Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-17

l chung to my convictions with an al
most insensate persistence, inwardly de
claring her the victim of circumstance
t and hoping against hope that som,
clew would offer itself by means O
which l might yet prove her so.
Had Mr.. Jeffrey's alibi been less com
plete he could not have stood W
against the suspicious which now raj
riot. BIT there was no possibility Of
shifting the actual crime back to hin
after the testimony of SO frank anC
trustworthy man as Tallman. If the
stopping Of Mrs. Jeffrey's watch fixed
the moment OF her death us accurate
ly as was supposed-and never hearG
the least doubt thrown out in this re
gard-he could not by any means OF
transit then known in Washington have
reached Waverley avenue in time tc
fire that shot. The gates Of the GENE
terry We're closed at shutdown. Sun
down took place that night at one min
ute past Z, and the distance into town
is considerable His alibi could not be
gainsaid. SO his name failed to be
publicly preached in connection with
the shooting, though his influence over
Miss Tuttle could not be forgotten,
suggesting to some that she had acted
as his hand in the deed which robbed
him of an undesirable wife But this
/ would not believe. preferred to ac-
cept the statement that she had stop
ped short of the library door in her
suspicious visit there and that the rib
bon tying, which went for so much,
had been done at home.
| Finding myself with every new con-
/ sideration of the tantallzing subject,
deeper and deeper in the quagmire Of
doubt and uncertainty. I sought en-
lightenment by making a memoran-
dun of the special points which must
have influenced the jury in their YER
dict. as witness:
| First.-The relief shown by Mr.. JEFF
| frey at finding an apparent communi-
| cation from his wife limiting at suicide
| Second.-The possibility, disclosed by
| the similarity between the sisters
| handwriting, Of this same communica-
ton being n forgery substituted for
the one really written by Mrs. Jeffrey.
Third.-The fact that, previous to
Mr.. Jeffrey's handling of the book in
which this comm nication was said to
have been hidden. it had been seen In
Miss Tuttle's hands.
Fourth.-That Immediately after this
she had passed to the drawer where
Mr.. Jeffreys pistol was kept.
Fifth.-Tkat while this pistol had not
been observed in her hand, there was
as yet no evidence to prove that it had
been previously taken from the draw
er, save such as was afforded by her
own acknowledgment that she had
tied some unknown object, presumably
the pistol, to her sisters wrist before
that sister left the house,
Sixth.-That II this was SO, the pis-
toll and the ribbon connecting it with
Mrs. Jeffrey's wrist had been handled
again before the former was discharg
ed, and by fingers which had first
touched dust, Of which there was
plenty in the old library.
Seventh.-That Miss futile had ad-
mitted, though not till after much pre-
varication and apparent subterfuge,
that she had extended her walk on
that fatal night not only as far as the
Moore house, but that she had enter
ed it and penetrated as far as the IL
brary door at the very moment the
shot was fred within.
Eighth. in acknowledging this
c1, 1,oI hot tool 1y fo1 hO y,jn
ISOLATED the firing Of this shot with
any idea of harm to her sister; yet
was known to have gone from this
house in condition Of mind SO serious
that she failed to recollect the places
she visited Or the streets she passed
through till she found herself again
in her sisters house face to face with
an officer
Nine-That her first greeting of this
officer was a Shrek, betraving knowl-
edge of his errand before he had given
utterance to word.
Ten.-That the candles found in the
Moore house were similar to those
bought by Mr.. jeffrey and afterward
delivered at his kitchen door.
Eleven.-That she was the only men, |
Der Of the household besides the cook |
who was in the kitchen at the time, /
and that 1t was Immediately after her
departure from the room that the pack
age containing the candles had been
Twelve.-That opportunities of COM
ing to an understanding with Mr.. JEFF
frey after his wife's death had not
been lacking, and it was not until after
such opportunities had occurred that
any serious inquiry into this matter
had been begun by the police. To
which must be added, not in way Of
proof, but as an important factor in
the case, that her manner, never open,
was such throughout her whole pub
lie examination as to make it evident
to all that only half Of what had oc-
Cured in the Jeffreys house since the
had been given out by her o.
by the man for whose release from
matrimonial entangi
ment she was supposed to hay
and this though the suspicioi
hanging over them both cllled for tn,
almost candor.
Verify a serious list. and opposed TO
his had as yet little to offer but my
'wn belief in her innocence and the
act, but little dwelt on and yet not