The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-05-10

HtINtt had one brother and sister Nv
tHS, none dead the father and mother
800 nerh Killed years ago by the Yaqui
iitalahs, The family history Was good,
Juan Silva was IS years old, wealthy
lh' healthy, and according TO the
American table OF mortality had an
expectation OF 3l.7S years. We, one
iHoilth after he was dead and his SIS
l'i was TO get 100000. That's a good
asai or money for a greaser," muttered
Cheney. Il never saw one worth that
h.u.n; he agent In the case was X.
~. lhollas. agency manager at Tor
feon, and the premium, $3.50, had been
laiu IN cash on delivery of his policy.
mat night Cheney left for the south
ana hNe days afterwards landed in
i oireon. The Mexican is a suspicious
belfR AT best, and once let a we'll
dressed American (Gringo, as he is
Called alight in one of their towns ana
everybody, from the Jefe Politico down
10 lhe umbles peon, has Il guess az
TO what his business it. Cheney was
no different from the rest. He SPOKE
spanish rather we'll and allowed his
landlord and others to imagine he had
money and wanted to purchase a mine.
L ms was his most plausible tale. be-
cause the SllNas, he learned. lived back
IN the hills and he would have to go
there in the course of the investiga-
tlon. cheney carefully looked up the
parties in the case. Thomas, the agent.
was well Known. He lived well, wrote
a good deal of insurance, drank a good
deal of mescal and pulque, and was
rather familiar With monte. He had a
claim or two, and rumor had it that
ne was going in heavy for mines. He
was reported to have a wealthy broth
er back in the states who would back
him financially. Thomas was a trile
sporty, perhaps, but not enough 10
condemn him, and his accounts were
IN good shane TN1at ,n,,aI l,.,-.
mad learned before leaving New York
Inc Two doctors We're named Wilmarth
ana Suydam. both men of character.
Wllmarth being especially we'll thought
OF by everyone. He had live in Tor
reon for years and had made many
cures considered marvellous by the ma
lives. The Inspector was Charles NJ.
Bun, a plain spoken, honest gentle
man. So much for the insurance side.
Maria Silva, the beneficiary. was
about 20 years old, and. like all Mex
!can women. looked a great deal older.
she wasn't Very popular; in fact, the
Silva family, though reputed to be
wealthy, was not thought much of in
the vicinity of Torreon. Their hacienda
was situated about nineteen miles due
west OF T%orreon, midway between there
and Guarda. Eduardo Silva, brother of
Maria, was a typical Mexican high
roller. The bull fights at Mexico City
and Chihuahua We're always graced by
his presence. Juan Silva, the deceased,
Tor years had been a recluse and was
seldom seen.
The application and examination had
taken place in Torreon, and yet the
physicians affidavit attached to the
death claim had been made in Guarda
and signed by two Mexican doctors,
Beltran and Aguiles by name. The UNI
dertaker also came from Guarda; in
fact, in life the business was trans
acted in Torreon; in death, in Guarda.
The only man who figured in hoth
cases was Thomas, the agency man
ager in Torreon, and the man that
wrote the policy.
That's devilish funny" m,ttered
Cheney as he went over the case.
Why couldn't those death claim pa
pers nave been signed here? DIR. Will
Inm,aaarsn snould nave seen that corpse
cheney determined to take DR.. Will
marth into his confidence. and did so.
The doctor was more thar willing to
help him.
One morning a short time later they
quietly slipped out of Torreon and
that afternoon We're in Guarda. They
called on Drs. Beltram and Aguiles.
They We're good enough doctors and
evidently honest in their statements.
In answer to a question by Cheney
DIR. Beltram said
Yes. he and DR.. Aguiles had at
tended Juan Silva. He a virulent
typhus fever and after a few days
sickness he suddenly died. That was
all they knew of the case"
Not much, is it, DR.. Wilmartla? %
said Cheney.
mo, and L am prone to believe the
doctors"
"Now for the undertaken"
That worthy's name was Sanchez,
and he was a shifty Mexican.
"Ci senior. he had hu1ie6 Juao Sill.
va; such a grand senior he was!"
Cut that, please, senor." snapped
Cheney. You are sure the body was
that of Juan Silva"
"Ah, gracias Dio, senior, have / not
known Juan Silva for many years?
ST. 81. it was his body, there could be
no mistake"
Where did you bury him?"
AT Dolores, on the hill yonder,
senor.'
chez. and Cheney and Wilmarth left.
Doctor" said Cheney. I'm going
to have that body eNhumed. 1 know
it won't be in a very pleasing state,
but you can perhaps tell whether the
body is that of the man o examined
for insurance"
Unless there is a marked discrep-
ancy between the corpse and the
Juan Silva l examined, | may have
trouble in making an Identification,
but we shall see
1t was not an easy matter to get
permission to ave the body exhumed.
but a j%udicious use of money and moral
suasion won out. Two husky poems
were hired and Cheney sent for San
chez, the undertaken, but he had disap-
peared. The party went to the ceme-
terry and after more trouble found the
grave of lar Silva.
Cheney and DR.. Wilmarth sat down
in the shade of a tree while the poems
dug. They ever smoked a corn husk
cigaret or two, so common in Mexico.
Mexican poems will work just SO fast
and no faster. Inc it was slow work
waiting. But finally their shovels
struck the coffin box and a little later
it was lifted out and placed under a
tree. Only a few minutes We're needed
to remove the screws, exposing the
casket. When the lid was lifted and
the contents exposed, DIR. Wilmarth
said:
"Well, by God, colonel. the body has
been destroyed by quick lime"
Cheney looked. The detective was
uppermost now. A few quick motions
and the entire top Of the coffin. was
off. There was a mass of quick lime
and matter exposed, but all semblance