Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-09-10
THE REAL MYSTERY
OF THE CASE.
BY GEORGE A. PARKER.

ICopyright, 1909, by American Press ASso-
ciation.l
We detectives have opportunities to
see further into human nature than
any class of men, except physicians,
and l am not sure but that our OPP
portunities are superior to theirs. One
of the strangest insights that were
ever accorded me came through the
Gilbert case. I was called one day
to the house of Joseph Gilbert, whose
son Edgar had been taken suddenly
i'll after smoking a cigar. 1t was one
Of a small package received anony-
mously. All analysis showed that the
cigars had been STEPPED in a deadly
poison
The young man was unconscious of
having an enemy. 1 questioned him
closely, asking him to mention any
one who might have the slightest mo-
tive to injure him ! inquired as to
his relations with the softer sex, and
he told me that he had had several
mild affairs of the heart, but none of
them, at least on his part or so far
as he could judge of the girls either
had ever amounted to anything Sc
rious.
l left the remaining cigars on a ia
BILE in the smoking room, establishing
a watch upon them, thinking that if
the enemy was a member of the house
hold he or she would attempt to re-
move them. But after they had been
there a week / took them away. ]
compared the handwriting on the
package with that of every CORE
spondent Edgar Gilbert furnished me,
and those he did not have he procured
on some pretext. l could see no re
semblance in any Of them to that of
the address. None of the expedients
tried afforded me the slightest clew.
At last I gave up the case, acknowl-
edging myself beaten.
A year later l received a note from
Mr.. Gilbert, Sr, informing me that
his son was about to be married; that
the young mans mother had all sorts
Of vague apprehensiOns that some wo-
man had tried to poison him through
jealousy and she desired l would keep
watch over him until the ceremony
had been performed and his safety
seemed to be assured.
called at the house and was ac
corded an interview with Edgar Gil
bert and his fiancee, Miss Withers,
both happening to be there together
The moment the girl looked me In the
eye a suspicion came over me that l
had found the person who had tried
to poison Edgar Gilbert. How or why
OWNED this | cannot explain, even
to myself. She knew what 1 was
there for and seemed interested in my
protecting her lover There was no
betrayal Of emotion, no shrinking to-
ward me, no disposition to avoid my
gaze.
But what a position l was in-my
client about to marry a girl who l
felt sure had tried to poison him and
not having a shadow of proof by
which to prevent him! The wedding
was f.. takeaplace in three days. I
M W. ~ A1aS---
Learning that a sewing woman was
employed in the house of Miss With
ers, 1 paid her we'll to secure me
specimen of the handwriting of every
woman in the house and those who
were the brides bosom friends. There
were three of the former and two of
the latter. In the handwriting of the
bride expectant's most intimate friend
I found a chirography identical with
the address on the package. Making
the lady's acquaintance, / satisfied
myself that she had only addressed
the package as a favor and had no re-
membrance Of having done so. From
her l learned that young Gilberts
fiancee had at the time the cigars were
sent received his attention, and he had
Tilted her, causing her great unhap-
piness. At that period, too she was
i'll.
learned all this without giving up
any knowledge whatever. I was puZ-
zled whether to stop the marriage or
let it go on. After reflection decided
to shift the responsibility. Learning
the name of Miss Witherss physician
told him the story. He was greatly
astonished, but soon recalled the fact
that during the period of the attempt
ed murder he had attended Miss With
ers and had observed certain indica-
tons of a temporary alteration of
mind. Indeed, for a brief season he
had kept her under a strict watch
When the physical cause of the trou-
BILE passed away the tendency to insan-
| ity passed with it.
The doctor transmitted my report to
the father of the groom, and so late as
| the day before the wedding was to
come off a consultation was held be.
| tween the parent and the physician,
| at which it was decided to call in the
| young man and impart to him the sit
uation.
He suffered a terrible shock He
was about to rush away to confront
| the girl he was to marry the next
morning with the accusation when his
father stopped him, and the doctor ex-
| planned that she might possibly be,
unconscious of ever having committed
! the crime An accusation, especially
at such a time, might be attended with
serious effects. Before the conference
was ended the young man decided,
with his fathers consent, that the mar
rage SAoulu lthe pace NlCuoul any
| postponement.
| The doctor was to discover whether
the bride was conscious of her act and
promised to inform me Of the result
of his investigation. His report was
that she had no consciousness of it
| whatever.
What was it that conveyed the in
formation Of it to me? That is a mys-
| terry have never solved.
Many girl paints who isn't very