The Forrest City times., 1909-05-14
TRACED Y of the Brook
By DR.. George F. Butler bert -
y DR.. George F. Butler and Herbert UyIev


were crossing Winchesters field, ma
king short cut for home and break
fast, when one of their number uttered
a cry of horror and broke into run.
His companions stared after him, at
first in wonder. but the next moment
they. too, were running in the same
direction. and in a few bounds came
upon their fellow Ia 1orer, who. In a
frenzy of haste md excitement, was
dragging the body of a woman from
the waters Of the small brook which
flowed there.
rs she browne u" whispered one.
Drowned" exL..-.4ned another, sig
nificantly, and pointing at the red
stains on the face and clothing.
Don't touch it. Barney" cried an
other. Wait for the police. Leave it
exactly as you tom d it-man. don't
you know enough &c that"
lis Sadie Patrick" breathed the
first who had spoken, gazing with
frightened eyes from the pretty fea-
lures to the gaping wound in the
throat. Put her down. Barney" he
whispered, shrilly. You are dabbled
in blood"
But | can't let her stay in the wa
ter, Barney demonstrated. He laid
his burden on the shore and stood
looking at 1t awkwardly. while one of
the men ran swiftly to the police sta
ton and the others crowded around
and In awed tones discussed the prob
AhllittaC he ~ 10
been known to them all, in general
way, for she had formerly worked in
the factory and lived among them in
the boarding house quarter, though
Tor the past year or two she had
served as domestic In various rich
families in the city. Her reputation
was that of quiet, ellbehaved and
thoroughly respectable girl steady
church goer, without either enemies or
men followers girls girl. fond of
innocent amusements among her own
sex, bright, good-humored and inoffen-
siye. Vaguely these workmen felt that
such tragedy as this was incongru-
out with her character. They could
not imagine any motive for such a
crime against her, and in their low
toned conversation long periods Of
grewsome silence were more frequent
than words.
The medical examiner with the am
bulance and police soon arrived and
Immediately pronounced the girl dead.
The body was taken to the nearest
undertaking establishment, and then
the police began their search for the
murderer.
That evening refined appearing
woman, dressed In the fashion and
heavily yelled, called on DR.. Furnivall
Il have come to you, DR.. Furnivall,"
she began, 'in the interest of Justice
You haze read in the papers. doubt
less, OF the finding of the body of the
domestic. Sadie Patrick this morn
ing?"
Yes" answered the doctor If his
speech was brief, one who knew him
well would have seen that he was i'm
mediately alive with interest. This
stranger saw only an impressive face
beneath a professional beard, the eyes
concealed by colored spectacles.
well" the lady continued. Il do
not wish to give you my name. for rea-
sons which you will appreciate, | am
sure. | cannot be openly connected
with such an awful matter But if you
have read the evening as we'll as
morning papers"
She paused inquiringly He said
yes" and she continued.
You have seen, then, that they
have arrested a man for the crime
That man is innocent | know II.
swear ii now. here, to you He must
appearances are against him. that he
is the person who was last to be seen
in her company, that they say she had
Tilted him, that he loved her, and that
he swore falsely. as they afterwards
found. when he said that he went TO
bed at seven o'clock that evening
say | know all this But know
something more. too. and that is that
that"
Her voice trembled broke and he
felt that she was eXerting all her will
TO refrain from weeping aloud. She
made a movement as if to use her
handkerchief, but the thought of the
veil evidently stayed her hand on its
way TO her eyes. and she sat in silence
a moment with heaving breast. Then
she continued:
Il can give you only woman's rea
som realize that il would not be
valid in law-but that man is innocent.
The doctors who performed the au-
topsy declare that the process of di-
gestion had continued for two or per
haps three hours and as she ate at six
O'Clock the crime must have been
perpetrated between eight and ten. To
my certain knowledge this young man
was vitality occupied during those
hours some miles away from that
field."
His mistake was, then, that he
didn't say so when he was examined.
and prove it, instead of swearing he was
at home and in bed all the evening.
for him he WAS seen