Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-23

fly lawyer should confirm, pro forma,
at least, the conclusion Of the police
that he committed suicide by leaping
through his stateroom window into the
bay, but had known as much then as
/ do now 1 wouldn't have troubled YOU.
Meaning thereby, sir" returned
Cronkite, that during my absence you
have come into possession Of evidence
which more than justifies such theory
Il should say, conclusion? In that
case. 1 would be willing to venture a
guess as to the nature Of It."
go ahead, then" the judge agreed
good -naturedly. Such speculation Is
not without its mental value"
Papers were found on the person OF
the deceased. sir, which will entail q
serious loss to his estate"
"I should say SOL" exclaimed the
startled lawyer. Though / can't see
Just what inspired your guess.
"The sealed package found In poor
Barr's inner pocket proved to contain
nothing less than a will duly made and
executed by old Enoch Barr, his faith
er, OF a later date than the one that
was probated. 1t revokes that prior
WILL which gave the entire estate to
David and cut of his younger broth
er, Paul and instead, gives all the
property to Paul. cutting of David
without a cent.
mo wonder the poor man became
so distraught in the lonely watches OF
the night that he cast himself into
those cruel, black waters. The effect
of this will, which he was evidently
too honorable to attempt to dispute,
is to exhaust his fortune and reduce
his daughter Emily to penury."
II see,". said the detective shortly.
well, sir, / presume you would like
me to report the result of my inves-
legations?
II agree with the police that David
Barr took the night boat and retired
early to his large double stateroom;
that he came aboard alone; that he
was not seen to speak with any one,
nor was any one seem to enter his
room. / agree that when his door was
forced open in the morning, after arri-
val, his satchel was on the floor, his
watch was under the pillow and there
were no signs of a disturbance.
"T agree that when his body was
subsequently picked up in the bay II
was properly clad, and his wallet con-
tanning a large sum Of money was.
safe and sound in one pocket, and val
liable papers were intact in the others.
I agree that nothing was missing and
that nothing was found about which
there could be the slightest question
Of ownership. except a wooden cigar
holder with a butt still in it, laid on
a shelf in the stateroom by the smok-
er and then forgotten.
Il admit that the police were so
thorough in their scrutiny that they
ascertained not only that the cigar
was Of a fine grade of tobacco, such
as a gentleman like Mr.. Barr would
choose, but also that 1t was Of the
identical brand he had been long ac-
customed to smoke, there being half
a box in his satchel-"
Hence" interrupted the judge i'm
patiently.
Hence, sir, the conclusion, or theory
rather Of suicide" returned the detec-
tive. And yet, for all that, some one
had been in the stateroom with Mr..
Barr that night. Mr.. Barr gave that
cigar to some one, and some one put
it in his own cigar holder and smoked
it then and there"
'Impossible!'
mot impossible, but certain, sir. l
examined that wooden cigar holder
under my glass. Though made of a
very hard East Indian wood and but
recently purchased, it bears along the
edge Of the mouthpiece faint but un-
mistakable marks of tooth-of tooth
longer and sharper than the others on
that jaw-of long. sharp canine, sir.
Now, Mr.. Barr's teeth were unusually
small and regular, the CANNES so un-
developed as to be rudimentary-"
Hence" interrupted the judge, be-
wildered.
Hence, sir, one clearly demonstrat-
ed adverse fact is sufficient to disprove
the most plausible theory-I may say,
conclusion"
But the alternative"
1.-THE alternative is, sir. that some
one known to Mr.. Barr entered that
stateroom that night. He smoked and
chatted pleasantly for a while. Then
he caught Barr unawares. He choked
him into insensibility; he forced his
body, dead or alive through the win
dow, into the water"
But why? The motive. man! You
yourself say that there was no quar-
rel. you yourself admit that nothing
was missing-the wallet, the watch,
the papers, the satchel, all intact"
True, sir. Nothing was taken from
Mr. Barr's possession: but something
may have been added to them. That
sealed package. for instance, which
nobody had ever seen. containing a
will whose existence had never been
suspected"
The judge ruminated for a moment
and then laughed aloud in high scorn
Actually, Cronkite, you exceed the
limits of credulity," he exclaimed. You
seriously contend that poor old Paul
Barr, a broken man, who has led the
life Of a recluse for years, crushed by
youthful mistakes, too feeble hearted
to retrieve them with the help Of a
brother who would do anything for him
you contend that he had the wit, the
desperate courage, the strength to con-
ceive, to execute such a plot. Ha!
hal"
"Oh, no, 1 don't" the detective re-
tOrted coolly. Mr.. Paul Barr doesn't
"An only daughter, Alice; a puny,
And only daughter, Alice: a puny,
uniformed girl. Worse and worse,
Cronkite"
who, not withstanding. will inherit
the vast fortune which comes to her
father through the will in the sealed
package, sir. Who. Notwithstanding
hy q