Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-13

wanted His work consisted in writ ing all the morning to the professors dictation, and he usually spent the evening in hunting up references and passages which bore upon the next days work This Willoughby Smith has nothing against him, either as a boy at Uppingham or as young man at Cambridge. 1 have seen his testi- monials, and from the first he was a decent, quiet, hardworking fellow, with no weak spot in him at all. And yet this is the lad who has met his death this morning in the professors study under circumstances which can point only to murder."s
 The wind howled and screamed at the windows. Holmes and l drew closer to the fire, while the young in spector slowly and point by point de veloped his singular narrative.
 If you were to search all England, said he, T don't suppose you could find a household more self contained or freer from outside influences. Whole slssMeeks .woad pass and not one ,of. tlGm, go past the garden gate. The pro- lessor was buried in his work and ex- isted for nothing else. Young Smith knew nobody in the neighborhood and lived very much as his employer did. The two women had nothing to take them from the house. Mortimer, the gardener, who wheels the bath chair, is an army pensioner, an old Crimean man of excellent character. He does not live in the house. but in three roomed cottage at the other end of the garden. Those are the only peo; pie that you would find within the grounds of Yoxley Old Place. At the same time the gate of the garden is a hundred yards from the main Lon don to Chatham road. It opens with latch. and there is nothing to pre- vent any one from walking in.
 Now l will give you the evidence 1 of Susan Tarlton, whc is the only per. son who can say anything positive | about the matter. It was in the fore ] Uobl. uflNttu II sht "oo th | gagged at the moment in hanging some | curtains in the upstairs front bed room. Professor Coram was still in bed. for when the weather is bad he seldom rises before midday. The house. keeper was busted with some work in the back of the house. Willoughby Smith had been in his bedroom. which he uses as sitting room, but the maid heard hiLa al that moment pass along the passage and descend to the study immediately below her. She did not see him, but she says that she could not be ml-,sken in his quick, firm tread. She aid not hear the study door close. but a minute or so later there was a dreadful cry in the room below. It was a wild. hoarse scream. so strange and unnatural that it might have come either from a man or a woman At the same instant there was a heavy thud which shook the old house. and then all was silence. The maid stood petrified for moment. and then. recovering her courage. she ran downstairs. The study door was shut. and she opened it. Inside young Mr. wliIOugbby Smith was stretched upon the floor. At first she could see no injury. but as she tried to raise him she saw that blood was pouring from the underside of hts neck. It was pierced by very small but very deep wound. which had divided the carotid artery. The instrument with which the injury had been inflicted lay upon the carpet beside him It was one of those small sealing wax knives to be found on old fashioned writing tables with an ivory handle and a stiT blade It was part Of the fittings Of the professors own desk
 At first the maid thought tat young Smith vas zlrsady dead. but on pour ing some water from the carsfe OTe7 his forehead he oVeneI his eyes for an instant sThe prOfeSsor.' he murInur- ed-Ts was she The maid l. prepared to swear that those were the ex2cI words He triel deSpersteiy 10 say something sIse- and be held hiS rieni hand uP ia the air Then he fell back dead
 In tie mesntime the housekesFe- had also arrived upoa the scene- b1' she Wzs just too late to cztcA the y0za- mans dyiEz roris Leaving Susan vfsb t1r bsiT. she kg-ried to the Tro fessorrs r3u@L He was sitting EP Ia bed bo-T1blT zzitsssd- fo- h< lad hfzr'