The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-10-17
A SILVER
MUG
By BENJAMIN CARTER

S0e cause OF OeaC0 WlLnOuC some on
being present to represent the police
The doctor had on one occasion unin
%tentionally destroyed evidence in
murder case, and this had made hin
careful. I was vent out on the case.
l found the doctor awaiting me II
the library, and he told me all he knew
about the deceased. He lived alon,
with a niece, a girl Of twenty, who, i
was supposed, would inherit the prop
erty. There were also servants in tn
house. I went with the doctor to thu
death chamber without having seeI
any one Of the household. The corps,
lay on the bed, beside which was 9
small stand and on the stand an emp
y bottle, the label Of which indicated
that It had contained ale. I noticed
that there was no glass Or mug from
which the liquor had been drunk.
the room, We went downstairs, and
the doctor. leaving the matter in my
hands, departed. I asked to see Miss
Alice Toothaker, and she sent word
to me to say that she was unnerved
by her uncle's death and wouldn't her
maid do as well. asked the maid
who had carried the ale to her master.
She replied that she had done so about
10 o'clock the night before. Mr.. Tooth
aker frequently drank something at
that hour, and she had placed the ale
or the stand beside the table. l asked
her from what he had drunk, and she
said he always took ale from a silver
she did o know.
Investigation showed that the only
person interested in Mr.. Toothaker's
death was his niece, who would inherit
a fortune from him, He vas widow
er, but had recently been paying atten-
ton to a pima much younger than
himself. My theory was that Miss
Toothaker was the guilty person.
There vas one link that l could not
find. I felt sure that the silver mug
from which the deceased had taken the
ale was the key to the situation. l
believed that Alice TOothaker had re-
moved it. But none Of the servants
NOu1u lC1l "udL ndu OCCOUQO VI ~, 0uu
Miss TOothaker claimed that she did
not know who had taken it away.
Nevertheless I was convinced from her
looks and the stammering way she an
swered my questions that she had TAX
en- 1t herself.
I WOW a chain Of circumstantial evil
dence against her that, I felt confident,
II 1t did not convict her would strongly
point to her guilt. Feeling sure that
she knew all about the removal Of
the silver mug. I relied on her being
forced by the prosecuting attorneys
searching examination to reveal the
mystery Of it's disappearance. There
sled me. Though l was sure she was
prevaricating about the mug, she did
not bear herself like a person guilty
Of a great crime. True, she appeared
anxious, for she knew she was sus-
pected, but she showed an occasional
confidence in the outcome.
When she was arrested she showed
no surprise. She had, evidently nerved
herself to bear what was in store for
her and only begged for a speedy trial.
Fortunately for her, the case was
brought on a few days after her ar
rest. Her attorney vas evidently con-
WINGED Of her innocence and seemed
70 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 1t, for 80
fngeniously was the evidence to be
brought out woven together that 1t
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 30, he asked her IL
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 previ-
q to his death, and, to the best Of
her knowledge and belief. nc n had
stouched any part Of it except the ham
die.
The attorney then called the butler
OF the Toothaker household. who
brought in a glass clock cover under
which was a silver mug.
I knew now that I had been outwit-
ted. The attorney showed each jury
D using a glass. the imprint OF a
hand on the body Of the mug with the
fOrefinger missing. He then told his
client to hold up her hands. and all her
fingers were present. Then. stating
that some one had been in the room
with a MANNED hand, he rested his
;case. and the judge instructed the jury
~ bring ina verdict for the prisoner.
Il turned ont that Alice Toothaker
ia been the discoverer Of her uncle's
murderer. She had examined every
sxiing about the bed and discovered
hand print on the cup. Foreseeins
80 she would be suspected OF the
,arfnne, she had taken away the mug
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