The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-17


been the motive 1 didn't doubt for an
instant, but when J examined the
ground about the ostage, though il
was quite muddy from the rain of the
night before, could fnd no trace OF
the escaping house breaker l made
sure that everything had been locked
except that one window, and il seemed
as plain as day that the murderer must
have climbed in over the kitchen roof
and out by the same route What had
prompted him TO carry the rife case
that far? How had he got from the
roof Of the summer kitchen to the dis
tant back fence without leaving a print
of his footsteps? There was neither
pavement nor walk in the yard, for the
cottage was new and the bare clay
about il was soft and untrodden- AT
either side of the cottage was bare
area at least twenty feet wide. There
were no footprints anywhere Where
was the pistol? / searched that house
a dozen times that day, eveF unfolding
the clean linen in the closets and rum
maging in Bertha's trunk. to the great
anger of her grief-stricken father. But
it was not to be found. l spent the
| night proving TO my own satisfaction
that Fordyce had actually been at his
store till half an hour before the muir
der must have occurred. Nobody knew
much about the family. He had come
with his wife six months before and
had bought Ferris stove and tinware
business. He seemed to be a fine man.
a trifle younger than his wife, but ap-
parentiy happy.
THE women who had met her all
spoke well of Mrs, Fordyce. Bertha.
| the daughter. had come home from
4 boarding school at Ogdensburg in May.
| K was sdbout June 10 that the murder
occurred. Now. after finding out as
much as l could. l made up my mind.
and il cost me many a twinge to do so,
made up my mind that Bertha had
killed her own motherl 1t was such
preposterous, INDUSTRIOUS suspicion
] that / was ashamed of it myself and,
of course, dared not mention ii to any
one else. at least, until l had some
sound evidence. She was appa sentiy
a very emotional, cultivated young
! girl and l couldn't think of the least
her to SO hateful and unnatural a
| crime, but the facts, few but adaman-
| tine, told me, in spite of myself, that
she had done it, Now in a case like
! that, where the evidence is wholly cir
! cumstantial and at that, far from final,
1t is absolutely necessary to find or
| supply a motive. l was so sure of my
theory that j spent a week at the Og-
densburg school trying to find out all
| about Bertha, her disposition, Yagaries.
| regard for her home and her mother.
! Everything was favorable to the girl.
| There was not a hint of criticism upon
1 which | might fasten the thread of
justification for my suspicion. / went
suddenly back to FOrdham and
searched the Fordyce house again. I
don't know what moved me to IL, but
I got out on The tin roof, and noticing
a warped place where the metal had
raised about an inch from the level, !
thrust in my hand and pulled out the
missing pistol that had been stolen
from under Fordyce's pillow,
Meanwhile the cOroner's jury had
laid the crime at the door of party OF
parties unknown and, certain as 1 felt
that this strange girl must have alb
stracted her parents weapon in the
daytime or perhaps during a previous
night, and had gone about the murder
with premeditsted and horrible cool
ness, l was powerless TO reopen the
case. for I knew that unless I could
supply a reasonable motive for the in
credible crime, ! would be laughed at
So l passed up the whole matter
Never did anything about it?' won
dered the night clerk.
NO. Never heard of the F'ordyces
again till two years ago. | was visit
ing an old sister of mine in Boston.
was sitting on the front stoop one sum
nleE evening Nilen saw FOroyce diit
his daughter pass, arm in arm ] askeC
my sister if she knew them. and sh,
said their name was Ballard, that Mrs
Kelly. who lived across the street, haC
known the woman when she was a girl
I went over 10 see Mrs Kelly tina
evening, and she said that Ballard
/ real name was Fordyce. but that h
had changed il perhaps on account o
his first wife's murder UP at Fordham
And who is this young woman liv
ing with him? Is she his daughter
No said Mrs. Kelly, shes hi
stepdaughter. You see, he married
widow named Celia something. whel
her child was about L years old. Tn
mother was killed somehow by bur
glar, I believe, and a couple of year
.. afterward he turns in and marries tn
daughter. .