Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-14

times condemns
- more than one Chi
but this is a miscarriage OF justice. AS
and domestic cigars along LIES rough
citizenship Here's to his good health.
An exclamation Of horror came 20
my lips as saw what had been con-
cealed there.
, It was little scrap OF yellow paper.
I could hardly believe my eyes. 1t
must be that this poor girl here was
another Of the victims In the bahhng
chain Of crime was seeking to unrav-
ell I held the water-soaked fragment
up to the light, but there was nothing
on it-not word. Yet there was no
mistaking the color and texture OF the
paper. 1t was undoubtedly the same
that Louise and had found in Kath.
arine's room after she had tried to XII
herself It was the same that the po-
lice had discovered in old Andrew
Elser's room. There was no question
in my mind but that 1t was the same
that the woman in Ardway had torn
up before she hanged herself In the
little hotel. But what was the tie be-
tween them? What could be'the mys-
FERROUS import Of this yellow letter
that drove it's recipients to death?
Here was on fragment Perhaps
could find other scraps-perhaps the
whole letter. l ran down to the bank
of the lake and began systematic
search of the water along shore. Foot
by foot l studied it carefully. For
ten minutes I searched unavailingly
and then caught glimpse OF some
thing yellow half hidden by an over
hanging tree Carefully parted the
branches. Sure enough, submerged IN
six inches of water, were more of the
yellow scraps. waded In and SCOOP
Ing them up carefully in my hands,
laid them on the grass to dry, for they
were all but falling apart and hardly
dared handle them. Meanwhile con-
tinued my search for other yellow
scraps-this time without avail. II
she had carried torn-up letter with
her as she sprang to death, the other
pieces had fioated away.
At last. convinced that there was no
possibility of recovering more OF them,
/ gave up my search and returned to
where I had spread the recovered
scraps on the grass. One by one |
studied them. They were evidently q
part of typewriter letter, but the
ink had run so that it was impossible
to read single word on them. From
their shape, too, it appeared that they
were not consecutive, so there was lit
tie hope of learning anything from
them.
Just two Of the inky smears seemed
to have possible meaning.
On one of them l was almost posi-
tive that could trace the word
"youth." On another scrap was Q
word that little stretch of the I'M
agination might decipher as here"
youth" and "here."
They might mean much or nothing.
They might have some bearing on the
great mystery l was trying to solve.
They might have none. Perhaps they
were. after all, merely phrases from q
letter that had brought disappointment
to loving woman. In all Likelihood
This suicide had no connection with
the others. But why, then, the yellow
letter? !.
So intent was on my thoughts that
| T did not observe the return OF the po-
liceman until heard his voice.
What have you got there?
| There was suspicion in his tone
the natural suspicion of the represen-
tative of the law. It was on the tip OF
my tongue to say: Another yellow
letter."
For once prudence restrained me.
recalled how my too hasty speech at
the coroner's inquest had let me into
trouble. I could hardly expect q
twelve hundred dollars policeman to
assist in. solving the mystery that was
still perplexing Davis.
Just some scraps of paper" said
carelessly "After you had gone no
ticed that she was clutching bit OF
paper in one hand. searched around
the lake to see If could find more.
| I found these 1t is evidently part OF
a letter, but the ink has run so you
can make nothing out Of them
Lets see them
handed him all Of them.
"This,'' I explained, II found in her
hand and the others were over there
under those bushes"
One by one the policeman examined
them, turning them carefully over and
over.
"There's nothing to them he final.
| ~ announced. "The wagon will be
here in minute. don't suppose
you'll want to be claiming any credit
for finding the body?"
I had feared that he would insist on
my accompanying him to testify to its
finding. It was quite relief to hear
him take this view Of it.
"Of course not" I answered hastily
Then" said he with utmost candor
"you might as we'll beat It,. It don't
! do cop no good to have other people
finding things on his post. If you amt
here when the wagon comes, there ant
nobody to say it wasn't me that found
the body. I want to thank you
though, for coming and telling me
about 1t. There's lot of fools would
have gone and telephoned the arsenal
and then I'd been on the carpet for not
covering my post properly"
/ was glad indeed of the opportun
| ity to get away. 1t was nearing II
~,oIooL Nv troucorc and sh0oe uor<