The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-10-31

cept that the deed was done. Jack
Buchanan was convicted on circum-
stantial evidence. Old Mr.. Duns-
meir was found one morning in the
pool in the lower terrace of the
grounds. He had been stabbed in
the back. The body had been drag
ged some distanc toward the pool,
and dropped. as If the murderer
had been frightened. 1t was the
knife, sir. that made the trouble for
Jack. 1t was his knife, sure
enough; they proved that beyond a
doubt"
But what motive did they
proven" l asked.
They seemed to find a motive in
the fact that Jack wanted to marry
the old mans daughter. Everybody
believed that Dunsmeir would have
killed the boy If he had got the
chance"
obi" I interrupted, involunta-
rily, Jack Buchanan was evidently
the "whipper-snapper" of my for
mer visit.
The man pulled quietly for a mo-
ment. and then continued:
"They found, too, that Jack had
tried to get the girl away and mar
ry her just the night before the
murder. and that the couple had
been caught red handed by the old
gentleman, and fearful time fol-
lowed"
what were Dunsmeir's objec.
tons to him." interrupted again
"Well, in the first place, Jack
had no money. Then there was
talk that his father. years ago, had
had trouble with Dunsmeir, who
was much older man, over the
girl who afterward became Duns.
meir's wife. However, there was
no question over that point. sir:
everybody knew the feelings the
old man had for the boy"
what became of the girl?"
''Oh, she's abroad, on the CONT
nent, somewhere, with relatives.
She never came back here after the
trial"
did she believe her lover guilty,
do you think?"
My companion smiled.
mot If carrying ON at a dreadful
rate counts for anything" he said
Don't you think she was sin
cere?"
I'm not a married man myself,
and don't take much stock In wo-
men kind" he said. skeptically.
Were there any other lovers?"
"Oh, yes. Her father had always
wanted her to marry Mr.. Knowlton.
And he was anxious enough, was
Mr.. KnowltOn,. but she would have
none of him. He was much older
than she. and | guess she didn't
want to marry him because her
father insisted on it so. Women
will be stubborn, you know, but Mr..
Knowlton was a great chance for
her" %
who found the body?' l asked.
Its supposed, now. sir, that
there was someone with him nearly
all the time of the deed"
"Who? How's that?' de-
manded.
"Old Miss Dunsmeir. the MUIR
dered mans sister. an old spinster,
who rarely got outside Of the house,
was found with the body. by the
gardener"
His sister! He had a sister,"
"She was there, and from the
traces about the place. she must
have been tramping about the bet
ter part of the night"
"And didn't she know
Know? She must have known
1.-THE whole mystery. But she didn't
know that she knew. She had
gone"--- and he tapped his fore
head significantly. 1.-THE servants
declared she was of sound mind the
day before the murder, and had al
ways been SO. Everybody thinks
that, for some reason or other, she
had followed her brother out into
the grounds, and had seen him muir
dered, and that the shock and the
exposure had quite unbalanced her.
She never spoke afterward about
the crime. Not word could ever
be drawn from her."
| What became of herr"
"A nephew from some distant
| city came and took her away"