Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1909-04-16


make of it two phases each separated
from the other in time by the space
of several hours-one phase in which
Mile Stangerson had really been at
tackled. the other phase in which those
who heard her cries thought she was
being attacked. I had not then exam
ined the yellow room. What were the
marks on Mile. Stangerson? There
were marks of strangulation and the
wound from a hard blow on the tenn
pie. The marks of stranguation did
not interest me much. They might
have been made before, and Mile
Stangerson could have concealed them
by a colaret or any similar article
of apparel. | had to suppose this the
moment l was compelled to recon
struct the occurrence by two phases.
Mile. Stangerson bad no doubt, her
own reasons for so doing. since she
had told her father nothing of it and
had made it understood to the eXamin-
ing magistrate that the attack had
taken place in the night during the
second phase. She was forced to say
that: otherwise her father would have
questioned her as to her reason for
having said nothing about it,
But | could not explain the blow on
the temple | understood it even less
when | learned that the mutton bone
had been found in her room. She could
not hide the fact that she had been
hn hot
wound appeared evidently to have
been Inflicted during The first phase.
since 1t required the presence of the
murderer. thought Mile Stangerson
had hidden the. wound by arranging
her hair in bands on her forehead
"As to the mark of the hand on the
wall, that had evidently been made
during the first phase-whcn the muir
derer was really there. All the traces
of his presence had naturally been left
during the first phase-the mutton
bone, the black footprints, the Basque
cap. the handkerchief. the blood on the
wall, on the door and on the floor If
those traces were still all there they
showed that Mile. Stangerson. who de-
sired that nothing should be known,
had not yet had time to clear them
away. This led me to the conclusion
one shortly after the other She had
not had the opportunity, after leaving
her room and going back to the labo-
ratory to her father, to get back again
to her room and put it In order. Her
father. was all the time with her. work.
did not re-enter her chamber till mid
night. Daddy Jacques was there at 10
o'clock. as he was every night, but he
went In merely to close the blinds and
light the night light. Owing to her
disturbed state Of mind she had forgot
ten that Daddy Jacques would go into
her room and had begged him not to
trouble himself. All this was set forth
In the article in the Matin. Daddy
jacques did so, however, and in the
dim light of the room saw nothing.
%s"Mlle. Stangerson must have lived
some anxious moments while Daddy
Jacques was absent, but think she
was not aware that so many evidences
had been left. After she had been at
tackled she had only time to hide the
traces of the mans fingers on her neck
and to hurry to the laboratory. Had
she known of the bone. the cap and
the handkerchief she would have made
away with them after she had gone
back to her chamber at midnight. She
did not see them and undressed by the
uncertain glimmer of the night light
She went to bed wornout by anxiety
and fear-a fear that had made her re
main in the laboratory as late as pos
| sible.
MY reasoning had thus brought me-
to the second phase Of the tragedy
when Mile. Stangerson was alone II
the room. l had now to explain The
revolver shots fred during the second
phase. Cries OF Help! Murder!' hat
been heard. How to explain these.
As to the cries, / was In no difficulty
since she was alone in her room these
could result from nightmare only. NJ
Explanation Of the struggle and noise
that were heard is simply that in hel
nightmare she was haunted by the ter
rible experience she had passed through
in the afternoon. In her dream sh.
sees the murderer about to spring upor
her. and she cries. Help! Murder!
Her hand wildly seeks the revolver sh,
had placed within her reach on thu
night table by the side Of her bed, bu
her hand. striking the table, oyerturn.
| IT. and the revolver falling to the door
discharges Itself, the bullet lodging ii
the ceiling. knew from the first tina
the bullet in the ceiling must have re
suited from an accident. It's very posi-
ton suggested an accident to my min,
and so fell in with my theory Of 7.
nightmare. no longer doubted tina
the attack had taken place befor
mademoiselle had retired for the night
After Weakening from her frightfu
dream and crying aloud for help sh
had tainted. as5ss
| sSttMv fhanrys haSpd NJ, tho nyidonn