Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-12


 Fad he been aI the Moore house on the night of the 11th at any time pre- vious to the hour when he was brought there by the officials? Fl Mo-
 Would he glance at this impression of certain finger tips which had been left In the dust of the southwest cham Der mantel?
 -i He had already noted them.
 Now would he place his left hand on the paper and sec
 ''It Is not necessary" he burst forth, in great heat. q own to those marks. That is, have no doubt they were made by my hand" Here, mcon- sciously, his eyes flew to the member thus referred to, as if conscious that in some way it had proved a traitor to him; after which his gaze travelled slowly my way, with an indescribable question in it which reused my con- science and made the trick by which 1 had got the impression of his hand seem less of triumph than I had heretofore considered it. The next minute he was answering the coroner | under oath, very much as he had an swered him in the unofficial interview at which had been present. 4 'I acknowledge having been in the 1 Moore house and even having been in its southwest chamber, but not at the time supposed. It was on the previous l night" He went on to relate how, being in a nervous condition and hav- ing the key to this old dwelling in his I pocket, he had amused himself by go- | ing through it's dilapidated interior. All of this made doubtful impression which was greatly emphasized when, in reply to the inquiry as to where he got the light te see by, he admitted that he had come upon candle in an upstairs room and made use of that; . though he could not remember what he had done with this candle afterward, and looked dazed and quite at sea, till the coroner suggested that he might have carried 1t into the closet of the room where his fingers had left their impression in the dust of the mantel- shelf
 Then he broke down like man from I whom some prop is suddenly snatched and looked around for seat This was given him, while a silence, the most dreadful ever experienced, held I every one there in check. But he 1 speedily rallied and, with the remark l that he was little confused in regard I 10 the incidents of that night, waited l with wild look in his averted eye for the coroners next question. Unhappily for him, it was in continu- ation of the same subject. Had he l bought candles or not at the grocer's 1 around the corner? Yes, he had. Be- fore visiting the house? Yes. Had he 1 also bought matches? Yes. What kind? Common safety matches Had he noticed when he got home that the box he had just bought was half emp 1 ty? No. Nevertheless he had used many matches in going through this 1 old house, had he not? Possibly To light his way upstairs, perhaps? It might be. Had he not so used them? l Yes. Why had he done so if he had candles in his pocket, which were so l much easier to hold and so much more lasting than a lighted match? Ah, he could not say; he did not know; his mind was confused He was awake when he should have been asleep. It was all dream to him.
 The coroner became still more per- l sistent.
 l Did you enter the library on your ] solitary visit to this old house?"
 q believe SO"
 t'What did you do there?"
 ''Pottered around. I don't remem- ber."
 .'What light did you user"
 "A candle, I think
 "You must know.''
 ssWell, had candle. It was in a candelabrum."
 ''What candle and what candela- brumY'
 'The same I used upstairs of course'
 "And you cannot remember where you left this candle and candelabrum when you finally quilted the house?' I 'No. I wasn't thinking about can dles.''
 I What were you thinking about?'
 '@The rupture with my wife and the bad name of the house was in.'' I "Oh! And this was on Tuesday 1 night?''
 "How can you prove this to usg'
 q cannot.''
 "But you swear''
 Il swear that it was Tuesday night, the night immediately preceding the one when-when my wife's death rob- bed me of all earthly happiness" It was feelingly uttered, and several faces lightened; but the coroner re- beating, 'Is there no way you can prove this to our satisfaction?' the shadow settled again, and on no head more perceptihly than on that of the unfortunate witness.
 It was now late in the day and the at mosphere of the room had become stifing, but no one seemed to be con- scious of any discomfort, and general gasp of excitement passed through the room when the coroner, taking out box from under a pile of papers, dis closed to the general gaze the famous white ribbon with it's dainty bow, ly