Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-10-24
!. ST. !; ]. |. J !. + !. !.
Ms tite
MUG. .
By BENJAMIN CARTER

telephone message that a wealthy gen-I
tleman named Toothaker was found
dead in his bed. He had gone to bed
the evening before in perfect health
On the discovery of the body a physi-
clan had been summoned and had de-
clined to make an investigation as to
the cause of death without some one
being present to represent the police.
The doctor had on one occasion unln-
tentionally destroyed evidence in a
murder case, and this had made him
careful. was sent out on the case. a##
| found the doctor awaiting me in
the library, and he told me all he. knew
about the deceased. He lived alone
With niece. Il girl Of twenty, who. it
was supposed, would Inherit the prop
erty. There We're also servants in the
house,. went with the doctor to the
death chamber without having seen
any one of the household. The corpse
lay on the bed. beside which was a
small stand and on the stand an emp
ty bottle, the label of which indicated
that it had contained ale. l noticed
that there was no glass or mug from
which the liquor had been drunk. @
Having concluded our observation Of
the room. we WENT downstairs. and
the doctor. leaving the matter in my
hands, departed. l asked to see ISIS
Alice Toothaker. and she sent word
to me to say that she was unnerved
by her unclc's death and wouldn't her
| maid do as well. 1 asked the maid
She replied that she had done so about
10 o'clock the night before. Mr.. Tooth
aker frequently drank something at
that hour, anu she had placed the ale
! on the stand beside the table. asked
her from what he had drunk. and she
said he always took ale from a silver
mug. What had become of the mug
she did not know. -
Investigation showed that the only
person. Interested in Mr.. Toothaker's
death was his niece. who would inherit
a fortune from him. He was 4 widow
ton to a woman much younger than
himself. My theory was that Miss
| Toothakcr was the guilty person.
There was one link that could not
| find. l felt sure that the silver mug
from which the deceased had taken the
ale was the key to. the situation. I
believed that Alice Toothaker had re-
moved it. But none of the servants
could tell what had become of it, and
Miss Tootlaker claimed that she did
not know who had taken it away.
Nevertheless ! was convinced from her
looks and the stammering way she an
swerel my questions that she had tax
en- it herself :. I'LL. e.. va
wOve chain: OF circumstantial:e vi-
dence against her that Il felt confident,
|sif it did not convict her would strongly
point to- her guilt. Feeling sure that
she knew all about the removal Of
the silver mug: / relied on; her being
forced by the prosecuting attorneys
searching examination t0*:reveal tho
mystery Of it's disappearance, There
was one feature Of the case that, pus-
zled me. Though, | was sure she. was
prevaricating about the mug, she. did
not bear herself like a person guilty
of great crime. True, she appeared
anxious, for she knew she was gus
pected. but: she showed an occasional
confidence In the outcome.
When she was arrested she showed
no surprise: She had evidently neryed
herself to hear what was in store for
her and#only begged for speedy trial.
Fortunately for her, the case was
brought on few days after her ar
rest. Her attorney was evidently con-
vinced Of her: Innocence and seemed
to ME to be confident of procuring her
acquittal. He listened attentively to
the statement made by the state at
torney AS to what he proposed to
prove, occasionally giving his client a
reassuring look She needed it. for SO
ingenious1y was the evidence to be
brought ont woven together that it
looked very bad for her.
When the statement had been made
and the evidence against the prisoner
was all in her counsel. without refer
ring to any part of it, called the maid
who had carried the ale to Mr.. Tooth
.aker. Having brought out the fact
that she had done so. he asked her if
one of her duties was not to polish the
silver. She answered EYES, He then
drew from her that she had polished
the mug from which the deceased
drank the ale on the afternoon prevf
GUS to his death. and. to the best of
her knowledge and belief, no one had
touched any part of it except theshan-
die.
The attorney then called the butler
Of the Toothaker household, who
brought in glass clock cover. under
which was silver mug.
I knew now that had been outwit-
ted. The attorney showed each jury
man. using a glass. the imprint Of 8
hand on the body of the mug with thel
forefnger missing. He then told. his
client to hold up her hands, and all her
fingers We're present Then, stating
that some one had been in the room
with MANNED hand, lie rested his
f 49,