The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-02-09


ter approach it in so stealthy a manner
Consequently she was watching with
all her might when this young lady
opened the upper drawer and with very
evident emotion thrust her hand into it.
What she took out or whether she
took out anything this spy upon her
movements could not say, for when
Loretta heard the drawer being pushed
back into place she drew the curtains
close, percelvng that Miss Tuttle
would have to face this window in
coming back. However she ventured
upon one other peep through them just
as that lady was leaving the room and
remembered as If it were yesterday
how clay white her face looked and
how she held her left hand pressed
close against the folds of her dress 1t
was but few minutes after that Miss
futile left the house.
AS we all knew what was kept In
that drawer. the conclusion was obvi.
Gus. She wished to see If his pistol
was still there or IL 1t had been taken
away by her sister.
The temerity which had made ii pos.
sible to associate the name of such
man as Francis Jeffrey with an out
rageous crime having been thus In
measure explained. the coroner recall.
ell that gentleman and again thorough.
ly surprised the gaping public
Had the witness accompanied his
wife to the Moore house?
NO"
Had he met her there by any ap.
pointment he had made with her or
which had been made for them both
by some third person?
NO"
Had he been at the Moore house on
the night of the 18th at any time pre-
vious to the hour when he was brought
there by the officials?
mo"
Would he glance at this impression
Of certain finger tips which had been
left in the dust of the southwest cham
Der mantel?
He had already noted them.
Now would he place his left hand on
the paper and see
sit Is not necessary" he burst forth,
in great heat. II own to those marks.
That is, have no doubt they were
made by my hand" Here uncon.
/ sclously. his eyes flew to the member
| thus referred to, as If conscious that
in some way it had proved traitor
to him; after which his gaze travelled
| slowly my way, with an indcscribable
/ question in 1t which reused my con
science and made the trick by which
! | had got the impression of his hand
seem less of triumph than | had
heretofore considered 1t. The next
minute he was answering the coroner
under oath, very much as he had an
swered him in the unofficial interview
at which had been present
II acknowledge having been in the
Moore house and even having been in
its southwest chamber, but not at the
time supposed. 1t vas on the previous
! night" lie went on to relate how,
being in Il nervous condition and hav-
ing the key to this old dwelling in his
pocket, he had amused himself by GO
Ing through lis dilapidated interior.
All OF this made n doubtful impression
which was greatly emphasized when,
in reply to the inquiry AS to where he
got the light to see by, he admitted
that he had come upon candle in an
upstairs room and made use of that;
though he could not remember what he
had done with this candle afterward
and looked dazed and quite at sea, till
the coroner suggested that he might
have carried it into the closet of the
room where his fingers had left their
impression in the dust of the mantel'
shelf
Then he broke down like man from
whom some prop is suddenly snatched
and looked around for seat This
was given him. while a silence, the
most dreadful ever experienced, held
every one there in check But he
speedily rallied and, with the remarl
that he was a little confused in rcgarC
TO the incidents of that night, waited
with wild look in his averted eye fol
the coroners next question.
Unhappily for him, it was in continu
alton of the same subject Had h'
bought candles or not mt the grocer
/ dlOllNl INV NOl llNl 'Si W '''' $50
fore visiting the house? Yes, Had HI
also bought matchesf Yes. Wha
kind2 Common safety matches. Ha'
he noticed when he got home that thu
box he had just bought was half emp
ty? No. Nevertheless he had usel
many matches in going through th
old house, had he not? Possibly. II
light his way upstairs, perhaps! !
might be. Had he not so used them
Yes. Why had he done so il he hat
candles in his pocket, which were s.
much easier to hold and so much NOR
lasting than lighted match? All, h
could not say; lie did not know: hi
mind was confused, He was awak
/ when he should have been asleep. |
, was all a dream to him.
, The coroner became still more PEI
, slstent.
t Ibid you enter the library on you
! solitary visit to this old house,
} 81 believe SO"
l "What did You do thereY
y, "Pottered around, don't rcmen
0 her,"