Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-12

wick. His eyes grew dull and mel
ancholy. One would have thought him
sunk In . daze. or . dose. while the
procession Med past the unknown
dead. His monocle. which had drop
ped from his eye ~ he urned o
the CONN. danglsd against his hand.
! CHANGING to look down ut It, Sedg-
wick started and stared. Kent's
knuckle, % . through the glass,
stood forth, monstrous and distorted.
every limo Of the bronzed skin show
Ing Nike . furrow. y.
The monocle was Q powerful magni-
flying lens.
The sherif's heavy voice rose. Any
one here present recognize or identity
the ;~deceased?" he droned, and. with.
out waiting for a reply, set the lid IN
place and signaled to the medical OF,
deer.
"Feller citizens" began the still
shaking physician, we don't need any
Jury to fnd that this unknown. drowned
woman" ae
"The deceased was not drowned"
Emerging from his. reverie. Chester
Kent had leisurely risen In his place
and made his statement.
"N-n-not drowned" gasped the rnedi-
cal man.
Certainly not! AS you must know,
tff you made an autopsy"
mo autopsy was necessary" re-
piled the other quickly. There's
plenty OF testimony without that.
We've heard the witnesses that saw
the drowned body on the grating 1t
washed ashore on"
The body never washed ashore on
that grating"
A murmur ran through the crowd.
How do you figure that?" called .
voic>.
son the under side Of the grating I
found a cocoon Of = common moth.
Half an hour In the water would have
soaked the cocoon through and killed
1.-THE insect inhabitant. The insect was
alive .
How'd the grating get there. them
Dragged down from the high-water
mark. on the beach. It was an old
half-rotted affair such as no ship would
carry. Ask Sailor Smith"
That's true" said the old seaman
with conviction.
you're an expert. Mr.. Smith. Now,
was that grating large enough to hoat
a full grown human body?''
"Why, as to that. q body amt but
a mite. heavier than the water. I
should say it'd just barely float 1t,
maybe"
Exactly; but plus several pounds OF
clothing, and some dead metal extra?"
"No."
"The clothes would have been
soaked, and handouts weigh some.
thing" said Kent calmly.
There might have been extra spars
under the grating, that got pounded
loose on the beach and washed away"
propounded the medical omcer des'
perately. -.
Look at tho face" said Kent with
anality. "This is a bad coast. Most
OF you have een drowned bodies. Die
any one ever see an expression OF
such terror and agony on the face o.
[ n who came to death by drowning?
!. "No,, by thunder" shouted some
, body. Hes right"
!, Others took up the cry. Clamor rost
J and spread IN the DOM The sheriff
j silenced 1t with Z st%entorian voice
. "What are you trying to get att" h
demanded, facing Kent.
"'The truth. What are you?"
S~cblager's eyelids hickered: but hi
ignored the commensurate. Look Out
It don't lead you where you won't want
to follow" he returned. with a signi
fcant look at Sedgwick.
"This Is as far as It has led me-
said Kent, in his clear even voice
"The body, already dead. was dragged
down and soaked in the sea, and then
dashed to the grating by.a man who
probably Is or has been a sailor"
"Then the deceased met death or
shore. and presumably by violence
said Lawyer Balm.
cts murder" cried a woman
Ishrilly. Bloody murder! That's
what 1t is!"
Murder" echoed Q voice from the
doorway. Gansett Jim. his half In
dian. helf.negro face alight with fury
stood there pointing with stiffened
hand at Sedgwick. "Dah de murderer
CHAPTER vi.
The Retreat In Order.
No one moved in the court room FOL
appreciable seconds after that pro
~nouncement. AS q fash-light photo
- Q