New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-06-16

B p.4.~,4
He Had Been Shot Through tho Fore
head.
spreading over the papers on the table,
moving slowly, sluggishly. as is the
way with blood when the heart pump
is stopped. l hurried over and raised
the heavy, webbing, gray head. 1t
was Allan Fleming. and he had been
shot through the forehead.
My first impulse was to rouse the
house. my second to wait for Hunter.
To turn loose that mob of half drunken
men in such place seemed profana-
ton. Fleming had been our key to the
BellwOod affair, and he had put him
self beyond helping to solve any mys-
terry. locked the door and stood won
dering what to do next. had seen
enough of death to know that the man
was beyond aid Of any kind.
1t was not until l had bolted the
door that discovered the absence Of
any weapon. Everything that had
gone before had pointed to a position
so untenable that suicide seemed its
natural and inevitable result. With
the discovery that there was no revolv-
er on the table or floor the thing was
more ominous. decided at once to
call the young city physician in the
room across the hall and. with some
thing approximating panic. l threw
open the door-to face Harry Wardrop
and. behind him. Hunter.
do not remember that any one
spoke. Hunter jumped past me into
the room and took in in a single
glance what had labored to acquire
in three minutes. AS Wardrop came
in Hunter locked the door behind
him and we three stood staring at
the PROSTATE figure over the table,
l watched Wardrop. have never
seen SO suddenly abject picture.
Every particle OF color left his face
and be was limp. unnerved.
did you hear the shot?" Hunter
asked me. 1T has been matter of
minutes since it happened
II don't know" l said. bewildered.
II heard a lot of explosions. but
thought it was an automobile out in
the street"
Hunter was listening while he ex-
amined the room, peering under the
table. lifting the blankets that had
trailed off the couch on to the floor.
Some one outside tried the doorknob
and, finding the door locked, shook it
slightly.
"Fleming!" he called under his
breath. "Fleming!''
We were silent in response to sig
nal from Hunter. and the steps re-
treated heavily down the hail. The
detective spread the blankets decently
over the couch. and the three Of us
moved the body there. Wardrop was
almost collapsing.
Now" Hunter said quietly. what
do you know about this thing, Mr..
Wardrop?'
.Wardrop looked dazed.
HE was in bad way when left
this morning. he said huskily. There
isn't much use now trying to hide
anything. God knows I've done all
could. But he has been using cocaine
for years, and today he ran out Of the
stuff. When l got here about half an
hour ago he was on the verge of kill
ing himself. got the revolver from
him. He was like a crazy man, and
as soon as l dared to leave him
went out to try to find DOCTOR
ITO get some cocaineY"
"Yes" .
''Not because he was already wound
ed and you were afraid it was fatal?"
What's the use of lying about it?''
said Wardrop YEARLY. You won't
believe me if tell the truth, either,
but he was dead when got here.
heard something like the bang of a
door as went upstairs. but the noise
was terrific down below, and l
couldn't tell. When went in he was
just dropping forward, and He
hesitated.
1.-THE revolver?' Hunter queried.
lynx eyed.
was in his hand. He was dead
then"
where is the revolver?"
Il will turn it over to the coroner"
"You will give it to me-" Hunter
replied sharply. And after a little
fumbling Wardrop produced it from
his hip pocket. It was an ordinary
thirty-eight. The detective opened it.
Two chambers were empty.
And you waited. say. ten minutes
before you called for help. and even
| then you went outside hunting doc
tor. What were you doing in those
| ten minutes Z"
Wardrop shut his lips and refused