The Irish standard., 1903-07-04
Mystery Of the
Bayou Woods
By WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1903 b,A. N. Kellogg Newspaper ca.
CHAPTER V.-CoNrrNuED.


all heads turned to look at him as he
made his way to the witness stand.
He was not nervous, though he was
the very picture of forlornness. He
appeared to take only vacant inter-
est in the investigation, and was
either careless or oblivious of his own
danger At the moment he took his
seat every mind there was revolving
the probability of his having been the
guilty cause of the present tragedy.
With a rather bored air he waited
Ale coroner's questions. After giving
his age, name and other formal in
formation, such as is required on oc-
casions Of this kind, he was asked the
following question::
''You and your father were not on
the best of terms, were you?"
"No, SIR
''What was the cause of your fall
sng out?"
"My marriage"
"Why did he object to your mar
riage?"
81 can't see" said Wright, testify,
~what my fathers objection to my
marriage has to do with his MURDER"
ut may have great deal to do
with it, said the coroner, significant
".
ooh, l see,' said Wright, with cool
sarcasm. "You think that perhaps
this may furnish clew TO connect me
with his death. Very well. If the
troubles that have overtallen me and
mine will satisfy your curiosity and
entertain this crowd. why am ready
to narratc them. Ask me what you
will
81 will repeat my former question"
said the coroner. why did your
father oppose your marriage?"
Ellis objection was to my wife?'
Con account of her poverty, or any
thing of that knd?"
mot that | know Of"
ellis objection was a personal one?"
Hardly that For she was beauti-
4. full and amiable as we'll"
81 don't understand then what his
objection to her could have been.
Will you explain it?"
"Well, if you must have it, my
father many years ago got into a
difficulty with his overseer, Jefferson
Baxter, and killed him. 1t was Il very
unfortunate affair in every way, and
reference to it was carefully avoided
in our family. My father was very
taciturn man naturally, and he never
told me anything about it. l was
from home a great deal, having been
sent to college when I was Is, and
never knew the full details of the af-
fair. Indeed I only knew that years
ago he had killed his ovcrsecr and
that he had been cleared by a jury
To make q long story short, my wife
is the daughter of jefferson Baxter
and when my father learned that
was about to marry her he moved
6eayen and earth to break off the
match: but | would not listen to hi:
objections, and he accordingly disin
herited me and forbade me to evel
come again into his presence"
>"You have sometimes solicited ait
of him, have you not?!'
Eyes; | have been very unfortunate
in business. My wife'S continued i'll
ness has been the cause nf my losin:
several good positions, as ! have al
ways tl!orgit t:nt my first duty wa
to her. at times we have been il
great distress, and have gone to III.
FAther to see if he would not relcn
and help us. The last time wen
was a few days befor" his body wa
disroveled; indeed it was the 'la.
before he was mlrdercd.'
Did y"n quarrel with him am
threaten him on that day??'
''D,Jr interview was a little stormy
Gut was half era y with hunger an
despair am certain. however, tina
never threatened him. and ! nevc
ea,atcltn;nrd amy idea of wreakng yer
Nas his privilege to make hinscl
granite toward me If he SO chose"
Can You think o.! anyone VIII
would have u motive for committing
this crime"
Il suppose | could; but | declin
to give my surinise;i for testimony
This answer created cunstlcraDl
speculation, but insist as they woult
the witness could not be made to sa
what they were. His testimony d
vided sentiment, some thinking tina
he was the guilty person, others Sit
ing with him because they believe
he was innocent, or because the
could not blame him much if he ha
rid the earth Of such man as job
T. Wright.
The next witness was young ma
by the name of Frank Bradley, VIII
had been out hunting the same da
as Wright. He was asked whetht
he had hunted anywhere i'll the v
cinity of the murder. He replied
the affirmative.
81 dropped in at Uncle Dicks cab
to get warm" he said, land aft
I had left him and was going to Il
city, met Herbert Wright betwet
there and the city"
%Who is Uncle Dick?"
HE is an old hunter who lives
himself in cabin in the Bayt
Woods. Doesn't have much to do wi
the world, but he's always very gil
to see anybody who comes to l
place.
"Where is his cabin?"
"It's on the long road through t
Bayou Woods"
"You know Herbert Wright?'
eyes; I have known him since
were boys"
"Did you stop and talk any?"
"It was bitterly cold, and
seemed almost frozen. spoke to h