Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-15

a RCHlBALD SOMERSEI! The name
flashed itself from remote corner of
my memory. Where had heard of Archi-
bald Somerset? All, remembered! The
| the art world predicted great things until
he dropped out of its ken. l had heard
talk of him during my brief residence in
Paris
"Not the Archibald Somerset who"
"The same said he, with an ironical bow.
All his self possession had returned. 1.-THE
Archibald Somerset, the man who for nine
long months stood on trial for his life for the
murder of his young wife. You have housed
an Ishmael, Mr.. Randall. You have given
shelter to a man whom the virtuous world
has branded murderer and closed its por
tails on forever
He walked to and fro for moment, his
hands clasped behind him, the fingers work.
ing convulsively. Then he stood before me.
"Do not think, Mr.. Randall, he said quiet
ly, "that am indulging in mock heroics. l
have not mentioned my name to living
soul for years. The thing has come out in
spite of me, somehow. And now l will tell
you the rest, if you care to hear it. 1t will
interest you, if only as unique proof of the
| trite saying that the world is small.
DOUBTLESS you recall the newspaper &C
counts of my trial and are one of those who
IllOuSHt SHpDtd away lIOIIl LHc eAcCuIlO1lcT
| and thwarted justice only to be launched
red handed on horrorstricken world. Don't
interrupt, beg of you. will avoid details.
| was tried in New York, as you know,
twelve years ago, for the murder of my wife
by morphine. | was rising man whom the
world had talked of, predicting great things.
| had arrived! Hence the sensation of the
| trial and the hysterical attitude of the cursed
yellow journals. l will not bore you with
particulars of my married life. 1 loved
Edith-that is enough. She died of an over
dose of morphia as testified by the doctor
and expert chemists at the trial. To this
day it is believed that l murdered her and
escaped on a technicality. | am going to
tell you that this is not true 1t is dam
nable lie! | am telling you, a stranger, be-
cause you have spoken to and accepted me
as a human being. You are the kind of man
was once, and when the time comes to blot
out that, he indicated the drawing, ~ want
one person of the right sort to know. say
did not kill my wife, as God is my Judge!
l found note from her saying that she had
done it because-because of the doctor, our
friend-he was the bittereSt witness against
me and tried in every way to take my life.
That scoundrel had come into my home and
laid it waste, and it was because of him she
died. I'm not defending myself, Randall.
didn't treat her as should: was too en-
crossed in my work. 1t was my own fault;
and that was one of the reasons why instead
of using it to save my neck, burned that
note to ashes and took my chance with the
law.
X/ELL, went free. The prosecuting at
" torney failed to establish complete
chain of evidence; but the public reserved
its own opinion. After was released went
to Chicago. My friends had fallen away
from me- was de trob Also had no more
money The lawyers took care of that. So
went to Chicago, took another name, and
opened a studio. Inside of year l found
myself deluged with orders, until my incog-
nito fell off like mask. My style and
technic informed against me, and my identi-
ty was discovered. Perhaps you know how
unctuously the world will gloat over the res
direction of blasted reputation. My pa
irons deserted me. l was stunned like the
pestilence by all except the reporters, and
the newspapers printed long columns of 'ex-
pOSureS.'
al went to Paris where had spent the
happiest years of my life-where had met
and married her. was known before had
been there week, and became the sensation
of tho O,artar ''There oOec Sornercet uho