The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-01

ton OF Miss DerwentS visitor and MIS-
Atkins's friend tally on all other points
they differ radically on this one. The
former wore Panama. whereas the latter
wore an ordinary straw hat. Now. one or
those hats must be somewhere in the Rose
mere. and yet can't find it,
Mr.. Merritt" / inquired, have you any
theory as 10 the motive Of this MURDER?
mot as yet he replied 1T may have
been jealousy revenge, or a desire to be
rid OF dangerous enemy, and IL you hau
not given Ii as your opinion that the man
met his death while wholly or semi-uncon-
scious / should have added self-defense to
my list of possibilities. The only thing L
am pretty sure of is-that the motive was
not robbery"
Look here. Mr. Merritt, I can't help
wondering that, whereas you have treated
Miss Derwent with the utmost suspicion,
nave MADE a thorough search OF her apart,
ment, and have even sent sleuth TO watch
her, yet you have shown sucn indifference
to Mrs. Atkinss movements. Surely sus-
picion points quite as strongly to her as to
the young lady?"
mo. it doesn't" replied the detective.
THE key! You forget the key cannot so
far be connected with her. But may ask
who told you that i had neglected to make
inquiries about the lady?'
Nobody; only Inferred i answered.
You we're wrong continued Mr.. Mer-
about Mrs Atkins. / have even sent a
man to Chicago to find out further particu-
lars, although / have already collected
good deal of interesting information about
the little lady's past life"
Really? And was there nothing peculiar
Atkins is the only daughter Of wealthy
saloon keeper, John Day by name, and Is
twenty-six years old. Nothing is known
against her except that in that city she
chose her companions from amongst very
fast crowd. There is also a rumor. which
the Chicago detective has not been able to
verify, that when she was about sixteen or
seventeen years old she eloped with an
Eastern man, from whom she was almost
Immediately divorced. AT any rate, she has
been known for a good many years as Miss
Day, and has lived at home with her father.
The memory of her marriage, IL indeed she
ever was married, has grown so dim that
a great many people. among whom may be
numbered some of her intimate friends,
have never heard of it and vehemently
deny the whole story. / hope, however,
soon TO find out the facts of the case.
Young Atkins met his wife last winter at
Atlantic City and at once fell in love with
her. His father, who is a very wealthy
contractor. was strongly. opposed to the
and thought the daughter of a saloon keep
er whose reputation was none of the best
was no desirable wife for his boy
But they married in spite of him.
said.
Eyes; and old man Atkins has become
reconciled TO them, and makes them a very
handsome allowance"
How long have they been married? L
asked.
"Since the 18th of April" replied the de-
tective, land they were not married In
Chicago, but in this city. 1 guess the lady
was not overanxious to introduce her hus-
band TO her former pals"
al suppose you have searched her apart
ment for possible clew-the hat, for in
stance?"
"Yes; but as she has not been out since
Wednesday, / have not been able to make
as thorough a search as l should like. She
is shy bird. and don't want to brighten
her till have few more facts to go on
If she thinks herself watched she may be-
come wary. while now, / hope, she will
make ., use of her faneied security it, to do
We'll, Mr.. Merritt. | conclude from all
this that, although you are unable to trace
the possession of the key to Mrs. Atkins,
nevertheless your suspicious point towards
her?"
Certainly not There is nothing to con-
meet her with the tragedy except the fact
as that of one of her visitors. On the con-
| trary, the more l look into this case the
| less do see how the lady could be involved
in it. Let us suppose that she did Kill the
| man. Where could she have secreted him
during the twenty-four hours that must
! have elapsed before the body was finally
disposed of? The only place OF concealment
| on the lower floor of her apartment is
| coat closet under the stairs, and l doubt
very much whether small unmuscular
woman like Mrs. Atkins is capable of drag
ging so large man even for a short dis
But" 1 suggested, '.the murder may
have been committed In the hall, just step
| from this hiding place."
| Yes. that is, of course possible. But
there is still another objection. The closet
| is so small that i do not believe a man
could be got into 1t without doubling nlm
| Besides, if Mrs. Atkins is guilty we must
believe her husband to be her accomplish
for who else could have helped her hide
! her victim? Now. you must know that the
| Atkins men, both father and son, bear
most excellent regulations, especially the
young man. of whom every one speaks In
! the highest terms. and L do not think that
a person unaccustomed to deceit could have
] behaved with such perfect composure In
the presence of corpse of which he had
| criminal knowledge"
| s'But he did show some emotion" urged.
"Oh. yes; l know what you mean-when
| he learned that the man was murdered on
Tuesday night he seemed startled.
| "Well, how do you account for that?'
81 don't account for 1t. Why. doctor, in
| a case like this there are hundred things
1 can't account for For instance, what
You have no idea; neither have l.. Why
did she show such emotion at the sight of
the corpse? 1 am not prepared to say.
| heard that the murder occurred on Tues
day? can formulate no plausible explana-
ton for il. And these are only few OF
| the rocks that / am running up against al
the time"
but look here. If you really believe
| Miss Derwent and Mrs. Atkins both inno-
!
| II don't know. Oh. am aware that the
| detective of fiction is always supposed to
| be omniscient, but my profession, doctor,
| is Just like any other. There is no hocus-
| pocus about il. To succeed in ii requires,
| in the first place, accurate and most minute
| powers of observation. unlimited patience,
the capacity for putting two and two to-
gether Add to this an unprecedented mind,
| and last, but not least, respect, amounting
to reverence, for any established fact. Now,
| the only facts We have as yet gathered
about this murder are that the man was
| young. dissipated, and was stabbed through
! the heart by some very small Instrument
or weapon; that his assailan. was an in
| mate of the Rosemere; that the crime was
committed Tuesday night; and lastly,
| that whoever placed the body where it was
! found must. at one time another, have
! had the key to the outside door in his or
| her possession. Whatever else We may
think or believe is purely speculative. We
! presume, for instance. that the man was
| poor AS for the other facts we have
CLEANED about the different inmates of the
building, till know which one of them
had q hand in this tragedy we cannot con-
slider what We have learned about them as
throwing any light on the murder. About
that, as L said before. We know mighty lit
tie, and even that little is the result OF
thirty-eight hours work. not of one man
alone but of seven or eight.
"Indeedr' / exclaimed.
"Now, both ladies deny that they knew
the deceased. and perhaps they are right