Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-27


bureau-but Juan held the strong-box
N his mands. When hD saw that. the,
Captain came at him. Juan Is small
man. Captain Hanska was big and
very powerful. Just then, Juan saw
on the table between them that great
knife
"Juan is a swordsmAn. He picked
up the knits to stop the Captain by
point toward his chest. Captain Han.
ska was brave man. and very violent
tn anger. He had one Of his terrible
spells Of temper now. He began to
curse juan. And then bic hands went
up to his head all OF . sudden, and he
tumbled over with all hts great weight
on the point of the knife. Juan did
not thrust-he 10 sure now ho lid not
thrust-he only held the knife steady
but 1t pierced Captain Hansks
through" lin this place, Detective
Kennedy had 70 edit the statement .
great deal in order to make 1t seenly
for the oficial arohives.)
We will leave for . moment the po-
lice statement.
~Fell on it?'' asked Martin McGea
whats that you're trying to give
usr'
ION my soul and my mothers"
solemniy declared Miss EstrillA.
Don't you see-cant you understand?
A doctor In Port Of Spain had warned
him OF it-Juan has done nothing since
-nothing--but read medical books
he was dead before he touched the
point OF the knife Juan stabbed
him, he stabbed corpse-Captain
Hanska died Of .apoplexy caused by
his anger!"
During these last dramatic stages Of
Miss Estrilla's narrative, Rosalie Le
Grange had slipped into the room. For
Ia moment, Miss Estrilla gazed full
upon her bstrayer. For moment,
all that the tropics had given her OF
storm and flame glared from her eyes.
Then that light died away. There
after, 1t was as though Resale had
not been II Miss Estrilla's glance,
wandering from one point to another
in her effort to concentrate on her mar
rative, touched upon Rosalie's hgure,
they looked straight through 1t.
Rosalie moved by imperceptible
stages to Detective Kennedy's table
Casually, she picked UP fountain pen
and sheet of paper, and wrote: /.
sNew York, Nov. IS, 100.
81 am telling to the police all !
know OF my part in the death OF Cap
tain John H. Hanska.. have con-
fessed that we followed him to Ameri-
ca to get Jewels, and that 1t Was my
brother Juan who appeared to have
stabbed him"
The Inspector was questioning gent
|ly now upon the apoplexy theory, hop
ing To trap the witness into an incon-
sistency. While she talked, Miss
Estrtlla Cor senoritA Percy paused
from time to time as though gathering
strength. Rosalie waited for such a
pause. Then she braced the paper on
a book and slipped up to Inspector
MCGEE.
you've forgotten this" she said,
you were goin' to git it signed at the
very frst, you know"
Inspector McCee's expression proved.
that he was puzzled. But he had be-
come accustomed to following Rosa
lies mental flights without KNOW
edge Of their destination. He nodded,
therefore, and gave book, paper and
uen to Miss Estrilla. It was the best
possible compliment to the Inspectors
Third Dexree methods, that she signed
without q protest. Rosalie took the
paper silently; but she, did not deposit
it where It belonged-among the ON
cial papers on Detective Kennedy's
table. AS she resumed her station out
side the door, she was folding It in
her fingers.
The police went on, then, with their
searchings and questionings. They
failed to notice, 80 absorbed were they
the sound Of retreating footsteps on
the stairs
We resume, with the pafnstaking
Detective Kennedy, the statement OF
Marrarita Perez, alias Estrilla.
.1t was apoplexy. But Juan did not
know it yet. He only knew that Cap
tain Hanska had fallen on the knife
and died. and that it would look like
murder He unerstood your law; be
knew that to get our property he was
committing what locke like burglary,
and that burglar who commits n1u1-
der can not plead se4f-defense. He
waited by the window to SEQ whether
the fall had disturbed the house. No
one stirred probably an elevated
train was passing at the time It hap
pened. Frightened as he was, he still
thought OF the Jewels, and decided to
take them, whatever the risk. He ex-
[amined the box; the bill OF sale was
there. Circumstances had chan ed
now, an empty strong-box in the room
of man who appeared to have been
murdered, might set tho police on the
track. He thought of this. SO he
took the box. open - It was, switched
OF the electric light. and started to
leave by the door. The catch Of the
spring-lock was on. To lock the room
from outside. he would have had to
slam the door-you know how q
spring-lock works. That would have
made great deal OF noise. It might
awaken some one, who would hear
footstsps going from Captain Han
|ska's room to mine He put the box
under his arm and fastened back the
catch OF the spYing-lock. SO that he
co,,ld close the door without SOUND.