Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-22

cantiy into Montague street Then sh
looked round the room It was the mos
prosaic and workaday Of places, yet
struck her that here to many man an
woman must first have been revealed tn
scandal or the tragedy which years be
fore had determined the course Of thei
own lives It was not a little cruel thi
careful storing OF the records of our par
ents' follies and crimes and falsihe
! prophecies,
The attendant placed the huge boun
volumes of the Times before her on tn
| upright reading desk. She blushed scar
let as she hastily turned the pages. 1
seemed to her that every one in the room
must know who she was and for wha
she was looking. Ahl here was the frs
notice. Her fathers name seemed writ
ten In letters Of fire on the clean printed
page. Tragic occurrence at Portsmouth
Admiral Plessey found shot in his study
She turned over the page and hurried
on 1t was no use wasting time over
these first reports and rumors She turned
over page after page till at last she came
to the account of Martin Arrols trial at
Winchester Assizes for the murder of Ad-
mlral George Lascelles Plessey.
The accused was subleutenant in the
Royal Navy, q years of age. Maud
looked up and made mental calculation
Martin would now be 34) He had served
as midshipman in the admiral's flag
ship In eastern waters, and, being ON
shore leave at Portsmouth, was invited
TO his old chiefs house, which lay q little
way out Of the town on the Petersfleld
road. He dlned two or three times a
week at the admiral's table and was on
very friendly terms with Mrs. Plessey-
Maud drew In her breath sharply
whom he often accompanied to theatres,
darces and other social functions.
In the afternoon of September 10 the
escorted Mrs Pessev to
a garden party, and, having accompanied
her home, was observed to have some
conversation with the admiral as he was
on the point of departure. Nothing more
was seen of him at the admiral's house
till half-past eleven that night when the
footman, who was fast asleep in the
servants parlor, was aroused by call
from the head of the stairs. The man
found the lieutenant at the door of the
admirals study. which he held half
closed behind him Go at once for
Doctor Maitland" he told him, your
master is shot. fear he is dead"
The man. without entering the room.
1t once hurried to the telephone and
summoned the doctor, who lived close by.
He then returned to the study, to which |
Arrol admitted him The admiral was
ying in an easy chair, his head thrown
backwards. 1t was evident at first sight
hat he was dead. There was a hole
apparently made by bullet in his shirt
ront over his heart from which a thin
tream of blood had proceeded. The room
vas In disorder. A couple of chairs were
verturned and the floor was strewn with
apers which seemed to have been swept
II the desk. Arrol was pale, but calm
nd self-possessed. He asked II Mrs.
'lessey was in the house, and on the
assuring him that she was, told
I'm not to disturb her till the doctor
anne.
Doctor Maitland arrived within quar-
n of an hour of receiving the telephone
all. He at once pronounced the admiral
} be dead, and on closer examination
aid that he must have been dead be-
yeen a half and three-quarters of an
our. While he was conducting his eX-
mination of the body a police sergeant
rived. the doctor having telephoned to
le nearest police station Immediately on
'ceipt of the news. The sublieutenant
formed them that he had received an
rgent message to call upon the admiral
once He had obeyed the summons
stantly, and on reaching the house had
und the door half open. Thinking it (
lratively late hour, he had proceeded ]
once to the study. where he found the S
lmiral lying dead on the floor, his re- !
liver flung two or three yards away /
ON him. G
The sergeant made an examination VI I
e ROOM The doctor undertook the un-
easant task of apprising Mrs. Plessey u =
n husbands death. Her maid had some '
hiculty in rousing her. Having been Z
tely troubled with sleeplessness, as she p
terwards explained, she had taken a
'ht oplate before going to bed. Sha
emed hardly conscious as she listened
the tragic tidings, and promptly went I
to fit of Mysteries. Meanwhile, the
blleutenant returned to his lodgings at !
uthsea. =
lie was arrested next day and charged +
tn the murder of the admiral There v
IRE no indications that a burglary or h
rciole entry had been attempted; the p
wants cleared themselves without diff /
ulty of the faintest shadow of suspi- n
m. The medical evidence disproved h
y possibility of suicide.
.eaning forward on her elbows. he.
eeks pressed against her hands. Maud
I'd on. following the DEVELOPMENT Of the
'secution's theory. The admirars butler
ore that he saw the accused talking to b
master on his return from the garden CT
rty' and as he approached them heard A
n eNclaim in an excited manner, TITS
'oul and infamous calumny, unworthy al
you, SIR" Whereupon the admiral had W
nted toward the garden gate. At T
rolls lodgings were found the frag- =,
nts of letter in the dead mans hand a.
ting bearing the words and phrases ci
thought I could rely on YOU"
matter of honor" te
'leved beyond eXpr :" A
Iaud breathed faster. the color came 81
went In her cheeks. Anxiety. curiosl- III
oyermasted her. What was the coun-
driving at2 Her aching. straininy
q oYerleaped couple of paragranhs
she had got at the gist of ii. ",Tbere
nd not be much doubt In the jury's
I'd that Admiral Plessey had good rea
to resent the extreme friendliness OF
young ofttcer with Mrs. Plessey, and
I the expression OF his Indignation
cipitated quarrel which ended fatally :
him"
seemed TO Maud that she blanohed =
r her whole body Crouching forward sa
placed her hand on that horrible az
aBfaph ana looked round stealthily ~
nan at the end OF the leather-covered ~
e was staring at her. He was admir- ~
her beauty, but to her II seemed that M
had detected her in the act OF pene- pc
ing her mothers secret. She felt as
ugh she had been caught listening al a ca
hole or opening a letter that aid NOT hi
'ng 10 her. She lowered her eyes ana w
once more over the page The man eli
ed away, ashamed or having caused
girl so much embarrassment. Ps
aving read so far she was bound 10 ds
.inue. Her mother was among the m
witnesses called by the Prosecution M
Indignantly denied that her hl,shapd ! ~