Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-15

right Mr.. Durand We can not afford
to disturb SO distinguished person
as the one you have under your eye.
while the least hope remains of fixing
this crime elsewhere. And we have
such hope. This man, this Sears, is
by no means the simple character one
would expect from his position. Con.
sidering the short time we have had
ut was only yesterday that Jones
found his way into this ofice), we
have unearthed some very interesting
facts in his regard. His devotion to
Mr.. Fairbrother was never any secret,
and we knew as much about that the
day after the murder as we do now.
But the feelings with which he regard.
ed Mrs. Fairbrother-well, that is an.
other thing-and 1t was not till last
night We heard that the attachment
which bound him to her was OF the
sort which takes no account OF youth
or age. fitness or unhtness He was
no, Adonis, and old enough, we are
told, to be her father; but for all that
We have already found several persons
who can tell strange stories OF the
persistence with which his eager old
eyes would follow her whenever
chance threw them together during
the time she remained under her hus-
bands roof; and others who relate.
with even more avidity, how, after her
removal to apartments OF her own, he
used to spend hours In the adjoining
park just to catch glimpse Of her
figure as she crossed the sidewalk on
her way to and from her carriage. In.
deed, his senseless, almost senile pas
sion for this magnificent beauty be.
came by-word in some, mouths, and
1t only escaped being mentioned at
the inquest from respect to Mr.. Fair
brother, who had never recognized
this weakness in his steward, and
from its lack OF visible connection
with her horrible death and the steal
Ing of her great Jewell Nevertheless
we have witness now-it Is astonish
ing how many witnesses we can scare
UP by little effort, who never
thought Of coming forward themselves
who can swear to having seen him
one night shaking his fist at her re.
treating figure as she stepped haught.
lily by him into her apartment house.
This witness is sure that the man he
saw thus gesticulating was Sears, and
he is sure the woman was Mrs. Fair.
brother The only thing he Is no,
sure of is how his own wife will feel
when she hears that he was in that
particular neighborhood on that par
ticular evening, when he was evident.
ly supposed to be somewhere else"
And the Inspector laughed
rs the stewards disposition bad
one" I asked, that this display of
feeling should impress you SO much ?"
I don't know what to say about
that yet. Opinions differ on this point,
His friends speak Of him as the mild
est kind of man who, without native
executive skill, could not manage the
great household he has in charge. His
enemies, and we have unearthed a
few, say, on the contrary, that they
have never had any confidence in his
quiet ways; that these were not in
keeping with the fact OF his having
been a California miner in the early
ffties.
"You can see am putting you very
nearly where we are ourselves. Nor
do see why should not add that
this passion of the seemingly subdued
but really hot-headed steward for a
woman, who never showed him any.
thing but what he might call an In
sulting Indifference, struck US az a
clue to be worked up. especially after
We received this answer to telegram
we sent late last night to the nurse
who is caring for Mr.. Fairbrother In
New Mexico"
He handed me a small yellow slip
and / read:
"The steward left Mr.. Fairbrother
at Ell Moro. He has not heard from
him since.
Annetta La Sierra 8
For Abner Fairbrother."
eat Ell Moro?' cried. "Why, that
was long enough ago
For him to have reached New York
before the murder. Exactly so, If he
took advantage of every close connec.
ton"