The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-03-27

covered at y OclOck the same morning
was well out ut sea.
Before officers came to Fosdick' S
house to arrest him his wife had con
suited lawyer. to whom she. had told
the whole story and asked his advice
us to further procedure. Without eli
Their commencing or condemning Fos-
dicks flight the lawyer advised her to
disclaim any knowledge of his move
any questions whatever Nothing waS
discovered to cast any suspicion on
any one but Fosdick. Indeed. it did
mot appear that there was any need to
look for clew since his flight was
taken as q confession Of guilt. Mrs.
Fosdick had long interview with
Mr.. Converse. but he did not make it
known to others whether or not he had
gained any information from her. The
truth is he did not. The wife did not
ney. Indeed. he strictly enjoined that
she should trust no one else.
AT the interview between Mr.. Con-
verse and Mrs. Fosdick the lady rep
resented to him that she had no in
come; that she had studied bookkeep-
ing and served as bookkeeper before
her marriage. She asked If she might
not be given her husbands place. The
fact that she had been left destitute
and that her husband was murderer
nvNffnd n AnaI ~ 0unnQfhU for
her, in Difference to which the head Of
the firm granted her request. and with
in a week after her husbands disap-
pearance she entered upon her duties.
During Mrs. Fosdick's term of serv.
ice with Converse & Co. her husband
was In South America and soon after
his arrival there secured position In
the interior of Brazil as an accountant
on a coffee plantation. He dared not
write his wife lest his letters be inter
cepted and his hiding place become
known, but she sent him advertising
cards. and he returned them with GER
tain marks on them which she alone
knew how to interpret.
Although the details Of plan to
exonerate her husband had not been
ming, there was plan in embryo.
She needed the income che derived
from her work, but this was not her
prime motive in entering the service
Of Converse & Co. She hoped by keep
ing her eyes and ears open and her
mouth shut to find clew to the muir.
derer. If Mr.. Coolidge had been muir
dered by any one connected with the
business this might be possible; If he
had been murdered by some one on the
outside it would not be possible.
Mrs. Fosdick noticed that John Car
ruthers. the head bookkeeper, kept
certain of his books and papers in an
old fashioned safe, opened by key in
stead Of q combination lock. Shortly
before the end of the firms fiscal year
she announced to Mr.. Erskine. who
had taken Mr.. Coolidge's place. that
she must, work nights. He asked her
if in view Of the tragedy that had oc
Cured in the Office she would not be
afraid Of being there alone. She said
that her nerves were strong and she
would not mind 1t.
One night while Mrs. Fosdick was
working in the office Mr.. Carruthers
suddenly appeared there and caught
her in the act of locking his safe. He
was white rs cloth. and when he
spoke to her her voice. in spite Of an
effort to control it. trembled.
$50 ii is you who have been tamper-
ing with my safe" he said. Il noticed
bits of wax on the lock and suspected
an impression had been made as n
model for IL key. have been on the
watch. have caught you and shall re-
port the matter"
Il don't think you WILL Mr.. Car
ruthers.'
"Why not?''
Before | tell you l wish you to
know that am armed. The only 9th.
er person who possessed your secret
was doubtless unarmed. and his life
was at your mercy"
Carruthers staggered and caught ut
desk for support. Mrs. Fosdick took a
revolver from under her dress and pro-
ceeded:
my husband worked here the night
Of the murder and discovered Mr.. Coo
lidge's body. Fearing that he would be
held for the murder, he fed. 1t is time
you took his place. The law works
slowly and often unsatisfactory. lam
a practical woman and would rather
get on without it. | have been through
your books and have discovered a
shortage of $4,000. Write me II con
fession that you murdered Mr.. Coo
lidge-the only person who had knowl-
edge of your defciency-and you may
20 into concealment.'
1t did hot take the man long to see
that he had been offered the only
chance there was for his life. He sign
ed n confession. gave it to Mrs. Fos-
dick, and about the same hour in the
morning as Fosdick had gone he sailed
away into oblivion.
The next afternoon Mrs. FOsdick
went into Mr.. Converse's private office
and was closeted with him for an hour,
at the end of which time she left with
means to go to sSouth America and
bring her husband home.