The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-10
"HE's TAKEN PofseN,ssts DECLARED


mode Of society to so stunning. To-
day only social reformers and mission
aries make excursions to the homes, OF
the lower class in East London, A society
woman would not dare to admit to-day
that she had been further east than Lead
enhall street. r.. = = - .s
Lets go and see what has really hap
pened,'': Amber. said to me. IF Lane is
dead then it proves that his, enemy is
yours ... '..-.... .~:-x. =,
'I can't see that. How?" asked.
:."You will see later For the moment
we must occupy ourselves with his DEATH
and see whether it is owing to natural
causes or to foul play. He was a heavy
drinker, and it may have been that a
NO. declared the little old man.
':Lanky wasn't drunk to-day-that I'll
swear. saw i'm in Commercial Road at
seven, talkin' to feller 'wot's In love
wiv is sister," ! .;s:- -. ::'-.
'"Then how do you account for this
discovery Of yours?' asked my COM
panion. ..-'~. r. -..'
II can't account for it, Iguv'nor. I
simply found i'm lying on the floor, and
it give me a shock, can tell YOU. 'E
was as cold as ice.'' r.. -. s..
Lets go and see ourselves" Amber
| said; so together we hurried along the
Whitechappel High street, at that hour
| busy with. its costermongerf market, and
along Commercial Road East, arriving at
last in the dirty insalubrious thorough
! fare, a veritable hive of the lowest class
of humanity-Tait street, Shadwell.
Up the dark stairs Of one Of the
dirtiest of the dwellings our conductor
guided us, lighting out steps. with wax
vestas struck upon the wall, and on
gaining the third floor of the evil-smel1-
ing place he pushed open a door and we
| found ourselves in an unlit room.
| Don't move, gentlemen" the old mar
| urged. you may fall over i'm. 'E's
right there, just where you're standin
| I'll light the lamp -..-.. ...~.
Then he struck another match, and by
! it's tickle light we saw the body of Lane
the street-hawker, lying full length only
a yard from Us, just as our conductor
! had described. ~ q. ...,...,
I The cheap and smelling paraffin :lanI
| being lit, I took a hasty glance around
! the poor mans home. There was bu1
little furniture save the bed. "a chair OF
| two, and a ricketty table. Upon the lat.
ter was one Of those flat bottles know as
a "quartern.'' Our first attention, how
ever was to the prostrate man. = A single
glance was sufficient to show that he was
dead. His eyes were closed, his hands
clenched and his body was bent as
though he had. expired in a final paroxysn
of agony The teeth, too, were hare
set, and there were certain features abou
| Ills dppcdIdllCt. luoI SdOSCu 1tlC " CA1IC1
tain a grave suspicion from the first. His
thin, consumptive face, now blanched
was strangely drawn, as though the mus
cles had suddenly contracted, and there
was an absence Of that composure one
generally expects to find in the faces
| of those who die naturally. J.
| AS medical man I very soon noted
| sufficient appearances to tell me that
/ death had been due either to suicide OF
foul play. The former seemed to me the
most likely.
| 1'Well?" asked Amber, rising from his
knees when he had concluded the ex.
| animation of the dead mans skinny ill
nourished body. What's your opinion
4 Ralph?''
"IIe's taken poison" declared
i Poison? You believe he's been poi
4 ;soned.''
1 ut may have been wilful murder, or HI
4 may have taken it voluntarily
answered. .tBut it is most evident tha
1 the symptoms are those Of poisoning =
i Ambler gave vent to a low grunt, hal
Z Of satisfaction, half of suspicion. knev
that grunt we'll When on the verge o
any discovery he always emitted that gut
teral sound. . IS Is { 8 i. .f 45 # 5.
Wed better inform the police re
mark 1"That's all we can do Th
poor fellow is dead.
81 Dead! Yes. we know that Blu
we must find out who killed him.,
. ..sWell,'' I said, "I think at presen,
Il Amber, we've quite sufficient on on
hands without attempting to solve an
{ further problems. The poor man ma