The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-15

d1ate word from Mr.. jeffrey calculated
to establish the alibi he had failed to
make out on the day we talked with
him. But no such word came His
memory still played him false, and no
alternative was left but to pursue the
official inquiry in the line suggested by
the interview just recounted.
No proceeding in which / had ever
been engaged interested me as did this
inquest. In the first place, the spec
tators We're of very different charac-
ter from the ordinary. AS wormed
myself along to the seat accorded to
such witnesses as myself brushed by
men of the very highest station and a
few Of the lowest and bent my head
more than once in response to the in
quiring gaze of some fashionable lady
who never before, warrant, had found
herself in such a scene. By the time l
reached my place all the others We're
seated, and the coroner raped for or
der.
was first to take the stand. What
in the foregoing pages. OF course. my
evidence was confined to facts, but
some of these facts We're new to most
Of the persons there. 1t was evident
that considerable effect was pro-
duced by them, not only on the specta-
tors, but upon the witnesses them
selves. For instance, it was the first
time that the marks on the mantelshelf
had been heard of outside the majors
Office or the story so told as to make it
evident that Mrs. Jeffrey could not
have been alone in the house at the
time of her death.
A photograph had been taken of those
marks, and my Identification Of this
photograph closed my testimony.
| AS I returned to my seat stole
look toward certain corner where.
with face bent down upon his hand,
Francis Jeffrey sat between Uncle Da-
vid and the heavily yelled figure of
Miss futile.
| was followed by the other detec-
tives who had been present at the
time and who corroborated my state
ment as to the appearance of this I'M
happy woman and the way the pistol
had been tied to her arm. Then the
doctor who had acted under the coro-
ner was called. After long and no
doubt learned description Of the bullet
wound which had ended the life of this
unhappy lady-a wound which he in
sisted, with marked display of learn
ing, must have made that end instan-
taneous or at least too immediate for
her to move foot or hand after 1.-THE
was asked if the body showed any
other mark Of violence.
To this he replied:
4 "There was minute wound at the
base of one of her fingers, the one
which is popularity called the wedding
finger"
This statement made all the women
present stare with renewed interest;
nor was it altogether without point for
the men, especially when the doctor
went on to say:
"The hands were entirely without
rings. AS. Mrs. Jeffrey had been mar.
ried with a ring, I noticed their alb.
sence"
"Was this wound which you charac.
terlze as minute recent one?"
at had bled little. 1t was an abra.
zion such as would be made if the ring
she usually wore there had been drawn
off with jerk. That was the impress.
sion received from it's appearance. ]
do not state that it was SO made"
A little thrill which went over the
audience at the picture this evoked
communicated itself to Miss futile
who trembled violently. 1t even pro
duced slight display Of emotion il
Mr.. Jeffrey, whose hand shook where
he pressed 1t against his forehead. Blu
neither uttered sound nor looked w
when the next witness was summoned
This witness proved to be Loretta
who, on hearing her name called
evinced great reluctance to come for
ward After the coroner had ELECTED
her name and the position she held ii
Mr.. Jeffrey's household he asked
whether her duties took her into Mrs
Jeffrey's room. Upon her replying tina
they did, he further inquired If sh'
knew Mrs. Jeffrey's rings, and coult
say whether they were all to be foun,
on that lady's toilet table after tn
police came in with news Of her death
The answer was decisive. They wer'
ell there; her rings and all the othe
!, ornaments she was in the daily habi
, Of wearing, with the exception Of he
t watch. That was not there.
, did you take up those rngs7"
!, No, sir"
@Did you see any one else take ther
up
mo, sir; not till the officer did so.''
Every well, Loretta. Sit down agai
, hi we hear what Durbin has to sa
t about these rings"
, And then the man l hated came fol
ward, and, though shrank from a.
knowledging 1t even to myself, coul
t but observe how strong and quiet an
, self possessed he seemed and how d.
I cisive was his testimony.
But 1t was equally brief. He ha
, taken up the rings and he had locke
, at them; and on one, the wedding rint