Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-08
CHAPTER vII.--(Continued.)

might have started in to declare Stack
house is my executor or Stackhouse
inherits my property or 'Stackhouse
is anything else you may please to
imagine
"True," said Applebee, doubtfully.
"And then, again, we are not unques-
tionably sure that the writing is intend
ed for Stackhouse, are WEI"
After two hours of inspection and
experiment, am fully persuaded thatit
cannot be anything else"
"And how does Stackhouse himself
impress you?"
"Confound the man! He puzzles me.
had long talk with him this morn
Ing. He carries 80 caliber pistol
There are no signs Of its having been
recently discharged"
e presume he knows how to clean
L." said the chief inspector. dryly.
mo doubt and how to fire it, too.
But what good does that do us? put
the case to him plainly. said: Stack
house, this is no time for CONVENTIONAL
ties. People are beginning to talk. Bet
ter clear 1t up at once by giving me an
alibi.' Shoot me, If he didn't say that
between eight and nine, when Jarrett
says North was shot, he was walking in
the Public Garden alone. smoking
cigar"
Looks bad"
$50 it does But the queerest thing is
that he is not living at home. Where
did Thornton Stackhouse spend last
night? At hts house at the beach, where
the women folk would certainly be ex-
pected to need him at such time as this,
OF all times? No, sir. At the Adams
house,
THAT means trouble in the family"
and very serious trouble. Men quar-
rel with their wives often enough; but
rot often under such circumstances as
these"
How did you find the family?"
frightened to death Stupid. Idiot
&c. Stackhouse's wife alone preserves
her senses, and she is tartar. She
seemed to take my visit as personal
affront, and read me a lecture on pro-
priety. confess lost my temper. DO
you intend to hinder justice all you can,
or to help it?' said l. It's not in my
province to do either she said, with q
defiant look in her eye. I shall let JUS
tice take it's course can forgive a
young woman with plenty of money
for doing great deal, but there's such
thing as OVERRIDING the high and
mighty. l couldn't imagine what made
her seem SO unmoved by her fathers
death till learned that she's not his
daughter after ALL -
MOP"
'sAn adopted child"
Adopted at what age?"
Took her out of the Temporary Home
in Charles street when she was year
DID,
Watch that woman"
You may be sure shall"
"How about the other daughter"
"She's his own daughter, but didn't
see her. was given to understand she
was completely Frustrated by her ia
aer's death. She is between II and 10
years old, and doubt If she could help
US at ALL
But all this doesn't explain what has
unsettled your ideas about Stackhouse.
So far you have only confirmed your
own suspicious"
"Ah, but there have been several new
facts. At an early hour this morning,
deputed two men to make thorough
canvass Of the neighborhoodf for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether anybody
had been seen going in or coming out of
the North house on the night OF the
murder. Unfortunately the people who
live directly opposite, who would be
more likely to have observed than any
body else, left for Newport yesterday
morning. Still, we have found servant
girl, Hannah Doyle, who lives several
houses further down. This woman
positively declares that when she was
returning home after dark about half
past nine on Thursday night, she saw
woman-a young woman, she believes
come down the steps of the North
house and walk away
1.-THE deuce she did! Can she not be
mistaken in the house?"
"She says not. What made her notice
the woman and remember the circum-
stance was the peculiar fact that any
body should be coming out of house
boarded up for the summer. And no
other house for several doors except the
North house is boarded up"
This is important, Applebee."
Il think sc"
''Half-past nine must have been later
than the murder. Consequently the
woman must have been the criminal OF
an accomplice."
"She could not have failed to know
that North had been killed even if she
had no part in the deed. The fact that
she gave no alarm-has not spoken q
word since-declares her completely"
1t seems proof positive"
Another fact, if you please. have
discovered that North had somewhere
In his possession a 80 caliber pistol
That pistol was presumably in the
Marlboro street house on the night Of