The Elbert County tribune., 1909-07-22
NJ


emily coming
from a point near by, in her own
house. had startled her out of her
midnight slumber. Occupying the
back parlor, the door of which she had
LETT open invitingly for such stray
preaths of air as might be enticed
mat way on the sitting hot night
sne had an unobstructed view of
tne nall as, with wide eyes and
pounding pulses, she remained
propped rigidly upon her elbow. The
souno came again-it was a pistol
shot! There could be no doubt this
ume- And almost on the instant she
saw shadowy form spring out from
the front parlor. wrench open the hall
Fdoor. and slamming it violently. dis
appear In the direction of the street
For a long moment she could not
credit her senses. That such actions
as this sight and sound implied could
occur In her own select boarding
house was unbelievable, and effort on
her part was required to adjust her
oewildered mind to the situation. But
sne was woman OF executive ability
In her way, and with comparatiyely
Httie loss OF time she sprang from her
ped' Threw on wrapper and ran along
the hall. The door of the front par
ior was open, and. the shades being
raised, she could discern through the
fitful moonlight shape dimly outlined
on the sofa
Who is there?" she asked in
strained whisper. No answer came.
and she repeated the question. Still
the form neither moved nor spoke.
Cropping until she found a match
she hastily lighted the gas, and then
she recognized the figure as that of
Mr.. Truro. who. with his wife. occu-
pied the room. Dressed in pajamas
solely. as If he had been preparing for
bed. or had recently risen from it, he
was huddled against the arm and back
of the sofa. head lolling, legs relaxed,
and from some hidden part OF his body
thin stream of blood dripped. No
pistol appeared in sight, but little
wreaths Of blue smoke hung over the
taele. and there was a pungent tang
in the dead air, speaking witnesses to
the nature of what had occurred.
Shivering as if with the ague, yet
managing to repress the exclamation
of horror that rose to her. lips, she
looked with dreading eyes in the di-
rectfon of the bed. There lay the wife
almost hidden by the clothes, which
were piled upon her in twisted heaps,
as If the husband jumping suddenly
up had thrown this share of the cover
ing hastily to that side. Her face was
white, the eyes staring; and Mrs Phil
oh tr-tr oh. ,fuI %
for her houses sake, to restrain her
emotion, uttered scream on scream
and fed to her room. shutting and
locking the door after her. But the
sight of the telephone which was in
stalled there directed her energies In
some degree, and after a moment of
effort at collecting her faculties she
hastened to it and summoned the po-
lice.
When the officers and the assistant
medical examiner arrived they found
that the man. though wounded serious
ly in the region of the heart, was
alive, but the woman's eyes were al
ready fixed in the stare of DEATH She
had been shot through the heart. Both
bullets, the one which had found the
wife. and that which had entered the
husband, had been aimed to kill. the |
one unerringly, the other a fingers /
breadth to the right, missing as by a
miracle vital spot.
who done it-how did 1t happen?"
the sergeant of police asked, excitedly. |
of Mrs. Philpots, who, reassured in a
degree by the presence of living hui
man beings, had regained sufficient |
courage to come back to the room of
tragedy. after admitting the officers.
Il heard two shots and saw man
answered in an awed voice, "and that |
is all / know"
did you ever see the man before
what did he look like?"
1T was dark. and | was lying in |
bed. I could not see distinctly at all |
But should say he was small man. |
He had on a derby hat, of that | am |
sure. He had a revolver in his hand.
too. In his excitement he seemed not |
to think of throwing it down, but |
worked away at the door lock still |
holding on to it, and 1t bothered him.
i did not think of this at the moment.
but as look back, that is the way 1t
seems to me-"
You oughter told us this when you
'phoned u.s." the sergeant grumbled-
Then we could be on the lookout for
him on the way here. He's had time
enough to scoot into the next county
now"
II was frightened. scarcely knew
what / was doing"
The sergeant hastened to the tele-
phone and warned his station of the
escape of the assassin. Then he re-