Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-01-28


the car. What was I saying? Oh,
about Bonholt Hume-what does he
mean by talking everywhere about
Lathom as he has been doing, and
magnifying bis row with the dead
man, as though he wanted suspicion
to fall on him? l know I'd sooner sus-
pect BOnholt Hume of it than I would
Jack; he at least had something to
gain by Philip Hume's death-and a
good deal to gain too! Here's Gull
verton's. If I may, I'd like to so up
with you
Mr. Culverton, gray-whiskered So
ncitor of a rather old-fashioned coun-
try type, took view of the case that
was less reassuring than Stephen had
predicted.
"Of course, we are going to do our
best and fight to the last ditch; but
well, I can talk freely to you. It's
no good blinking our eyes to facts;
the evidence is very strong" And
he shook his head pessimistically.
There was that unfortunate aIterca-
ton at the club, advertising the bitter
feeling existing between the two men,
Then on the next night they again
came to blows on the highway not far
from Hume's house, the obvious in
ference being that Lathom had gone
there to resume the quarrel, which
will tell against him. Upon the scene
mounted constable and another man
come, in time to hear Lathom shout:
'Shootings too good for a liar and
slanderer like you!' and to see Hume
strike blow, not with his hand, but
with a stick"
THE coward" whispered Hilda,
passionately, as if to herself, but ey-
cry man in the room caught the low,
tense words.
1T was a heavy blow, that made
Lathom reel; recovering himself he
sprang at Hume, only the blow never
fell; the mounted constable parted
them. He says Lathom was blind
with rage-which is not to be won
dered; sticks not fair fighting-as
he went away. When he'd gone a few
PAGES he turned and looked again at
Hume, and said, I've not done with
you yet, you curl And that was the
last seen of Hume. The police infer
ence is that Lathom, goaded by the
provocation, baked of returning the
blow he had received, had followed
Hume"
Its monstrously untrue" broke in
Hilda. Her eyes were passionately
alight
of course, my dear young lady. I
don't for moment think he did it."
said the solicitor. But YOU see the
difficulty the police are confronted
With-that of a motive for this crime,
Hume seemed to have no enemies ex-
cept Lathom; Lathom, for some rea-
son, he has been trying to iniure by
spreading malicious reports. The DO
lice know that-know that Lathom
had found it out. That in itself ar
CUES enmity between the two men.
the two alterations argue it-and
Lathom's threats. Their theory is
that the act was committed in a fit
OF bind passion under provocation-''
But the revolver from which the
shot must have been fired" broke in
Thornton, suddenly. How do the DO
lice
1.-THE fatal points is that a revolver
is known to have been in Lathom's
possession that night" said the So
licitor. THAT is the point the police
make so much Of
Hllda made startled movement.
and her face went whittier. A deep
ened dread was closing down on her
as she listened for the solicitors next
words
"Lathom has always been fond of
guns and shooting, as you know-a
taste I can't understand myself. I
dislike to be in the same room as a
firearm; I'm always wondering if it's
loaded. Lathom's an excellent shot
and fond Of revolver practice. It
seems that on the night when it is
assumed Hume met his death Lathom
called at a gunsmith's in the town
about revolver he had left for some
repair and took it away with him, and
presumably had it on him when he
met Hume. That fatal coincidence is
a bad bit of evidence. 1t is only proof
to me, believing, as I do in his limo
cence, how misleading apparent cir
cumstantial evidence can be. Jack
Lathom was carrying a revolver that
highland the bullet that caused the
fatality is such a one as the cartridge
for that revolver would take"
Hilda fought back the choking crv
that rose in her throat. Her hopes,
founded on Stephens assurance that
no real evidence could be found to
connect Jack with the crime, were
crumbling. He was innocent-she
knew he was innocent, the man she
loved but how fatally strong the evil
dence seemed!
Il doubt if LathOm would have been
arrested but for the fact that he was
known to have had a revolver in his
possession that night-a revolver that
the bullet fitted" said Mr.. Culverton.
What fools the police are! And
have they succeeded in proving that
Jack also bought pack of cards that
night?' broke in Thornton, impatient
ly. "A card was found in the dead
mans clutch-and the presence of
that card points to deeper mystery
than the police will admit-afraid of
showing their own incompetence,
suppose. But believe that, if we
could only read it,. the clue to the
crime and tha criminal 1ipc in +bo+