Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-04-08
STRANGE CASE OF
ALAN EDM|NT0N
Murder Mystery That Was
Solved In a Roundabout Way.

thuAoCh NdcCs <AaA A<AhiAh
ton and Edna Blake were lovers. Mr.
Blake, Edna's father. opposed the mar,
rage. One night he was murdered in
the vestibule OF his residence. His
daughter was out and returned few
minutes after the murder must have
minton could account for where they
had been during the evening. a sin
gular feature was that they did not
try to establish an alibi. They simply
let the matter go by default. There
was no circumstantial evidence against
Miss Blake. and the only circumstan-
tial evidence against Edminton was
Mr. Blake's opposition to his mar
rage with Edna, taken In connection
with Edminton's inability to account
for his whereabouts at the time Of the
murder. Edminton was convicted. but
owing to the weakness of the testimo
ny against him was let off with TWEEN.
ty years. Imprisonment.
One morning about ten years later
my friend Carl Strelitz came into my
office. evidently with something Of i'm
portance on his mind. He said:
II have just come in from yachting
and wish to consult you about mat.
ter of importance that has fallen into
my hands. We were cruising off New
port. was sitting on deck smoking
when I saw a bottle in the water I
flshed it out and. drawing the cork,
took out this paper" He handed it to
me, and l read:
Ship Albatross,
Off East Coast OF Africa,
Aug. 5. 1892
We are lost. Whoever finds this go to
No. street. New York. and In
southwest corner room on fifth story take
up plank In middle Of floor. You will find
important papers.
RALPH HARDING.
II don't like being mixed up in such
AFFAIRS" said Strelitz. "What would
you do?"
go and see what it means. of
course. will go with you if you like"
The offer was accepted. and we went
to the place designated. We found Il
building Of questionable characterised
loon below and furnished rooms above
We acquainted the owner with our mis-
sion, and with his consent. taking Il
carpenter. we went to the room de-
scribed and lifted several boards in the
center of the floor. Between two joists
we found Il bundle wrapped in brown
paper.
What it contained filled me with sur
prise and satisfaction | have never
felt before or since. Calling a carriage.
Strelitz and | took the bundle to the
chief Of police. Then. hunting in the
directory for the address Of Miss Edna
Blake, we drove to her house. We
found Il young woman of thirty who
looked nearer forty. | gave her the
facts concerning the bottle and the
finding Of the bundle. Then said to
her:
Miss Blake, Mr.. Edminton is limo
cent Of the murder Of your father"
II know it,"
"By papers found today it appears
that one Jorbert. alias Slippery Jim.
followed your father into the vestibule
Of his house. killed him and took from
his pocket $4,000 in United States
bonds. Not daring to dispose of them,
he hid them under the floor, and, being
shot to death while housebreafing. be,
fore dying he communicated his secret
to his pal Harding. The papers and
the bonds are in the hands of the po-
lice. but they belong to you"
Miss Blake uttered never a word.
but, going to sofa, buried her face in
q pillow. When she became composed
she entered the carriage with US, and
we drove to the depot and in a few
hours were at the prison where Ed
minton was confined.
had resolved at the time Of this
mans Incarceration never again to he
come Interested in Il murder case. Now
that witnessed the announcement OF
Edna Blake to him that the true mur
derer was known, they were vindicat-
ed and he would soon be free man /
felt that there may be Il bright side
even to murder case,
Soon after Edmiuton's release Strel-
itz and were invited to witness a
quiet marriage between him and Miss
Blake. Indeed. we were the only
guests present, for those who had. been
near to them had thrown them both
over upon Edmintou's conviction.
After the ceremony Edminton said
to me:
You gentlemen have been the in
struments through whom we have
been saved from further suffering, and
to you. and you alone. | will contide
the secret Of where we We're on the
night of the murder. We were then
ten years younger than now and more
imprudent. We went to hotel to be
married. went out to find a minister
and had poor success. When | re-
turned Edna persuaded me to defer
the matter. took her home and left
her at the lowest step of the door Of
her house.
when I was arrested for the MUIR
der 1t at once occurred to me that to
prove an alibi l should have to ac-
knowledge that Edna and l had been
to n hotel together No one would