Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-01-02
A SILVER
MUG
BY BENJAMIN CARTER

dead in his bed. He had gone TO Deu
the evening before In perfect health.
On the discovery Of the body physi-
clan had been summoned and had de-
clined to make an investigation as to
the cause Of death without some one
being present to represent the police.
The doctor had on one occasion unin-
tentionally destroyed evidence in
murder case, and this had made him
careful. was sent out on the case.
I found the doctor awaiting me in
the library, and he told me all he knew
about the deceased. He lived alone
with niece, girl of twenty, who. 1T
was supposed, would inherit the prop
erty. There were also servants In the
house. I 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
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
which the liquor had been drunk.
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 uncles death and wouldn't her
maid do as well. 1 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 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 one link that l could not
find. | 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 1t. and
Miss Toothaker claimed that she did
not know who had taken it away.
Nevertheless / was convinced from her
looks and the stammering way she an
swered my questions that she had tax
en- it herself.
wove 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 | was sure she was
prevaricating about the mug, she did
not bear herself like a person guilty
of great crime. True, she appeared
anxious, for she knew sne was sus-
pected, but she showed an occasional
confidence in the outcome.
When she was arrested sne sno"ea
no surprise. She had evldently nerVeu
herself to bear what was III store ioi
her and only pegged ior d speeay 'riai.
Fortunately FOR her, the case was
brought on rev Gays aiter ner az
rest ne. a''oine' ""s 80 ao..d
vinced OF her innocence anu seeineu ~
TO me 10 pe coh,uent - .s p.os ~. =.
acquiteal' ne ns..n 49, a.,to ~
the statement inaue ~ ~
torney as " W., wa. -. ~ tI H., o,,on+ a
prove occasionaiis ~, si.'ns 10 :. co. ,c
reassurihs 'ooA' sne .n . NT,aonae ~ ~ he
.hsehiouSiy was w .eao.tar 4ho+ !,
prousht ou' 49, .on hou
lookeu very pau .,. ~. 80 hod ho,n mod.
men 'ne na.,,.. ~ nr,soro,
anu lle e'iue e., ~ u,,.,o,,. .osor
was an III ne' a. ,,,.d ~ r,o;i
ing ~ any pai A., a,o 60 Nv rootb
wno nau ea.i .a,s,,. 49, tho tac,
ahei' ma, ,s IN os,od hor !,
tna' sue nau 49, one 80 &C. not 80 no,,sh N,
one Vi ne, "u. nyoan III +bo,
sii'ei one ans 49, s,o nod no,,sbei
ule" ilon s n.. @ mh,oh tho docoos cor
.he mug i,oln 49, e.arnoon nrov,
uraiih 'ne arc a. ~ aa ~ tho has+ q,
Gus 70 nis uea'n' s ~ ha,,ot no ono ho,
nel Ano".e =. - a. axcant tho han
.oucheu any p"'' " ~ e' '
uie. .uos tho ,,,.,.
OF the Toothaker househoiu' VIZ
brought IN glass cioeA eoNei' unue