Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-05
AnAcquittal
andaConviction
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

as DIS uedfebt uuic TcihI'o WuS ~
once summoned went 70 bis room.
which had been left untouched In ev.
cry particular. and by the bed on
which the body lay ! found a bottle
about two inches high and one inch
square. around the four sides Of which
was pasted a label with the usual
Poison warning printed on II
There was nothing In my uncle's ar.
fairs to Indicate that he had bad any
intention OF committing suicide. He
had not been very we'll for few days.
but there was nothing serious the mat
ter with him. He might have been
murdered and the bottle placed at his
side to give the impression that be had
taken poison. There were no marks
on the body to indicate that he had
been murdered.
The establishment of the facts In
the case did not appeal TO me. My
uncle was dead. and whether he had
been murdered or murdered himself
made little difference to me. To put
detectives on the case would cost mon
ey. but who would be the gamer? The
authorities came to the house. made
perfunctory examination " the body
and its surroundings aud reported that
the deceased had come To his death by
means of poison administered by him
self.
went through the house myself
looking for clew. had found
tumbler on the table with the poison
and In the kitchen pantry found
dozen others Of the same shape and
make.
That fact indicated that the lumber
had come from the pantry. Dishes
containing different kinds Of food
mostly left Over-were in the cioset.
one Of them being u SANGER Of preserv'
ed peaches. II had apparently been
knocked over. and little of the Juice
had been spilled ON the floor II oc'
Cured to me that whoever had taken
down the tumbler from the shelf had
done so In the dark and had put his
hand against the dish of peach pre-
serves.
If he had done this some Of the
Juice. II it had got Oh his fingers,
might have adhered to them. | found
faint, cloudy smears on the tumbler
and. putting the tip Of my tongue on
them. thought could detect saccharine
matter. Examining the label on the
poison bottle carefully. ! found stains
that.I inferred might be the same as
the cloud on the glass. 'T s1F
/ locked up the tumbler and the bot
tie of poison. but had no desire to 60
any further with my examinations. !
saw nothing to be gained by unearth-
ing the mystery. .. ~ AE
Fate decided. however. that 1t should
be unraveled, or. rather. 1t should
come out that there was no mystery
at all. ! was engaged to a girl who
had discarded d former lover. Herman
GoodseIl hated me and brought about
a suspicion that had murdered my
uncle. But this did not occur until
my uncle had been buried. THE Will
when opened disclosed the fact that
my uncle had left lot Of money and
every cent Of it to me. Then our enc
my began to get in his fine work.
whispering here and there. till the po-
lice felt obliged to take cognizance OF
the reports and arrested me for muir
der.
Tue first thing did was to engage
an attorney and through him obtain
the exhumation Of the body FOR the
purpose of having the finger prints
taken. This was done. Then ! had
the tumbIer that had stood by my un'
cle's bed examined with microscope.
A faint yellow substance was found ON
it. which contained finger print. by
treating the label Of the poison bottle
chemically very clear finger print
was obtained.
/ had no idea how the accusation
against me had started until my hancee
told me that she had probed the matter
and traced beginning to her former
lover. This put me on my mettle 10
thwart him. and named him as one
of my witnesses to be subpoenaed FOR
my trial. gave my lawyer list OF
questions to ask him. most OF when
had been furnished me by my sweet
heart When the case was called ne
was one Of the frst witnesses to take
the stand. and my attorney soon show
ed malevolence on his part In this:
That he had gone about spreading the
reports that had murdered my uncle
This had nothing to do with the case.
but was intended for revenge.
When MY real defense came up my
! attorney made short work OF the mat
ter. HI had the tumbler and the label
Of the poison bottle in court copies. OF
eho angov ss,rlnea IN them and n finger