Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-06

go upstairs and put on your bonnet,
want you to come with me-"
felt that my voice was woefully I'M
steady. II.
Wont you please tell me what -
happening and where we are going!"
Martin Rood has been shot; he is
dead, A man has been arrested cores
ponding to your description, and I'VE
are going down to the prison to see u
you can identify him" I stared at IA
Their. and my only feeling was one OF
vague, incredulous wonder. Martin
Rood, the fine sleek gentleman whom
l had seen swinging out Of his gam
bling house in the late afternoons
could that have been he, that huddled
heap OF clothes in the gutter.
Quickly, Ellie" fathers voice re-
minded me. went stumbling upstairs
In burning excitement / think had
some wild notions Of locking myself
into my room and defying the house,
for the idea OF facing that terrible man
with his wild, terror-stricken face,
threw me into a panic. But Abby
screamed at me that was treading on
my ruffle as came upstairs, and cap
tured me; and let her put another
gown on me and my turban and
heavy veil without lifting finger to
help her, as II l had been child. !
knew father was waiting for me at the
foot Of the stairs, and there was no
escape, l must go down. When got
into the hall saw that Mr.. Dingley's
buggy was standing In front Of the
house. though it was but a few blocks
down Washington street to the prison
on Kearney.
But we did not drive as had ex-.
pected straight down Washington,
making instead detour of several
blocks, and finally, by means OF little
alleyway coming to the back door OF
the prison.
The only people in sight were cou-
pie Of policemen, but. Mr.. Dingley on
one side and father on the other, fairly
lifted me out by the arms and hurried
me into the building as if they were
afraid Of being caught by some one.
The first thing was aware of was
the cold gray light falling on us from
high overhead, and faint. sickly odor,
very faint, but very penetrating. the
like Of which I had never breathed
before. We were standing In q tagged
hail. looking up through great well,
past gallery after gallery, to a skylight
covering the top Of the roof. It was the
sunshine altering through the dull,
thick, greenish glass which gave that
cold, sad-colored light. Within the gal
leries l caught sight Of men at work
at desks; and over the ratings
lounged figures, peered faces, dishev-
eled, sodden, disreputable; and some
times near these policeman's star
twinkled. saw 1t all in one upward
glance, for was hurried on. Out stops
cla,tered over the flags Of the hall, and
then, turning to the right, we began to
down down stairs. took tighter hold
IF fathers arm, for we seemed to be
descending into dungeon. That. sick
ly. acrid odcr grew heavier, making me
think of Gagged animals, and yet, what
made It worse, 1t wasn't quite like an
animal either.
The hall we came out into was
smaller and darker than the one above
1t, and empty except for q policeman
standing by door. To him Mr.. Ding
ley handed his card and, after few
minutes, we were admitted to a small
Office. It was divided In half by a rail.
ing. on the inner side was a desk. at
which a man with q star on his coat
was writing under the light Of green
shaded lamp. He came forward, opened
a kate in the railing for us to enter.
shook hands with Mr.. Dingley and ia
Their, and then was introduced to me.
His name did not reach me, but un-
derstood the words, "Chief OF Police.
Then all three talked together IN low
voices, while sat where had been
hidden, in a chair close to the railing.
Once or twice the man with the star
glanced at me, and then, presently,
they all looked at me, and couldn't
distinguish one face from another.
NV head was whirling so with excite
ment felt as If were living in a
dream. Yet when the man with the star
began speaking heard him with cur
ious distinctness.
"All that is necessary for you to do,
Miss Fenwick, is to tell me whether
you recognize the person you saw this
morning"
/ sat forward on the edge OF my
chair. 1 tried to draw deep breath,
but the sickly atmosphere seemed
choking me. There was the tread Of
feet outside the door; 1t opened and
two officers came in, stopping one on
each side Of the doorway; and then,
with a queer shock, ! saw not the one
man had expected, but a file Of men,
shuffling one behind the other, and
linked together by what seemed long
steel chain, from wrist to wrist, into
the seeming of single thing This
thing halted opposite the railing and
faced about before me, where it ap
peared to me as line of heads and
moving arms and shutting feet. But
among them all saw only one individ-
ual. It was absurd If they had expected
to confuse me with these other crea.
lures. saw him instantly and knew
him past hope OF mistaking. His
clothes were all torn and disordered;
there was q cut on his forehead and q
blood stained bandage showed on his
wrist beneath his sleeve; and the bit
ter way he held his head up and stared
straight past me at the wall made him
seem quite grim, and yet, somehow,
very forlorn. A lump rose In my throat.
heard the chief Of police saying, us
there any person here you recognize?"
! swallowed hard and opened my lips,
| hit tho univ SOIlnd that came WAS like