Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-21
way across the sea, the sea that awaits

way across the sea, the sea that awaits
usi'
more breath came back to me. II
wasn't a trap, then. She was only q
crazy woman that I had to get rid Of
1 looked down at the handcuff. 1t was
of iron and had dull rusted edges. A
hammer would have made short work
of it. but 1 did not have any hammer.
l did not even have q stone. There
would be stones In the broken land
beyond the thicket. 1 thought 1 saw
way.
Eyes, let's co. said.
eve set out At the edge Of the
thicket was a flattish rock with small
stones near it. Here 1 pretended to
slip. 1 fell with my right wrist across
a rock and caught up cobblestone
with my left hand. At the first crack
of the stone on the handcuff I could
feel the old iron weaken. I got no
chance for a second blow. Her hands
were at my throat They bit in. Then
i knew it was a fight for my life.
THE next thing 1 remember clearly
she was quiet on the ground and l was
hammering, hammering. hammering at
my wrist with a blood stained stone.
1 do not know If it was her blood or
mine. Both, maybe, for my wrist was
like pulp when the iron finally cracked
open and I was free. 1 caught q
glimpse of blood on her temple. I
suppose 1 had hit her there with the
stone. She looked dead.
"An I wanted was to think-to think
to think 1 was pretty much dotty,
guess.
while I was trying to think she
came alive. She was on her feet be-
fore I knew it and off at a dead run.
The broken handcuff went jerking
IND jumping around her as size ran.
That was an awful night full of awful
things. But the one worst sight of all
worse even than the finding of her
afterward-waS that mad figure leap
ing over the broken ground toward the
cliffs edge 1 held my breath to listen
for her scream when she went over.
never heard it.
But I heard something else. 1
heard a mans voice. 1t was clear and
strong and high. There was death in
it, l tell you, Mr.. Kent. Living hor-
ror gripped at the throat that gave
that cry. Then there was a rush of
little stones and gravel down the face
of the cliff. That was all.
Beyond me the ground rose. 1 ran
up ON it 1t gave me a clear view of
see the man who had cried out from
there Not a sight of him! Nothing
moved in the moonlight. I thought
he must have gone over the cliff too.
1 threw myself down and buried my
face.
How long 1 lay on the ground do
not know. A wisp of cloud had blot
ted out the woman's star, now, and by
that l knew she was dead. But the
moon was shining high. 1t gave me
light enough to see my way into the
gully, and 1 stumbled and slid down
through to the beach.
Il found her body right away. 1t
lay with the head against a rock. But
there was no sign of the mans body.
the man who had yelled. 1 felt that
before 1 went away from there must
conceal the cause of her death and
everything about it that I could. If it
was known how she was killed they
would be more likely to suspect me.
II went back and got the rope. 1
got an old grating from the shore. l
dragged the body into the sea and let
it soak. 1 dashed it to the grating.
stripped the jewelry from her. but I
could not take it. That would have
made me a murderer.
There is a rock in the gully that I
marked. Nobody else would ever no
tice it. Under it hid the Jewelry. I
can take you to it, and I will.
II got on my coat and sunk my robe,
in creek and got myself to the rail
road station for a morning train. And
when 1 got home / married Irene.
and / am through with the crooked
work forever. This is the whole truth
If any human being knows more about
the death of Astraea it must be the
man who shouted as she fell from the
cliff and who went away and did not
come back.
''(Signed PRESTON JAX, S-M"
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