Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07

The Police Are at Fault.
Amber Jevons read the letter. then hand
ed It to me without comment.
It was written upon the note paper I
knew SO WELL stamped with the neat ad-
dress 'tNeneford'' in black. but 1t bore no
date. What read was as follows:
''sir-I fail to comprehend the meaning
of your words when you followed me into
the train at Huntingdon last night. am
In no fear of any catastrophe; therefore, 1
can only take your offer OF assistance as
an attempt TO obtain money from me- II
you presume to address me again I shall
have no other course than to acquaint the
police. Yours truly, Mary Courtenay."
"Ahr' I exclaimed. Then he warned
her. and she misunderstood his intention"
without a doubt said Amber, taking
the letter from my hand. This was writ
ten probably only a few days before her
death. That man. and he glanced at the
pros.rate oody. was the only one who
terry" 'Ao NiS"
But the dead mans lips had closed. and
mis- secret was held forever. Only those
IeLlers remained to connect him with the
river tragedy, or rather to show that he
mad communicated with the unfortunate
Mrs. Courtenay
In company we walked to Leman street
police station. one Of the chief centers of
the metropolitan police in the East End
and there, in an upper office, Amber had a
long consultation with the sergeant NJ the
criminal investigation department on duty.
described the appearance of the BODY
and stated my suspicious of poisoning. ali
Of which the detective carefully noted he
1ore going forth to make his own examina-
ton. My address was taken SO that I
might assist at the post-nnortem and then
snortIy after midnight ! drove back west
ward through tho oil
side. CT 'ii'
He spoke little and when in Oxford street
JUST at the corner Of Newman street he
descended, wished me a hurried good-night
ana disappeared in the darkness He was
often given to strange vagaries of erratio
movement. 1t was as though some thought
had suddenly occurred to him. and he acted
at once upon 1t.
That night 1 scarcely closed my ewes
My brain was awhirl with thoughts of ali
the curious events of the past few months
the inexplieable presence of old Mr. Cour-
tenay, and the subsequent death Of Mary
ana the old man who. according to Amber
knew the secret.
Ethelwynn's strange words worried me-
What could she mean? What did she
know? Surely hers could not be a guilty
conscience. Yet, in her words and actions
| had detected that cowardice which a
heavy conscience always engenders. One
by one .dissected and analysed the Seven
Secrets, but not in one single instance
could I obtain a CLEAN of truth
While at the hospital next day I was
served with notice to assist at the post
mortem Of the unfortunate Lane, whose
body was lying in the Shadwell mortuary;
and that same afternoon met by appoint
ment Doctor latham of the London Hos
pttal. who, as Is we'll known. Is an expert
toxtcologist. %
To describe in technical detail the exami-
nation we made would not interest the gen.
eral reader OF this strange narrative. The
average man or woman knows nothing or
cares less for the duodenum or the pylor-
US: therefore 1t is not my intention to go
into long and wearying detail. Suffice 1t
to say that we preserved certain portions
OF the body for subsequent examination,
ing in the laboratory of the hospital. Tat
ham was well skilled In the minutlae of the
tests. The exact determination of the
cause of death In cases of poisoning always
fore death and partly on the appearances
found after death Regarding the former
neither of us knew anything; hence our DIFF
ficulties were greatly increased. The OBJ
5ect of the analyst is to obtain the sub
stances which he has to examine chemi-
cally In as pure condition as possible, so
that there may be no doubt about the re-
suits of his testing; also, of course to sep.
arate active substances from those that are
inert, all being mixed together in the stonl-
ach and alimentary canal. Again, In deal
ing with such fluids as the blood, or the It's
sues Of the body, their natural constituents
must be got rid of before the foreign and
poisonous body can be reached.
There Is this difficulty further to contend
with: that some Of the most poisonous Of
substances are Of unstable composition and
are readily altered by chemical reagents;
to this group belong many vegetable and
most animal poisons. These, therefore
must be treated differently from the more
stable inorganic compounds. With an in
organic poison we may destroy all organic
materials mixed with it, trusting to find
the poison still recognizable after this pro-
cess; not SO with an organic substance;
that must be separated by other than de-
structive means.
Through the whole evening We tested
for the various groups of poisons-corro-
sives, simple irritants, specific irritants and
neurotics. It was long and scientific re-
search.
Some Of the tests with which I was not
acquainted l watched with the keenest inter-
est, for Of all the medical men in London,
latham was the most up to date in such
analyses.
At length, after much work with acids
filtration and distillation, we determined
that neurotic had been employed, and
that its action on the vasomotor system of
the nerves was very similar, If not identt-
cal, with nitrate of amyl.
Further than that even latham. expert
In such matters, could not proceed. Hours
of hard work resulted in that conclusion,
and with 1t we were compelled to be sat
is1ed.
In due course the inquest was held at
Shadwell, and. with Amber, attended
as witness. The reporters, Of course, ex-
pected a sensation; but, on the contrary.
our evidence went to show that, as the
poisonous substance was found In the
"quartern" bottle on deceased's table, death
was in all probability due to suicide.
Some members of the jury took an oppo-
site view. Then the letters we had found
concealed were produced by the police, and.
OF course, created a certain amount Of in
terest. But to the readers OF newspapers
the poisoning Of a costermonger at Shad-
well is Of little interest as compared with
a similar catastrophe in the quarter of
London vaguely known as the West End
The letters were suspicious and both coro-
ner and jury accepted them as evidence
that Lane was engaged upon an elaborate
who is this Mary C6urs9hay. who writes
to him from Neneford?" inquired the cor
oner Of the inspector. 70 3
We'll. SIR the latter responded, "the
writer herself is dead She was found
drowned few days agos near her home
under suspicious circu!ns tances"
Then the reporters Enmptenced to awake
to the fact that somSthtAg extraordinary
was underlying the iniuirE
AhF' remarked the coroner, one Of the
most acute officials of his. class. Then in
face OF this her letter seems to be more than
curious. For aught we know the tragedy
at Neneford may have been willful murder;
and we have now the suicide of the as