The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-08-18

entity returned with box. Burch cut
a hole In 1t large enough to let through
the stand Of the bottle holder. by
which he grasped 1t. using the box 10
a PROTECTOR. SO that nothing could
touch the silver surface.
Call a cab"
Mrs. Morton did as directed. and
Burch. 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 aud put
ting u policeman on guard.
While this was in progress William
Burch was locked in his own room
with detective.
my uncle has been poisoned" he
said. "by some one whose left thumb
Is missing. wish you to find that
person. II you don't shall either be
executed for murder or imprisoned for
life or 60 forth man with 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.
''Tlese are my disadvantages. On
the 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 Il holder for the soda bottle found
In the deceased's room. She replied
that there had been and when ques-
toned further testified that the ac-
cused had taken 1t away.
This without any other evidence was
enough to convict Burch. Another fea-
turc alone was also sufficient to that
end Burch was his uncle's heir. A
third feature admitted by Burch him
| self ciinched the other two. Being
put on the stand by his counsel and
asked what had passed between him
and his uncle at their last interview.
Burch said:
"My uncle sent for me to tell me
that he was intending to marry. This
would turn Ills property away from
me. He proposed to make my inter-
est in 1t dependent upon the will Of
the lady lie was to marry. To this
objected"
All wondered at this admission.
which indicated plainly that in order
to save an estate which was to pass
to another the prisoner had murdered
the owner.
A witness for the defense had been
summoned in the person Of Edgar
Whipple. bookkeeper at the bank.
At this point Burchs counsel called
Whipple TO the stand. He was pale.
uclfOuS w uO 6cCllISu " Uc Vic
ing the ordeal before him.
The examination Of the witness de-
veloped that he had been carrying on
his books deficit of some $4,000
which he had lost in speculation. The
next move of the defense was an at
<empt 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 defalcation and
that the two held a conversation on
that subject. All this the witness de-
MED, and as there was no proof of it
the opinion of those in the courtroom
was that mistake had been made in
attempting to establish it.
Without dismissing the witness coun-
sci for the defense gave an order to
an attendant. who disappeared and re-
turned carrying pastebOard box,
which he placed on table before the
lawyer. The cover was removed, and
he lifted by its base from the box
silver bottle holder.
Every person in tie courtroom bent
forward with eager attention. Natu-
rally it was inferred that this was the
missing article that Miss Morton had
testified the prisoner had removed. A
sensation was expected. and sensa-
ton was realized. Counsel for the de-
Tense, still holding the bottle holder by
its base, carried it to the jury box,
breathed on it. handed microscope to
the juryman nearest him and invited
him to examine the surface. This
process was repeated with every jury
man. Then, carrying the holder back
to the table. the lawyer set it down
and said:
Gentlemen of the jury. this stand
held the bottle used when the murder
ed man took his last drink. The soda
was poured into the glass of whisky
by some one who held 1t in his left
hand, the thumb of which was miss
Inu Tllfs maroon thon f1rounod In tho