Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-21

+ /. !. + ! + ~ i. .i-.r ~. ..ssA
eerle significance from the pressure OF
her small fingers on my arm and the
wailing sound of the wind which at
that moment blew down in one gust.
scattering the embers and filling the
house with banshee calls. l simply
kissed her and advised her to go back
with me to England and forget this old
house and all its miserable memories.
For that was the sum OF the comfort
at my poor command. When after an
other restless night crept down in the
unused room whose story had at last
learned, cannot say but that half
expected to behold the meager ghost
of the unfortunate general rise from
the cushions Of the prodigious bench
which still kept it's mysterious watch
over the deserted hearthstone."
So much for the passages culled from
the book itself. The newspaper ex-
cerpts, to which next turned, bore a
much later date and read as follows:
"a strange coincidence marks the
death Of Albert Moore In his brother
house yesterday. He was discovered
lying with his head on the identical
spot where General Lloyd fell forty
years before. 1t is said that this sud-
den demise of man hitherto regarded
as model Of physical strength and
endurance was preceded by violent
alteration with his elder brother. If
this is so. the excitement incident upon
such a break in their usually pleasant
relations may account for his sudden
death Edward Moore, tcho unfortu-
nately ICES out of the room tchcn his
brother succxmbed-some say that he Nas
in his grandfafher's room abore-was
greatly unnerved by this unexpected
end to what was probably merely a
temporary quarrel, and now lies in a
critical condition.
1.-The relations between him and the
deceased Albert had always been Of
the most amicable character until they
unfortunately fell in love with the
same woman"
parently from later paper.
1.-The quarrel between the two broth
ers Moore, just prior to the younger's
death, turns out to have been OF a
more serious nature than was first sup
posed. 1t has since leaked out that an
actual duel was fought at that time
between these two on the floor Of the
old library and that in this duel the
elder one was wounded. Some even
60 SO far as to affirm that the lady's
hand was to be the reward of him who
drew the first blood. 1t is no longer
denied that the room ,c0s in great dis
order tchen the servants first rushed IN
at the sound he made In falling. Every
thing movable had been pushed back
against the wall and an open space
cleared, in the center of which could be
seen one drop OF blood. What is GER
tain is that Mr. Moore is held to the
house by something even more serious
than his deep grief, and that the young
lady who was the object OF this fatal
dispute has left the city"
Pasted under this was the following
short announcements:
Married, on the 21st of January, at
the American consulate in Rome, Italy,
Edward Moore Of Washington, d. c.,
United States of America, to Antoi-
nette Sloan. daughter of Joseph Dewitt
Sloan, also of that city"
With this notice my interest in the
book ceased, and / prepared to step
down from the chair on which had
remained standing during the reading
of the above passages.
As did SO l spied slip of paper
lying on the door at my feet. As it had
not been there ten minutes before there
could be no doubt that it had slipped
from the book whose leaves had been
turning over so rapidly. Fastening to
recover 1t, found it to be sheet OF
ordinary note paper partly inscribed
with words in a neat and distinctive
handwriting. This was a great find,
for the paper was fresh and the hand
writing one which could be readily
identified. What l saw written there
was still more remarkable. 1t had the
look Of some Of the memoranda l had
myself drawn up during the most per
picking moments of this strange case.
/ transcribe 1t just as it read:
I'VE have here two separate accounts
of how death comes to those who
breathe their last on the ancestral
hearthstone OF the Moore house library.
Certain facts are emphasized in
both:
Each victim was alone when he fell.
Each death was preceded by scene
OF alteration or violent controversy
between the victim and the alleged
master Of these premises.
.'In each case the master OF the house
reaped some benefit, real or fancied,
from the others DEATH
A curious set Of paragraphs Some
one besides myself was searching for
the very explanation l was at that mo-
ment intent upon. should have con-
sidered it the work of our detectives il
the additional lines I now came upon
could have been written by any one
but Moore But no one of any other
blood or associations could have in
dited the amazing words which follow
ed. The only excuse l could find for
them was the difficulty which some