The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-03-27

was do sAOuSn lOSdilo udu uOI UScu
Ii Miss Estrilla's glance, wandering
from one point to another In her effort
to concentrate on her narrative,
touched upon Rosalie's figure. 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:
New York, Nov. IS, 100.
Il am telling to the police all I
know of my part in the death of Capt
John H. Hanska. have confessed that
we followed him to America to get
jewels, and that 1t was my brother
Juan who appeared to have stabbed
him"
The inspector was questioning
gently now upon the apoplexy theory,
hoping to trap the witness into an in
consistency. While she talked, Miss
Estrilla Tor Senorita Perez paused
from time to time as though gathering
strength. Rosalie waited for such
pause. Then she braced the paper on
book and slipped up to Inspector
MCGEE.
you've forgotten this" she said.
you were goin to git 1t signed at the
very first, you know"
Inspector McGee's expression proved
that he was puzzled But he had be-
come accustomed to following Rosa
lies mental flights without knowledge
of their destination. He nodded, there
fore, and gave book, paper and pen to
Miss Estrilla. 1t was the best possible
compliment to the inspectors third de-
gree methods, that she signed without
protest. Rosalie took the paper ST.
lently; but she did not deposit it where
it belonged-among the official papers
on Detective Kennedy's table. AS she
resumed her station outside the door.
she was folding it in her fingers.
The police went on, then, with their
searchings and questionings. They
failed to notice, so absorbed were they.
the sound Of retreating footsteps on
the stairs.
We resume, with the painstaking
Detective Kennedy, the statement of
Margarita Perez. alias Estrilla.
1T was apoplexy. But Juan did not
know 1t yet. He only knew that Cap
tain Hanska had fallen on the knife
and died, and that it would look like
murder. He understood your law, he
knew that to get our property he was
committing what looked like burglary,
and that burglar who commits MUIR
ed by the window to see whether the
fall had disturbed the house. No one
stirred-probably an elevated train
was passing at the, time it happened
Frightened as he was, he still thought
of the jewels, and decided to take
them, whatever the risk. He exam
med the box; the bill of sale was there.
Circumstances had changed now; an
empty strong box in the room of a man
who appeared to have been murdered,
ms ght set the police on the track. He
thought of this. So he took the box.
open as 1t was, switched off the cleo
trio light, and started to leave by the
door. The catch of the spring lock
was on. To lock the room from out
side, he would have had to slam the
door-you know how spring lock
works. That would have made great
deal of noise. 1t might awaken some
Jne. who would hear footsteps going
He put the box under his arm and
fastened back the catch of the spring
lock, so that he could close the door
without sound. OF course, that left
it unlocked. In doing all this, it seems,
he spilled out of the box the diamond
buckle which l found on the stairs.
Juan went back to my room be-
cause he wanted time to think. His
first idea was to leave the house
dressed in my clothes, just as we had
planned, and join me. Then we would
escape together. But he knew that the
police generally catch fugitives from
justice in the end. We were in a
to help us. If we were missing from
the house in the morning, if we were
caught escaping, every one would be-
lieve US guilty. Then he had another
idea. If could return, still disguised
as Juan, after the body was discov-
cred, he would have a perfect alibi.
while he was thinking about this,
Mr.. North came home and fell into the
blood, as you know.
Immediately, Juan heard some one
calling murder from below. That was
his chance TO carry out his plan. He
telephoned me. l came. l have told
you about that. He changed to his
own clothes. l made him go down
stairs and offer to help. My clothes,
which Juan had worn down the fire
escape in the rain, were still a little
wet looked them over carefully;