Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-06
CHAPTER vI.-Continued.


There was ample external hemor-
rhage to have permitted the man to
have written the words on the wall OF
the room in which he was found. If so,
Immediately the writing was concluded,
he no doubt died.
Death was painless, and resulted
from internal hemorrhage caused by
the opening Of an artery in the right
lung"
The ringing Of the ONCE ball suspend
I'd the report Of the autopsy over Paul
North's body at this point
DR.. Jarrett rose to meet his caller,
recognizing him at once as the reporter
whom he had met few hours previous
ly at the house in Marlboro street.
"Ah, Thomas" he said, still on the
case. Ell? A very good story, that of
yours in the afternoon paper-very
judicious indeed"
Thanks" the reporter answered.
And now want you to help me get out
an equally good story, or better one,
for the morning. The autopsy was per-
formed at the City Hospital morgue, of
course. Can't you give me the report?"
DR.. Jarrett shook his head and rubbed
his chin.
There isn't . man would sooner
give out the report to than you, Thomas,
but It wouldn't do to have 1t published
before It's submitted. All can say
at this point really Is that I have no
doubt whatever that murder has been
committed"
Mr.. Thomas fingered his watch chain.
mot word more?" he queried.
ell tell you what I'll do, Thomas"
the medical examiner answered, after q
meditative turn up and down the hall
You have kept good many important
secrets when the work Of the authorities
couldn't have been done without your
silence. Ill tell you who assisted in the
autopsy. You could interview him
without mentioning my name in the
matter"
A broad smile illumined the reporters
face, and he presented the medical ex-
aminer with 4 very comprehensive
wink.
"Dr. Francis Huntress is the man."
continued the examiner, confidentially
He has an Office where he lives, at No.
- Greenwich Park
II know him WE'LL" said Mr.. Thomas
as he parted from the doctor; and there
was full justification for the words in
the friendly greeting accorded to him
at the surgeons door. or
Two minutes after he had pulled at
the bell handle, Thomas was comfort
ably ensconced in an easy-chair in the
doctors study, the physician sitting op-
posite to him at his desk, where drop
light burned.
You are the most extraordinary fell
low" the surgeon exclaimed, admiring-
ly, after Thomas had stated his mission.
Some of the morgue people must have
told you l was called in. No? Well,
never mind-we'll assume you OWNED
1t, as you have hundred other matters
supposed to bexthe most profound of
secrets. But I'll tell you one thing, my
black-haired friend. This is one of the
most curious and remarkable cases that
ever came to my attention."
You have no doubt it was case of
murder?" questioned Mr.. Thomas, busy
with his watch charm.
II can ind no other explanation. You
saw the wound; you noticed how the
man lay7 Now the bullet was a 80 cal
iber pistol ball. 1t entered at an angle
Of certainly 10 less than 20 degrees, and
went upwards and inwards in that d.
rection. don't know whether you OBJ
served any traces Of powder on the
mans clothing?"
mo"
''They were there, nevertheless. And
that means that the pistol from which
the fatal shot was fired couldn't have
been held more than three feet away.
At the same time we concluded it must
have been more than two. And this,
you see, effectually disposes of the the
DRY Of suicide"
And now, doctor, want to ask you
Two or three questions. In the first
place, isn't it within the possibilities of
medical science to determine just how
long man has been dead?"
Anywhere within "a or 36 hours,
probably yes"
with how much accuracy"
swell, possibly within an hour"
"As close as that?"
81 believe that most surgeons and
physicians accept the proposition of an
eminent surgeon and chemist who
stated few years ago that the day will
come when we may first determine the
general health of the subject by exam
ination of the other organs, and then
submit the clotted blood in the heart to
microscopic tests. The blood you know,
Is made UP Of three parts-the serum,
and the red and white corpuscl1 The
red corpuscles contain the life. That
life remains for several days after
death il the body is without disease to
induce overrapid decomposition. The
length of time which has elapsed since
the heart ceased to beat may be deter
mined by the amount of life in the red
corpuscles. The same test is also ap-
piled to the contents Of the other ves-
sels."
- 1. NJ