Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-08
XXIV-Continued.

XXIV-Continued
Beyond this scrap Of paper nothing
that is tangible. I think 1t possible that
by questioning the Caldens we may find
they have reason to believe that some one
did visit the house Tuesday evening and
possibly spent the night there. but that
is all such pure supposition that I'm not
prepared to attach any weight as yet to
1t. though I may feel differently before
the inquest actually opens. OF course.
the old woman wouldn't have known IL a
regiment came, and the Canadian didn't
sleep In the house. The more 1 turn it
question the Caldens. and question them
closely. II 1t opens an apparent door
for their escape and Beckwith takes ad-
vantage OF 1t. then we must meet that
condition when it arises. We can't predi-
cate safety on concealment In any event"
All right, I'm agreed; but what bear
Tuesday night. and Altenburg was alive.
beyond dispute. at o'clock Wednesday
afternoon"
ut isn't the visit itself that interests
me, it's the secrecy OF the visit. If man
came and went to the farm. and it's i'm
possible to trace either his coming or go
Ing. as 1t has been up to this time. 1t
must imply the most extraordinary pre-
cautions on his part. precautions far be-
yond anything that I have ever encoun-
tered under similar circumstances. The
only alternative is the deepest stupidity
In the investigation. I'm free to admit
that, looking at it from those two points
OF view, at the absence of all signs Of
fear on Altenburg's part, and at the fact
that the only intent that can be assigned
4uHUaQf3nn In 10 n n
ance OF Mrs. Calden. incline to the opin-
ION that the visit wasn't made. Either
that or meeting at the usual place is,
think. the solution OF the matter.
That's what I want to know and know 1t
will yet
Then we must check that of to ask
OF the Caldens, If either is called at the
inquest
Horace Calden left the Altenbure
house about 8 o'clock Wednesday morn
ing" Trafford resumed HE was seer
by David, from whom he appears to have
taken no trouble to conceal himself It's
one Of the oddities of this affair that the
Caldens haven't seemed to keep their
movements, up to the time Of the murder
concealed from anybody save Altenburg.
They're apparently playing an open hand
or would he were 1t not that the moment
the murder is committed they begin to
conceal or withhold in the most reckless
way, and to the point of involving mat
them immensely to have known. Thus
we find that Horace Calden can be traced
back to the Melton farm, where he ar
rived about 8 o'clock that morning, by a
dozen witnesses. His sister Joined him
there that day, having come with her
mother to Augusta. and they were to-
gether at the lake camp part of the day.
At five he left Melton farm in a buggy.
came back at a Quarter-past seven, when
he and his sister left again on horseback.
of ha
far from s o'clock.
II can't get a trace OF Calden. the
elder. about the place all day Wednesday.
No one seems to have suspected his pres
ence. unless it was Altenburg. whose
suspicious or knowledge are closed to us.
I cannot identify him with the man who
gave David the drink. The description of
the two boys is hopelessly worthless.
David. himself. after persistently denying
the whole thing, until was half inclined
to think the boys lied, suddenly owned
up. but he declares the man was as old
and big as Altenburg, and however close
the former term might be made to apply.
the latter doesn't fit at all. Still. OF
David identify Calden as the man. What
ever may have been the facts regarding
the day, was he still there when the
murder was committed. and IL so, was he
the man who telephoned Dr. Grimble-
shaw? That somebody did telephone him
stands out as one of the things that we
know and can prove. Was he still there
when his son and daughter arrived? Was
he there when Grfmbleshaw got there
OF course. l have the point of Grimble-
shaw's recognition of the voice over the
phone, but it isn't clear which of the
Caldens he thought 1t was. Besides. l
agree with him. the test is OF doubtful
value. You suggest resemblance; the
conditions of speech are similar to the
former occasion. and, presto, you have
the resemblance! didn't even establish
1t as fact that he lied to me when he
said that he hadn't recognized the voice
The most the experiment established was
further proof that some one had tele-
phoned IL that was needed. Still I'm
fairly certain. and only fairly certain in
these matters isn't certain at all, that it
was one of the Caldens who did tele-
phone, thereby showing that one of them
was in the room where the murder &C.
Cured at almost exactly o'clock, a most
significant hour for several reasons. Just
stick pin here and keep that fact well
In mind.
Now let's see what Grimbleshaw was
doing Monday Altenburg telephoned
him. we don't know what about, but this
at least we do know: A private banker
polite term for note-shaver. in Portland
came into possession Of some overdue
notes given by Grimbleshaw while in col
lege or medical school, and which were
practically worthless through outlawry.
sense of honor, or through some one
holding them who would put on the
screws in a Matchmaking way to force
payment as the price of silence. His
method is to locate the maker. and IL he
is in position where he would be in
jured by the fact of such outstanding
notes becoming public. put them in the
hands of the most INSCRIPTIONS skinfiint
in the town.. He seems to be good
Judge of men. for he got Grimbleshaw's
notes into the hands OF Altenburg.
Monday. as / said. Altenburg called
Grimbleshaw up, presumably about these
notes. Wednesday, few minutes before
six, Grimbleshaw started for the Alien
burg house. going through the woods. as
means Of covering his tracks. As
fact he simply exposed them. Had he
gone by the road don't believe we'd ever
have tracked him. AS 1t Is. we have him
entering the woods. we have him In the
woods, we have him leaving the woods
and turning down the lane that leads TO
the farm Finally, ! have his ADMISSION
that he was at the farm about six-thirty.I
that is. we have him at the farm almost
at the moment of the murder, with ample
onnortunity for him to get back to his
hnardii,g place long before the telephone
call We haven't any other man nearly
az well traced to the spot at this exact
% ali man Caidou htrnaclf -