The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-23
copyright. lsl5.D
THE telephone tinkled insistentfy,
This is DR.. Leslie-the cor

This is DIR. LcSlIe-the cor
oner. Can you come to tb'
Municipal Hospital-right away
Right away, Doctor" answered
Craig, hanging up the receiver. wal
ter, you'll come, too:
A quarter of an hour later We were
in the courtyard OF the city'S largest
hospital
We entered the office and quickly
were conducted by an orderly to
little laboratory in a distant wing.
Whats the natter" asked Craig,
as we hurried along.
II don't know exactly" replied the
man, Except that it seems that
Price Maitland, the broker, you know.
was picked up on the street and
brought here dying. He died before
the doctors could relieve him."
DR.. Leslie was waiting impatlently
for us. What do you make OF that,
Professor Kennedy"
The coroner spread out on the table
before US folded half-sheet of type
writing and searched Craig's face
eagerly to see what impression il
made on him.
I'VE found it stuffed in Maitland 5
outside coat pocket" he explained.
Dearest Madeline:
MAY God in his mercy forgive me
for what ] am about to do. | have
just seen DR.. Ross. He has told me
the nature of your illness. | cannot
bear to think that | am the cause.
so | am going simply to drop out of
your life. | cannot live with you, and
| cannot live without you. Do not
blame me. Always think the best you
can of me, even if you could not give
me all. Goodbye.
your distracted husband,
Price"
do you think it was a suicide"
asked the coroner.
"Suicide?" Craig repeated. Sui
cides don't usually write on type
writers. A hasty note scrawled on a
sheet of paper in trembling pen or
pencil. that is what they usually
leave"
Exactly my idea" agreed DR.. Les
lie, with evident satisfaction. Now
listen. Maitland was conscious almost
UP to the last moment, and yet the
hospital doctors tell me they could
not get syllable of an ante-mortem
statement from him
DR.. Leslie seemed much excited by
the case, as we'll h: might be.
maitland was found reeling and
staggering on Broadway this morn
ing" he continued. perhaps the po-
lceman was not really at fault at first
for arresting him, but before the
wagon came Maitland was speechless
and absolutely unable to move mus
Gle"
Dr. Leslie paused as he recited the
strange facts, then resumed: His
eyes reacted, all right. He seemed TO
want to speak, to write. but couldn't"
Kennedy was regarding the doctor
keenly as he proceeded. DIR. Leslie
paused again to emphasize what he
was about to say.
Here is another strange thing. Be-
lore Maitland died they sent for his
wife. He was still conscious when she
reached the hospital. could recognize
her, seemed to want to speak, but
could neither talk nor move. 1t was
pathetic i knew it knew ii, she
cried. She had dropped on her knees
by the side OF the bed. 4 felt it. Only
the other night | had the horrible
dream. | saw him in terrific strug-
gle. | could not see what it vast
seemed to be an invisible thing.
ran 10 him-then the scene shifted.
saw funeral procession. and IN the
casket l could see through the wood
his face-oh. 1t was warning! 1t
has come true.
1t was evident that DR.. Leslie at
least was impressed by the dream.
What have you done since" asked
Craig.
81 have turned loose every one |
could find available replied DR.. Les
lie. handing over a sheaf OF reports.
Kennedy glanced kcenly over them
as they lay spread out on the table.
81 should like to see the body" he
said, at length
1t was lying in the next room.
awaiting DR.. Leslie's permission to be
removed.
"If Maitland really committed sui
eide" said the doctor, "he must have
taken something-and as far as we
can find out there is no trace OF any |
thing. AS far as we have gone we
have always been forced back to the |
original idea that 1t was natural
due to shock OF some !
kind, or organic weakness
Kennedy had thoughtfully raised
one OF the lifcless hands and was eN-
amining it.
Not that" he corrected. Even il
the autopsy shows nothing, il doesn't
prove that it was natural death.
Look"
On the back OF the hand was a tiny,
red. swollen mark. DR.. Leslie regard
ed it with pursed-up lips as though
not knowing whether it was slgnl-
fcant or not.
"If it was poison that he took or
that had been given to him. it was
the most subtle. intangible, elusive,
that ever came TO my knowledge.
Why, there is absolutely no trace or
clew-"
Nor any use in looking for one in
that way" broke in Kennedy de-
eff we are to make any prog
ress in this case. we must look else
where than to an autopsy. There is no
clew beyond what you have found, if
am right. And think | am right.
If was the venom of the cobra"
Cobra venom" repeated the cor
oner, glancing up at row OF tech
meal works.
Eyes. No, it's no use trying to look
it up. There is no way OF verifying a
case OF cobra poisoning except by
the symptoms. 1t is not like any other
poisoning in the world"
Dr es1ie and 7 looked at each