Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01
CHAPTER VIII.

| Il. q
CHAPTER VII.
Arrest.
| The success of this interview pro.
voked other attempts on the part of
the reporters who now focked into
the Southwest. Ere long particulars
began to pour In of Mr.. Fairbrother' S
painful journey south, after his illness
set in. The clerk of the hotel in Ell
Moro, where the great mine-owner's
name was found registered at the
time Of the murder, told a story which
made very good reading for those who
were more interested in the sufferings
and experiences Of the millionaire hus-
band of the murdered lady than in
those of the unhappy but comparative
ly insignificant man upon whom pub:
lie opinion had cast the odium of her
death.
1t seems that when the first news
came of the great crime which had
taken place in New York, Mr.. Fair
brother was absent from the hotel on
a prospecting tour through the adj
jacent mountains. Couriers had been
sent after him, and 1t was one OF
these who finally brought him into
town. He had been found wandering
alone on horseback among the defiles
Of an untraveled region, sick and al
most incoherent from fever. Indeed,
his condition was such that neither
the courier nor such others as saw
him had the heart to tell him the
dreadful news from New York, or
even to show him the papers. To
their great relief, he betrayed no cur.
iosity in them. All he wanted was a
berth in the first train going south,
and this was an easy way for them
out Of a great responsibility. They
listened to his wishes and saw him
safely aboard, with such alacrity and
with so many precautions against his
being disturbed that they have never
doubted that he left 81 Moro in total
1 ignorance, not only Of the circum-
stances of his great bereavement, but
Of the bereavement ITSELF
This ignorance, which he appeared
to have carried with him to the Pla.
eide, was regarded by those who knew
him best as proving the truth of the
affirmation ELECTED from him in the
| pauses of his delirium of the genuine.
ness of the stone which had passed
I from his hands to those Of his wife
at the time of their separations; and
further dispatches coming in, some pri
vate and some official, but all insisting
| upon the fact that it would be weeks
before he would be in condition to
submit to any sort of examination on
a subject SO painful, the authorities in
New York decided to wait no longer
| for his testimony, but to proceed at
once with the inquest.
Great as is the temptation to give a
detailed account of proceedings which
we're of such moment to myself, and
to every word of which I listened with
1 the eagerness of a novice and the an.
| guish of woman who sees her lover s
reputation at the mercy Of verdict
which may stigmatize him as pos
sible criminal, see no reason for en-.
numbering my narrative with what
| for the most part, would be mere
repetition of facts already known to
you.
Mr.. Durand's Intimate and sugges
| tive connection with this crime, the
explanations he had to give Of this
connection, frequently bizarre and, ]
must acknowledge, not always con.
| vincing, nothing could alter these
nor change the fact OF the undoubted
cowardice he displayed in hiding Mrs
Fairbrother's gloves In MY unfortu
nate little bag.
i AS for the mystery Of the warning
! 1t remained as much of mystery as
| ever. Nor did any better success fol
low an attempt to fix the ownership Oh
the stiletto, though halliday was ex
hausted in an endeavor to show thai
the latter might have come into Mr.
Durand's possession in some Of the
many visits he was shown to have
made of late to various curio-shops
In and out of New York City.*
(*Mr. Durand's visits to the curfo
shops, as explained by him, were made
with view Of finding casket IL
4 which to place his diamond. This OK
PLANTATION was looked upon with az
much doubt as the others he had of
fered where the situation seemed te
be OF compromising character.)
/ l had expected all this, Just as hat
expected Mr.. Grey to be absent from
the proceedings and his testimony liz
|nored. But this expectation did no
make the ordeal any easier, and wher
II noticed. the effect of witness aftel
witness leaving the stand withou
having improved Mr.. Durand's posi-
ton by a jot or offering any new clue
capable of turning suspicion into
other directions, felt my spirit hard
en- and my purpose strengthen till
hardly knew myself. must have
i frightened my uncle, for his hand was
always on my arm and his chidins
| voice in my ear, bidding me beware
not only for my own sake and his, bu
for that OF Mr.. Durand, whose eye was
| seldom away from my face.
i The verdict, however, was not the
one had SO deeply dreaded. While
1t did not exonerate Mr.. Durand. 1t die
=