night prepared
u6se nrcPF<sue as usuar I'M my sur 5ef
downstairs, and having despatched my
messenger with the physic, sat down
to read the Lapcet in my study until
bedtime" I"
. He paused. wrung his hands in an
gufsh, and then went on. "An went
on as usual, but about midnight | was
summoned from my. bed by footman
from the Hall. He merely announced
that Sir William had been taken very
ill-was in violent agonies-and tnat
the servants believed him to be dying.
Without word followed the man
back to the house, and only arrived
In time to find the poor old barones on
the point of death, whilst he gasped
out to me, as knelt over him, these
words:
"Analyze the medicine! Analyzo
the medicine!'
"He never spoke again, and from the
manner in which his body was con-
torted, and from the odor in the room,
it was obvious to me that he had sWal-
lowed a dose Of the deadly drug
known as oil of almonds-in other
words, prussic acid.
Directly had lain the dead man
upon his bed (for in his struggles ne
had fallen to the floor) / turned TO
examine the bottle of medicine, and
one Whit at the drug told ME what
had occurred. An infusion of prussic
acid had been added to the gout mix
ture, and to it's addition s. Williams
death was to be traced.
81 sent for the servant who had
summoned me and bade him ride TO
the police station and inform the night
inspector cf what had occurred, and
then lay down upon the sofa in the
dining-room till o'clock when the
official in question arrived in company
with the police doctor. The latter
agreed with me that the deceased had
met his death through poisoning by
prussic acid, and l can assure you,
Mr.. Harding, that from his manner to-
ward me 1t was plain he considered
that was to blame. and that through
some criminal oversight had commit
ted a blunder and sent Sir William to
his death.
However, he said nothing of the
sort to me, and, having taken an of1-
cial note of the affair, went away. The
body now lies at the Hall awaiting the
inquest, which will doubtless be held
on the day after tomorrow, AMI you
will therefore, appreciate my position,
Mr.. Harding. II something is not ai-
duced by that time to show that The
horrible affair has come about through
no fault of mine my reputation will be
shattered, and 1 shall be ruined
man."
"One moment" I said. 81 should
like to see this messenger OF yours"
"You shall do so at once" returned
the doctor, and, ringing the bell, he
told the maid who answered it to send
him in.
The messenger, Trayers by name,
was a tall, thin man. with bushy side
whiskers and neatly-rarted black hair.
He answered my questions in
straightforward manner, and informed
me that ne had conveyed the medicine
as usual to Margrave Hall, where he
had handed it to the footman. His
master, he added, had seemed perfect
l., oo~ooe vi on,i calm when he hand