The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-19
CHAPTER XVII.

MUST admit that 1t was not en-
tirely owing to disinterested mo-
lives that now took the secret
stand did in Miss Tuttle's favor.
chung to my convictions with an al
most insensate persistence, inwardly de
claring her the victim of circumstances
and hoping against hope that some
clew would offer itself by means of
which I might yet prove her SO.
q. Had Mr.. Jeffrey's alibi been less COM
plete he could not have stood up
against the suspicious which now ran
riot. But there was no possibility of
shifting the actual crime back to him
after the testimony Of so frank and
, Trustworthy man as Tallman. If the
stopping of Mrs. Jeffrey's watch fixed
.Sehe moment of her death as accurate
nv 40 was supposed-and never heard
Che least doubt thrown out in this re-
4 gard-he could not by any means of
transit then known in Washington have
reached Waverley avenue in time to
6re that shot. The gates of the Gene
terry were closed at shutdown. Sun
down took place that night at one min
ute past Z, and the distance into town
is considerable. His alibi could not be
gainsaid. So his name failed to be
publicly preached In connection with
the shooting, though his influence over
Miss futile could not be forgotten
suggesting to some that she had acted
as his hand in the deed which robbed
him of an undesirable wife. But this
would not believe. preferred to ac-
cept the statement that she had stop
ped short of the library door in her
suspicious visit there and that the rib
bon tying. which went for so much.
had been done at home.
Finding myself, with every new con-
sideration of the tantalizing subject.
deeper and deeper in the quagmire of
doubt and uncertainty, 1 sought en-
lightenment by making a memoran-
dun Of the special points which must
u have influenced the jury in their YER
dict, as witness:
M First. The relief shown by Mr.. JEFF
frey at finding an apparent commune
cation from his wife limiting at suicide.
Y Second. The possibility, disclosed by
\ the similarity between the sisters
{ handwriting, of this same communities
ton teing a forgery substituted for
the one really written by Mrs. jeffrey.
Third.-The fact that, previous to
Mr.. Jeffrey's handling Of the book in
which this communication was said to
have been hidden, ii had been seen in
Miss Tuttle's hands
Fourth.-That Immediately after this
che had passed to the drawer where
Mr.. Jeffrey's pistol was kept.
Fifth.-That while this pistol had not
been observed in her hand, there was
as yet no evidence to prove that it had
been previously taken from the draw
er, save such as was afforded by her
own acknowledgment that she had
tied some unknown object, presumably
the pistol, to her sisters wrist before
that sister left the house.
Sixth.-That If this was so, the pis-
toll and the ribbon connecting it with
Mrs. Jeffrey's wrist had been handled
again before the former was discharg-
ed, and by fingers which had first
touched dust, Of which there was
plenty In the old library.
Seyenth.-Tha Miss futile had adj
mitted, though not till after much pre-
varication and apparent subterfuge,
that she had extended her walk on
that fatal night not only as far as the
Moore house, but that she had enter
Cd it and penetrated as far as the IL
brary door at the very moment the
shot was fired within.
Eighth. in acknowledging this
she had emphat1cally denied having as
ISOLATED the firing Of this shot with
any idea Of harm to her sister; yet
. was known to have gone from this
house in condition of mind so serious
that she failed to recollect the places
she visited or the streets she passed
through till she found herself again