Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-14

Uf physical and mental suffering on the
part of BJthamicy. and this iact was
one OF the strongest arguments pro-
duccd by thc advocates or the suicide
theory. IL was entirely reasonable 70
suppose that a man OF Eothamley's
evident refinement. after deserving mis-
family under stress 81 "a mad iniatua-
ton for the vile os another man.
should suffer "a mental wrench 40 tho
death OF his inamoraa that mieht UNI
balance his miud and drive him 90
suicide in the solitude OF a frontier
trail This was an easily spun theory.
and one THAI appealed STRONGLY 90 the
sentimCntal.sts.
Personally. / did not believe that the
Engiishman had sent bullet through
his own brain. I believe tho records
OF crime viii bear me out in "a gem
eral oonclusion-that the man who
filings moral legaland social obligations
20 the winds, as Bothamley had done
when he eloped with Mrs. Miller. Is
seldom nodded OF such delicate clay
as % blow out his brains when his
companion In sin dies. To follow the
course that Bothamley had followed
In England a man must be essentially
selfish; and selhshness Of this kind
does not beget self-destruction. To my
mind IL was more probable that Both
amley had formed another liaison than
that he had destroyed himself on ac-
count OF the tragic ending Of the first
Suicide under these circumstances
would have been the natural refuge
al "a or 81
In additional support OF my belief
that Bothamley had been murdered,
there were several corroborative phys
Zeal circumstances. One OF the most
convincing Of these was the fact. well
established by science. that the human
animal instnctively shuns the point
ing of a pistol 20 the eye when about
TO take It's own life. The bullet had
entered Bothamley's face just under
the right eye. Scientists assert that
there is not a single record OF suicide
by shooting ia which the weapon has
been aimed at The eve. and they go so
far as to claim that such a course
would be impossible. To press the
muzzle OF the weapon against the
forehead or the temple, thus hiding IL
from the vision. in common; 10 point
the weapon at the eye is unheard Of.
Another circumstance going TO dis
prove the suicide theory was the find
Ing OF the pistol a self-acting Colts
OF 40 caliber, by the side of the BODY
In such position that It seemed i'm
possible for il to have fallen there had
the shot been fred by Bothamley him
self And. further. there we're no
powder marks. according to vetter and
Dodson, on the mans face when
found
But the murder. II It was such.
could never be established, and the
guilt OF the murderer proved with
theories. The case vas under the gem
eral supervision Of United States Dis
trict Attorney j r. HalloweI. but the
local authorities had done abOut all
that lay in their power. Col. HallowelI
left me 70 my own devices in the work
that followed. merely saying that the
department Of justice very much de-
sired to have the murderer punished.
Truth compels NE TO say that I saw
but one promising path to travel. and
that was an investigation of the career
Of the woman whom BcthamIey hed
introduced as his sister. and with
whom he was making the journey to
Texas when he met ois death. From
all ! was able TO learn Of The dead
Englishman he was man who was
more likely to meet his desth through
ENHANCEMENT with woman than at
the hands Of IN 1isns or desperadoes.
I had studied The ry-0fahfIftfos ~ vo,,~
der at the hands Of the last two
agencies and found thsrn weak. There