Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-10-21

tirely owing to disinterested mo-
tives that now took the secret
stand did In Miss Tuttle's favor.
chung to my convictions with an al
most fnsensate persistence, inwardly de.
claring her the victim of circumstances
and hoping against hope that some
clew would offer itself by means Of
which I might yet prove her SO.
Had Mr.. Jeffrey's alibi been less COM
plete he could not have stood up
against the suspicious which now ran
riot. But there was no possibility of
shifting the actual crime back to him
after the testimony of SO frank and
trustworthy man as Tallman. If the
stopping of Mrs. Jeffrey's watch fixed
the moment of her death as accurate.
~ as was supposed-and never heard
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 to
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 futile 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
I would not believe. 1 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 tantalizing subject,
deeper and deeper in the quagmire of
doubt and uncertainty, I sought en-
lightenment by making a memoran-
dunn of the special points which must
have Influenced the jury in their YER
diet, as witness:
First,-The relief shown by Mr., JEFF
frey at finding an apparent commune
cation from his wife limiting at suicide.
second.-The possibility, disclosed by
the similarity between the sisters
handwriting, of this same communica-
ton being 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 communication was said to
have been hidden, it had been seen in
Miss Tuttles hands.
Fourtd.-Th Immediately after this
she had passed to the drawer where
Mr.. Jeffrey's pistol was kept.
Fifth.-That 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 il this was so, the pis-
tol 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 Ii
brary door at the very moment the
shot was fred within.
Eighth. -That in acknowledging this
she had emphahcally denied having as
ISOLATED the firing Of this shot witt
| 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 agar
in her sisters house face to face will
an officer.
Nine.-That her first greeting of THU
officer was shrek, betraying knowl
edge Of his errand before he had givel
utterance to word.
Ten.-That the candles found in tn,
Moore house were similar to thos,
bought by Mr.. Jeffrey and afterwart
delivered at his kitchen door.
Eleven.-That she was the only mem
Der of the household besides the cool
who was in the kitchen at the time
and that 1t was Immediately after he
departure from the room that the pack
age containing the candles had beef
| missed.
Twelve.-That opportunities Of com
ing to an understanding with Mr.. JEFF
frey after his wife's death had no
been lacking, and 1t was not until afte
such opportunities had occurred tina
any serious inquiry into this matte
had been begun by the police. T,
which must be added, not in way o
proof, but as an important factor II
the case, that her manner, never open
was such throughout her whole pub
lie examination as to make it eviden
to all that only half Of what had oc
CURED in the Jeffreys' house since tn
wedding had been given out by her O
by the man for whose release from
disappointing matrimonial entangle
ment she was supposed to hav
worked. and this though tile suspicion
hanging over them both called for tn
utmost candor.
Verify q serious list, and opposed t
this ! had as yet little to offer but m.
own belief in her innocence and tn
fact, but little dwelt on and yet no
without Its value. that the none.
which had come to Mr.. Jeffrey ant
the home which had been given he
had both been forfeited by Mrs. JET
frey's death.