Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-09-30

emily returned with a box. Burch cut
Il hole in it large enough to let through
the stand of the bottle holder. by
which he srAsletl ii. using the box as
protector. 50 that nothing could
touch the silver surface
Call IL cab"
Mrs. Morton did as directed. aud
Rurch. carrying the bottle holder by
its stand part. left the house. promis-
ing to return soon. Within twenty
minutes he was back. Then he went
TO the telephone. called up the police
and reported that his uncle had died
suddenly under very suspicious cir
cumstances. The coroner was not long
in coming and, after carefully inspect
ing everything in the room, went out.
locking the door behind, him and put
ting policeman on guard.
While this was in progress William
Burch was locked in his own room
with a detective.
MY uncle has been poisoned" he
said, "by some one whose left thumb
is missing. l wish you to find that
person. If you don't shall either be
executed for murder or imprisoned for
life or go forth man with a blighted
reputation. was the last person
known to be with my uncle before his
death. In few days or at most a
few weeks shall be arrested.
These are my disadvantages. On
che other side. am heir to my uncle's
estate and can pay my lawyers and
you we'll. care nothing for them
provided you succeed. Go. Find the
man with the missing thumb"
In Just two days from that day Will
liam Burch was arrested for the MUIR
der Of his uncle, John Trevor. After
the usual delay the case came to trial.
Mrs. Morton was the first witness for
the prosecution. and one of the first
questions asked her was if there had
been holder for the soda bottle found
in the deceusedS room. She replied
that there had been and when ques-
toned further testified that the ac-
cused had taken it away.
This without any other evidence was
enough to convict Burch. Another fea
ture alone was also sufficient to that
end. Hurch was his uncle's heir.
third feature admitted by Burch him
self clinched the other two. Being
put on the stand by his counsel and
asked what had passed between him
and his uncle ut their last interview,
Burch said:
MY uncle sent for me to tell me
that he was intending to marry. This
would turn his property away from
me. lie proposed to make my inter-
est in it dependent upon the will of
the lady lie was to marry. 10 this |
Objected
All wondered ut this admission,
which Indicated plainly that in order
to save an estate which was to pass
to another the prisoner had murdered
the owner
\ witness for the defense had been
summoned in the person of Edgar
Whippie, bookkcepcr ut the bank.
At this point Burchs counsel called
Whipple to the stand. lie WAS pale.
nervous man, who seemed to he dread
ing the ordeal before him.
The examination of the witness de-
velopcd that he had been carrying on
his books Il deficit of some $4,000
which he had lost in speculation. The
next move of lie defense was an at
tempt to prove that he had visited Mr..
Trevor on the afternoon of the MUIR
der. that Mr.. Trevor was the only per-
son who knew Of his defalcaton and
that the two held conversation on
that subject. All this the witness de-
MED, and as there was no proof of it
the opinion If those in the courtroom
WAS that a mistake had been made in
attempting to establish it.
Without dslnissin. the witness coun-
sci for the defense gave an order to
an attendant. who disappeared and re-
turned carrying Il pasteboard box.
which lie placed on a table before the
lawyer. The cover was removed, and
he lifted by its base from the box a
silver bottle holder.
Every person in TIE courtroom bent
forward with eager attention. Natll-
rally it WAS inferred that this was the
missing article that Miss Morton had
testified the prisoner had removed. 4
sensation was expected. and sensa
. ton was realized. Counsel for the de
fcnSr still holding the bottle holder by
= it's base. carried it to the jury box
breathctl on it. handed Il microscope t.
the inrylnan nearest him and invited
him I" examine the surface. Thi.
process WAS repeated with every jury
lm"!I. Then. carrying the holder lacl
. to the table. the lawyer set it dow
and said:
"Gentlcmcn Of the jury. this stant
held the bottle used when the murder
cd man took his last drink. The sod:
was poured into the glass of whisk!
by some one who held it in his lief
. Ia Nd fhn fhllmh of 1rhich lvac miss