Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-09-21
CHAPTER x.

a Jury O. men, GU01eA Win NAe @sAA~
ful selection always made by the cor
oners officer, and with such extraordi-
nary happy reuslts, sat sOlemnly and
listened 10 the evidence after hearing
the c0r0uers preliminary address, and
viewing the body OF the deceased.
Witness by witness, all were ex-
amiued. John Whyley told all he
knew. and produced the me-pre-
server; Richmond Charley, brought
from her fathers bedside, where he
Law perfectly fnsensibIe, gave her &C
count of the proceedings, and directly
after Joined Janet Heath, who was
her companion, and sat down 70 try
once more 20 disentangle her thoughts,
which. from the time she had LETT the
surgery with the bottle OF choral till
she was alarmed by the persistent ring
ing Of the doctors uight-bell, had been
i'm a state Of wild confusion.
Hendon Charley gave mis- evidence.
How he had been spending the even
IN with a gentleman OF his acquain-
lance. and on letting himself in with
his latch-key he had heard voices In
the surgery. and gone there.
Mr.. James POynter. the gentleman
with whom HendOn Charley had been
dining corrobOrated the last witness.
ard seemed disguised that he had not
a better part to play, especially after
his announcement 10 the coroner that
he was a great friend Of the family.
For some reason of their own, the
saplent jurymen exchanged glances
several times during the evidence OF
the last two witnesses, and shook their
heads. while one man began to make
notes on the sheet OF paper before
him with a very scratchy pen where
upon two more Immediately caught
the complaint. and the foreman regret
ted to himself that he wasn't as handy
with ink as he could wish.
The surgeon was of course a very
important witness, and he told how
the man upon whose body the inquest
was being held had undoubtedly died
of an excessive dose OF hydrOcyanic
acid. of which poison there was,
naturally enough, a bottle in the doc
tors surgery; but how 1t had been
administered. whether by accident,
purp0sely. or with suicidal intent, it
was impossible 10 say; and apparently
the only man who could throw any
light upon the subject was Doctor
Charley himself, who was now lying
in a precari0us state, perfectly insen-
sible from the pressure of bone upon
the brain, and too feeble for an Oper-
alton to be performed.
Not the only man." said one OF the
jury; three men were seen by the
policeman 20 leave the surgery"
The coroner said Exactly" and
there was a muTmur OF assent; while,
after stating that 1t was impossible 10
say how long DR.. Charley would be
before he could appear, and that it was
quite possible that he would never be
able to give evidence at all, the sur
geOn's evidence came TO an end.
Elizabeth Gundry was called; and a
MISUNDERSTANDING smudgy woman
came forward, trembling and fighting
hard not 10 burst into tears, hysterical
sObbing having filed up SO much or
her time since the foggy night that her
voice had degenerated into an appeal
ing whine. She was smudgy-loOking,
but undoubtedly clean; only life in
underground kitchens. and the ingram
ing OF London blacks with the baking
process OF cookery. had given her skin
an unwhOiesOme tinge which her red
dened eyes did not improve.
Questioned, she knew nothing but
that she thought she had heard the
doctors bell ring; but that she always
put her head under the clothes If she
did hear 10, and she did so that night.
Further questioned why. she said with
sObs that IL was a very large house.
and nobody was kept but her and Bob /;
and she was that tired when she went
% bed that she thought IL weren't fair
to expect her TO get up and ansN er the
night-bell, and so she never would hear
ID IL ID rang. IL warn't her place; for
though she did housemaid's work, and
there was two sets Of fr0nt-dOor steps.
she considered herelf a cook"
Here there was a furious burst OF
sobbing. and the foreman Of the jury
wanted to know why.
Now he. being a pleasant-Iooking
man, won upOn Elizabeth Gundry more
than the coroner did, that gentleman
being suggestive OF an extremely sharp
rafting terrier grown Tat. So Elizabeth
informed the foreman that her grief
was. Of course, partly on account oi
master. and she thought ID very shock.
ing for there to be a murder I'm "ouI
house" but what she wanted 10 know
was what had hecme oil Bob. whom she
was sure one Of those bad men had
smuggled away under his coat.
OF course, this brought Bob 70 the
front, and. growing garrulOus now.
Elizabeth informed everybody that
Bob was a regular limb. but evidently
a favCrite: and since Bob had
answered her out OF the surgery re
Esrding his supper. Bob had not been
seen ar heard Of. and ID was heI
A.