The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-27

minute later by a second one. They
slept in adjoining rooms, and Mrs.
King had rushed IN TO Saunders To-
gether they had descended the stairs.
The door Of the study was open, and
a candle was burning upon the table.
Their master lay upon his face in the
center Of the room. He was quite
dead Near the window his wife was
crouciing. her head leaning against
the vail She was horribly wounded,
aud the side OF her face was red with
blood She breathed heavily. but was
incapsSie Of saying anything The
passage as well as the room was full
of smoke and the smell of powder.
The window was certainly shut and
fastened upon the inside Both wo-
men were positive upon the point.
They had at once sent for the doctor
and. for the constable. Then, with the
aid Of the groom and the stable boy,
they had conveyed their injured mis-
tress to her room. Both she and her
husband had occupied the bed She
was clad in her dress he in his dress
ing gown, over his night clothes. Moth
ing had been moved IN the study SO
far us they knew, there had never been
any quarrel between husband and wife.
They had always looked upon them as
very united couple
These were the main points OF the
servants evidence. In answer to In
spector Martin they were clear that ev-
cry door was fastened upon the inside
and that no one could have escaped
from the house. In answer to Holmes
they both remembered that they were
conscious OF the smell Of powder from
the moment that they ran out Of their
rooms upon the top floor Il commend
that fact very carefully to your atten-
ton said Holmes to his professional
colleague. "And now ] think that we
are in a position to undertake a thor
oueh examination Of the room"
The study proved TO be a small cham
Der lined on three sides with books
and with a writing table facing an or
dlnary window, which looked out upon
the garden. Our first attention was
given to the body Of the unfortunate
squire. whose huge frame lay stretch
ed across the room. His disordered
dress showed that he had been hastily
aroused from sleep. The bullet had
been fred at him from the front and
had remained IN his body after pene-
trating the heart. His death had GER
tainiy been instantaneous and painless.
There was no powder marking either
upon his dressing gown or on his
hands. According 70 the country sur
geon, the lady had stains upon her
face, but none upon her hand.
THE absence OF the latter means
nothing, though its presence may mean
everything" said Holmes. Unless the
powder from a badly fitting cartridge
happens to squirt backward one may
fire many shots without leaving a sign.
/ would suggest that Mr Cubitts body
may now be removed. / suppose, doc
tor. you have not recovered the bullet
which wounded the lsdyY
"A serious operation will be necessa-
" before that can be done. But there
are still four cartridges in the revolver.
Two have been fired and two wounds
inflcted. 50 that each bullet can be ac-
counted for.
$50 it would SEEM" said Holmes.
Perhaps you can account also for the
bullet which has so obviously struck
the edge Of the Window"
He had turned suddenly, and bis
long. thin finger was pointing to hole
which had been drilled right through
the lower window sash about ah inch
above the bottom.
by GeorgeT cried the Inspector.
How ever did you see thatT
Because I looked for H."
'Wonderfulw said the country doc
tor. You are certainly right sir. Then
a third shot has been fred, and there
fore third person must have been
present. But who could that have been
and how could he have got awayf"
''rhat Is the problem which we are
now about to solve" said Sherlock
Holmes. you remember, Inspector
Martin. when the servants said that on
leaving their room they were at once
conscious Of a smell Of powder / re-
marked that the point was an extreme.
" important oneT
Yes, sir; but / confess l did not
quite follow YOU"
ut suggested that az the time Of the
firing the window as well as the door
OF the room had been open. Otherwise
the fumes OF powder could not have
been blown 50 rapidly through the
house A draft in the room was nee
essary for that Both door and win
dow were only open for a very short
time, however"
"How do you prove thatP
because the candle was not gut
tered"
"Capltalr cried the Inspector. Gap
italg'
Feeling sure that the window had
been open at the time OF the tragedy,
/ conceived that there might have been
a third person In the AFFAIR, who stood
outside this opening and fred through
IT, ANY shot directed at this person
might hit the sash. looked and there,
sure enough, was the bullet markw
''But how came the window to be
shut and fastened z"
'4Ibc womau's 1rst instinct would be
70 shut and fasten the window. But,
hello! What is thisi"
IL was a lady's hand bag which stood
upon the study tabla-a trim little hand
bag OF crocodile skin and silver.
Holmes opened IL and turned the con-
tents out There were twenty lfty
pound votes OF the Bank OF England.
heia together by an india rubber band