The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-06-02

.
1885, zing over the telephone
III wires late on foggy,
IT drizzly night in April.
o The intending suicide had
called up police headquar.
ters-this was in the old Mulberry
street days-and the lieutenant at
mat end OF the circuit; after waiting
few seconds, distinctly heard the
sharp ringing report Of a flrearm,
proving that the unknown speaker had
kept his word and must have pur.
posely left the receiver of the hook.
Then silence!
instead OF calling up the Office of
the Hotel Delmont-one Of the newer
twenty.story hostelries near the Grand
Central depot, Finney Valentine leap.
ed into hts official motor and dashed
on uptown. hoping to be FIRST on the
field before the hotel people had a
chance to muddle things.
This desire was realized, Apuamnt-
y no alarm had been given or heard
from the eighth floor by guests, cham
bermaids. or bellhops-which perhaps
was not surprising considering the
size OF the hotel and the fact that the
location is very noisy one so far as
street sounds are concerned.
Upon locating room number eight
four.six-the door had to be forced,
the key being on the inside and the
safety-bolt also shot-here is what
Finney saw and found:
There were two rooms and a bath
In the suite-sitting room and sleep.
Ing chamber. The telephone was in
the former, and sure enough the re-
ceiver dangled idly by its cord. Both
OF these rooms were apparently empty
and In good order-no furniture dis.
arranged. nor had the bed been dis.
turbed. A suitcase lay open on the
table, but the articles therein-shirts,
collars. underwear-were neatly dis.
posed. On the dresser In the bedroom
were the usual toilet articles of a
man Of some means-razors, silver
backed military brushes, shaving
mug, hand glass. ETC., and travelling
clock.
Only couple Of searching glances
were required to make this brief In.
ventory. What they were looking for
lay on the floor Of the tiled bathroom,
just inside the door-the body of a
man in the prime of life, attired in
evening clothes. lying huddled on one
side Just as he had fallen. Loosely
gripped in the fingers of the right
hand-doubled under the body-was o
six.cbambered bulldog revolver with
one cartridge exploded. In the right
temple was round hole from which
the blood was still oozing to a tiny
poo! staining the wilderness Of the
tesselated floor. The eyes were star
ing wide open with look of sudden
horror or surprise.
In the mans pockets were small
ron Of bills and some silver amount
ing to twenty dollars and forty cents
. watch and fob. and in the breast
pocket Of the dinner-coat a fiat wallet
or Enthusiastically empty!
The hotel register showed the name
"William Hardester. Washington" he
! had arrived the day before. There
we're no means Of entering room eight
four-six save the door-no transom.
no nre-escapes; the windows were
closed save that Of the bathroom,
which opened on an inner court, with
the pavement ninety odd feet below
Apparently the case was one Of sui
cide-so said Dr.. Lettish. the house
physician; yet the trained eye and
mind of Inspector Valentine espied
one or two salient facts which pointed
in another direction. To him It look
cd like q case Of murder. with either
robbery or revenge or both for the
object. Yet, per contra. there was the
self.convicting telephone message: the
closed room locked and bolted on the
inside with no other means Of exit
save for bird. sheer drop from the
windows to the street Of nigh hun.
dred feet, with not enough foothold
by way Of cornice or ledge for hu.
man ny; and lastly, the total absence
Of all signs of a struggle. At first
glimpse the tragedy indicated care
fully-planned scheme for self-destruc'
ton.
"But." said Valentine to Lieutenant
Kettle, there are a few other facts
to be taken into consideration. IN
the first place. William Hardester
never fired that shot himself"
"He didn't"
mo. There was a total absence OF
powder marks on his white dress
shirt proving that the pistol was dis.
charged from distance OF several
feet"
Kettle nodded.
"Next. the pistol was not tightly
erasped in the dead mans hand. Some
effort had been made, after he had
fallen In his tracks. to twine the fin
gers rornd the butt SO as to convey
that impression, That proves nothing.
You'll say, but taken in connection
with the absence of powder stains. It's
conclusive to my mind"
The lieutenant nodded again. What
e,seq" he inquired, did you notice!
.This" said Valentine impressively.
"rhe murderer entered suite eight