Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-09


to give.
What is Cooks business?" asked
the landlord hastily anticipating a
question l saw forming in his lips.
81 don't know. He kind of looked
yer. What was
The return of the constable from
telephoning saved my answering the
question he was about to ask.
There amt no woman missing from
Bridgeport that the police know any
thing about" he said sententiously.
did you tell them her manner" asked
the coroner.
yep. They SAY there's only three
families of Teilers In the telephone book
and only four in the directory, and they
are going to look them up and tele-
phone inside of an hour"
Maybe her name wasn't Teller"
suggested the hotelkeeper." recollect
seeing her kind of hesitate as she went
to write in the register"
That's Just what was thinking"
I cried, glad to divert his attention
once more. Let us 60 and look at
the register and then examine her
clothing. Maybe there are some marks
on it"
That's a good idea" said the cor
oner Wonder we didn't think Of that
before"
The hotel register showed us little
save the name MARY Jane Teller" in
the tremulous old-fashibned hand
little used to handling the pen. There
was perhaps little more space be-
fh4 To- fvr0
the first-as If she hesitated mo-
ment while deciding what name to use
or perhaps with an honest woman's
natural aversion to assuming any other
name than her own.
Let's look at the clothing" I sug-
gested, eager for an opportunity to see
whether there were any Indications
that would point to anything other than
suicide
The four of us FASTENED to the room
again. To my annoyance noted that
the rope had been removed from the
rafters, though the woman's outer
clothing still lay piled on the chair.
There seemed to be nothing about the
inexpensive black suit to identify the
owner, no mark of any kind except the
label Of the concern in New York from
which it had been purchased.
Where's the black bag she carried 2"
asked the coroner.
There was some money in it," Mr..
Williams replied. Il put 1t in the safe
AS We left the room to return to the
hotel; Office I. gave q hasty glance at
the corpse. From the condition of the
face and throat it was all too plain that
death had been by strangulation, still
reasoned, a powerful man might have
strangled the woman first and hanged
her afterwards to conceal his crime.
determined to put the theory up to
Davis as soon as he arrived.
Twirling the knob Of the ancient
safe that stood in the corner, the hotel
wellworn handbag of black leather
and upset the contents on the desk.
There were three one-dQllar bills, neat
ly folded, three dimes and eight PEN
nies-a meager amount that suggested
the boarding Of pennies for this trip,
whatever its purpose. There was a
half-ticket, the return stub of tick
ct from Bridgeport and another one
from New York to Ardway, and that
was all, save two neatly folded black
bordered handkerchiefs.
Looks like she came from Bridge
port, after ALL" the constable volun-
teered. -
Maybe she did," said the landlord,
unfolding one of the handkerchiefs
and holding it up to our gaze. "Maybe
she did come from Bridgeport, but her
name wasn't Teiler-not Mary Jane
Teller bv a long shot"
In the corner Of each handkerchief
was neatly embroidered 49,"
1t gave me quite shock as looked
at that mute evidence OF her assumed
name of her effort to mask her
identity.
Could her name have been Elser?
Was this the way in which she was
connected with the two suicides in New
York? But even SO, suppose she was
the sister or relative. or even the un-
recognized wife Of old Andrew Elser.
what possible connection could these
two humble people have with Kathar-
inc Parrish?
The mystery was growing deeper.
How I wished that Inspector Davis
would come.
CHAPAER VII.
looked at my watch and saw that
1t was nearly noon. | remembered
that l had not yet called up Louise as
l had intended to do the very first
thing that morning. What a laggard
lover she must think me! How heart
less it must seem to her for me to
leave her alone so long in the mansion
where her father and sister lay dying,
perhaps dead, with the black shadowy
mystery still hanging over her and
then! What must she think of me?
Filled with self-reproach sprang up
without word of apology or explana-
ton to the others and fastened to the
telephone booth had observed in the
hall.
Give me O141 Madison demanded
of central.
whats the natter" she repeated.
with surprise in her tone, which struck
me peculiarly until consideredi that
long-distance calls from Ardway must
be such a rarity as to surprise even the
operator.
81 want long distance New York"
/ explained, enunciating distinctly,