New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
CHAPTER w. Suicide or Murder?

AT Atlantic City Clancy was faced by the unexpected
In the first instance, pale, beautiful, and singular
" selfpOsscssed widow there TO pay belated tb
ute of respect TO the memory Of a husband whom She
had neglected in life; and, in the second 1t d-cov-
cred that the in the boat had died from the effects
Of a virulen poison and not assumed at the out
set from heart disease
By an accident that not devoid Of significance in
the course taken later by events Clancy CHANGED be
in the office OF the local chief of police the Tuesday
evening when the doctor who had made this alarming
discovery announced it in person
He was a young man, fresh from the hospitals and
was acting as substitute for the ongestabshed prac-
titioner who offciaed Coroners physician. When he
entered the chiefs private room none could guess from
his cool and collected dceanor that he the bearer
Of startling intelligence. He smiled pleasantly when The
Atlantic City police officer said:
"Ah, Dr. Gilman, we were just speaking about you'll
This is Mr.. c. F. Clancy Of the Detective Bureau New
York"
"Indeed'7 The doctors eyebrows curved with anna
bic astonishmcnt. "Does New York think already,
then that our local mystery owns an importance beyond
the ordinary
"Yes, said Clancy.
But why, | have read every word that appeared
in the newspapers
we try to keep editors guessing at tines
The young mcdco realized that his inquiry concern
ing the attitude Of the Detective Bureau had zen
deity turned aside; but he only said:
yet | am puzzled. Frankly speaking, had no ,iea
that YOU people in New York sapcnt; for as il
happens | am here tonight TO make a statement hat
gives an unpleasant tWlSt 20 the AFFAIR MI htIc ia
not die from natural causes. He was poisoned.
The local official started and glanced darkly AZ Clam
cy; for word had the little man said Of any ground
for suspicion that the death Of the cutters
other than mischancc that might ovcrtake any ui. e
aged Of scdcntary habits and somewha, corpagnt
build
But Clancy only smiled into the doctors eyes. It
suited his purposes to pretend occasionally TO q k..w
edge he did not possess.
"What was the drug" he asked.
a rare onc-crystas Of nicotine. II is irr,.ant
poison and owing deadly excitation Of the heart
the symptoms may easily be mistaken for those ot
gina pcctors. In this instance. the fact that the lad
man had undoubtedly been lying in the boat at lost
four days added TO the difficulty Of diagnosis There
fore although had some suspicion Of the truth m
the first glance, kept my opinions TO myself uu.l
satisfied beyond doubt that extraordinarily
ertu dose Of nicotine crystals in solution had been d
an what kind Of solution DR.. Gilman" said Cir.y.
an brandy, believe; but that is nothing mor. N
a well founded guess. | mean that brandy was ,.Gd
in the stomach; but whether II partkcn Of al. at
the same time as the poison. used agcu. .lr
Disgusting the exceedingly acrii and nauscous a-. 4
the nicotine | cannot be positive.
You prepared 10 vouch for the result Of y.r
analysis" said Clancy taking the lead in the inquiry
with the air Of one who merely confirming theory
arrived at long ago For hi, humor sometimes assumed
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