Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-11-17
in THE SHADOW OF SHAME !
c.,,dsh,isolhx L - Author o Die Of
q Destiny An Excel
T. Fitzgerald n>"oy isat Knavs" Etc.
Copyright 1901 by
I. Fitzgerald MAlloy
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER vi.
The murlnur OF a restless crowd, the
shuttle of feet, the noise OF jurymen
taking their places the whispering of
newspaper reporters the quick tread
of policemen passing to and fro, the
rustic of lawyers papers. and the bang
ing of doors ceased, and absolute silence
fell upon all as Olive Dumbarton took
| the place assigned to her in the COR
oner's court. In front of the unhappy
woman, who was dressed in black and
heavily yelled, sat her solicitor, George
| Coris, beside her George Bostock, with
I DIR. Quave and his son. Her daughter
and the servants We're In an adjoining
/ room, 1t being considered desirable that
! each witness should be examined out
of the hearing of the others.
After the preliminaries, including the
calling of the roll of jurors, the identi-
/ fication of the deceased, and the state
ment regarding the cause of his death
given by DIR. Quave the coroner adj
dressed the jury. These proceedings,
/ he said We're held to inquire truly not
only how David Dumbarton came to
/ his death, but likewise to enable the
/ jury to decide, if possible, by whom
that death had been caused.
Unhappily they We're all aware on
4 whom 1T was that the graNeSt suspicion
had fallen. 1t would be idle not to sup
pose that each and every one of them
/ did not know some of the circumstan-
ices of the case, either by means of
the press or in other ways, and 1T was
probable they had discussed the matter.
i But he knew perfectly we'll that now
| they had ceased to be irresponsible
4 members of society," and We're there,
\ a sworn Jury, to decide If this We're a
%, tn ha To
would have no difficulty in Diminishing
| from their minds all they had heard or
read.
| He would lay before them as briefly
and plainly as possible the statement of
this case. But before doing SO he would
have TO go back some years previous
Ito the date of this tragedy.
The deceased, David Dunbarton, had
some eighteen years ago married Il
lady about five years his junior.
I Though their domestic life began in
happiness, 1T was soon overclouded by
misery, solely owing to the habits and
disposition of the husband After a
period on which 1T would be too painful
TO enter, David Dumbarton deserted his
wife, only to strive to rejoin her when
She had earned independence and fame
by her industry and talents This pro-
ject she opposed, not only for her own
sake, but for that of her child A COM
husband and wife. For n certain sum
he cnnsented that n legal separation
should he granted her. and having re-
ceived this he left England, promising
never more to modest her.
Unfortunate for himself, this promise
was not kept, for after little more
than five years' absence he returned
to London and Immediately wrote
letter which would be read In the
ro,1rse of evidence. n letter as they
would see. which contained more of a
demand than n request. Whether an
ansWere had been made to this or not,
had vet ia become known.
The next principal fact was that on
the night of the 21st of September,
David Dumbarton entered his wife's
house i'm the Eoxton road. ST. Johns
Wood. and was there found dead at her
feet, they being the sole occupants of
The room where the tragedy occurred.
while the knife which had Undoubtedly
caused his death was seen in her hand
They would hear the evidence, and it
would be for them to decide whether
Tho case should he sent to another
court or not.
Before the examination of the wit
nesses began, plans os the house where
David Dumbarton met his death and of
the garden surrounding it, were sub
mitted to the Jury, the draughtsman
giving his testimony as to their ac-
curacy.
Then Olive Dumbarton was called,
when summoning her strength to sup
press her emotion and wear SEM
blance of composure, she rose and went
forward. AS she stood before the cor
oner, her limbs trembling, her brain
Keeling, she was acutely aware of the
stimulous of excitement caused by the
prospect of catching sight of her coun-
tenance as she drew back her veil,
and of hearing her voice as she gave
her evidence. She was conscious that
all eyes We're Watching hers: that many
lips whispered comments on her; that
the faces stretched forward appeared
cruel in the hungry eagerness of their
morbid and vulgar curiosity.
In a low tone, and without hesitation,
she answered the questions addressed
to her by the coroner, in this manner
telling the story of the scene which
ended in her husbands tragic death.
Then came the queries that touched
the case more closely, to all of which
she replied simply. clearly, ANONYMOUSLY.
She was not aware the garden door
was unbolted on the night in question.
| The servant had directions to keep it
fastened. She had allowed the window
of her room to remain open because
she had felt the night oppressive. Her
first impression of the man who entered
her study was that he was mad or
drunk. She had not fled from him, as
she had not presence of mind or cour-
age for such an action. He had
seemed terror stricken. but had not
said he had been pursued nor did he
mention any name. She could not tell
why he had called out to her for mercy.
unless in his delirium he had mistaken
her for the person who had Wounded
him. She did not remember hearing
any other footsteps save his own, or