Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-01-01
A SILVER
MUG
By BENJAMIN CARTER

""' ~
dead in his bed. He had gone to bed
the evening before in perfect health.
On the discovery of the body a physi-
clan had been summoned and had de-
cllned to make an investigation as to
the aus of death without some one
beng present to represent the police.
The doctor had on II occasion unin-
~tentionally destroyed evidence in a
murder case. and this had made him
careful. l was sent out on the case.
ound the doctor awaiting me in
the library, and he told me all he knew
about the deceased. He lived alone
with Il niece, Il girl of twenty, who, it
was supposed, would inherit the prop
erty. There We're also servants in the
house. l went With the doctor to the
death chamber without having seen
any one of the household. The corpse
lay on the bed. beside which was a
small stand and on the stand an emp
ty bottle. the label of which indicated
that it had contained ale. noticed
that there was no glass or mug from
iC ilNuol lluN Dtcl uIullk.
Having concluded our observation of
the room, we went downstairs. and
the doctor, leaving the matter in my
hands. departed. ] 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 we'll. | 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
on the stand beside the table. | asked
her from what he had drunk. and she
said he always took ale from a silver
mug. What had become Of the mug
she did not know.
Investigation showed that the only
person Interested in Mr.. Toothaker's
death was his niece. who would inherit
a fortune from him. He was widow
er, but had recently been paying atten-
ton to a woman much younger than
himself. My theory was that Miss
Toothaker was the guilty person.
There was me link that | could not
find. l felt sure that the silver mug
from which the deceased had taken the
ale was the key to the situation. |
believed that Alice Toothaker had re-
moved it. But none Of the servants
could tell what had become of it, and
Miss Toothaker claimed that she did
not know who had taken it away
Nevertheless was convinced from her
looks and the stammcring way she an
sWered my questions that she had talk
en- it herself.
| wOve a chain of circumstantial evil
dence against her that, | felt confident,
If it did not convict her would strongly
point to her guilt. Feeling sure that
she knew all about the removal Of
the silver mug. | relied on her being
forced by the prosecuting attorneys
searching examination to reveal the
mystery of its disappearance. There
was one feature of the case that puZ-
zled me. Though l was sure she was
prevaricating about the mug. she did
not bear herself like a person guilty
VI - $50 . 'iit hll'NtlCN
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
| hpN,,crI+ $40, fo-, dave, .f4o, l,a., 80.
rest. Her attorney was evidently con-
v1nced of her innocence and seemed
to 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 it. for so
ingeniously was the evidence to be
brought out wOve together that it
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 so. he asked her if
n Of her duties was not to polish the
silver. She answered yes" He then
drew from her that she had polished
the mug from which the deceased
drank the ale on the afternoon previ-
~ to his death. and, to the best Of
her knowledge and belief. no one had
touched any part Of it except the han
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 l had been outwit-
ted. The attorney showed each jury
man. 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 II had been in the room
with a MANNED hand, he rested his
case. and the judge instructed the jury
to bring in a verdict for the prisoner.