The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-06-06
CHAPTER XVIII.

and some even went SO far as to give q
plan of the house, with dotted lines there
on, to show how the crime was commit.
ted.
Rumors were started that the govern
ment analyst and DR.. Gollipeck had found
poison In the stomach, and that, moreover,
the real criminal would be soon discov-
cred. Public opinion was much divided
as to who the criminal was-some, hav.
ing heard the story of Madame's marriage,
said it was her husband; others insisted
| Kitty Marchurst was the culprft, and was
trying to shield herself behind this wild
story of the hand coming from behind the
curtains; while others were in favor Of
suicide. At all events, on the morning
when the inquest was resumed the court
was crowded, and a deep silence pervaded
the place when the government analyst
stood up to give his evidence. Madame
| Midas was present, with Kitty seated be-
side her, the latter looking pale and III I;
and Kilsip, with gratifed smile on his
face which seemed as though he had got
clue to the whole mystery, was seated
| next to Calton. Vandeloup, faultlessly
dressed, and as cool mad calm as possi-
bic, was also IN court and DR.. Gollipech,
as he awaited his turn to give evidence,
could not help admiriny the marvellous
nerve and courage Of the young man.
The government analyst dcposed that
the stomach of the deceased had boen sent
to him to be analyzed. He had used the
usual tests, and found the presence Of the
| alkaloid of hemlock, known under the
name of coma. In his opinion the death
of the deceased was caused by the admin.
istration of an extract of hemlock.
There was great excitement when this
evidence was concluded, as it gave quite
new interest to the case. The question
as to the cause of death was now set at
rest-the deceased had been murdered,
DR.. Gollipeck stood up to give his evi.
deAce.
He deposed that he was medical prac-
titioner, practicing at Ballarat; he had
seen the report of the case in the papers
and had come down to Melbourne as he
thought he could throw a certain light
on the afair-for instance, where the
poison was procured. About three years
ago crime had been committed in Paris,
which caused a great sensation at the
time. The case being a peculiar one. was
reported in medical work, by Messieurs.
Prevol and Lebrun, which he had obtain
ed from France, some two years back.
The facts of the case were shortly these
One Adele Blondet died from the effects
OF poison, administered to her by Octave
Braulard, who was her lover: the deceased
had also another lover, called Kestrike.
who was supposed to be implicated in the
crime, but he had escaped; the woman
in this case had been poisoned by an ex.
tract of hemlock, the same poison as in
the case Of Selma Sprotts, and 1t was
the similarity of the symptoms that made
him suspicious of the sudden death. Brau.
lard was sent out to New Caledonia for
the murder. While in Paris he had been
a medical student with two other gentle
men, one of whom was Monsieur Prevol,
who had reported the case, and the other
was at present In court and was called
NJ. CASTOR vandeloup. NJ. vandeloup
had manufactured the poison used in this
case, but with regard to how it was ad-
ministered to the deceased, he would leave
that evidenos to NJ. Vandeioap Aimself.
When Gollipeck left the witness box
there was a dead silence, as every one
was too much excited at his strange
story to make any comment thereon. Mad
anne Midas looked with some astonishment
on Vandeloup as his name was called
out, and ne moved gracefully to the wit
ness box, while Kitty's face grew paler
even than 1t was before. She did not
knew what Vandeloup was going to say,
but great dread seized her, and she sat
staring at him as if paralyzed. Kilsip
stole look at her and then rubbed his
hands together, while Calten sat scrib-
bling on his note paper.
NJ. CASTOR Vandeloup, being sworn, de-
posed: He was a native of France, of
Flemish descent; he had known Braulard
intimately; he also knew Prevol; he had
been eighteen months in Australia, and
for some time had been clerk to Mrs. VIII
liers at Ballarat; he was fond of chem
istry-yes; and had made several expert
nents with PERSONS while up at Ballarat
with DR.. Gollipeck, who was a great tor
icologist he had seen the hemlock in the
garden Of an hotelkeeper at Ballarat, call
ed Twexby, and had made an extract
therefrom he only did it by way Of e1-
pertinent, and had put the bottle contain
ing the poison in a desk, forgetting all
about it; the next time ne saw that bottle
was in the possession of Miss Kitty Mar
churst she had threatened to poison her
SELF he again saw the bottle in her pos
session on the night of the murder; this
was at the house of NJ. Meddlechip. A
report had been circulated that he was
going TO marry Mrs. Villiers, ard Miss
Marchurst asked him if it was true; he
had denied it, and Miss Marchurst had
said that sooner than he should marry
Mrs. Villiers she weuld poison her; the
next morning he heard that Selma Sprotts
was dead.
Ito be continued.)
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