The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-11-09

know the place. Miss Elsie Drayton
one of III tenants. She's just beer
shot by Mr.. Martel. He's the man
who's been keepin' company with her
They quarreled, something terrible
this evenin'. An just now he shot her
Just as the clock was a-strikin' twelve
l."
O'Prien waited for no moro. He be
gan to push q path through the jolly
crowd that hemmed him In 80 tightly
Way, there!" he beIlowed, trying
to make himself heard about the din Of
cowbell, horn and rattle. Let Vi
through"
"Oficer!" spoke UP Halloran. at his
side, take this young lady and myself
with you. 1t IN midnight; and my of
fetal duties can begin with the first
murder Of the new year"
Certainly, sir" agreed O'Brien. con
voying them slowly through the pack
of people. Come along IL you like
DO you mind? ?" Halloran asked Mar
garet Graeme. You know you must
get used to such things, If you are tc
be my secretary"
"Of course, l don't mind" she as
sured him. excited at the prospect
and I can be OF help by taking notes
for you. Oh, why can't we move fast
er? We're simply crawling"
You're lucky we can move at all
MISS" said the policeman, over hia
shoulder, "in a mob like this"
Five minutes later, Martel entered
Elsie p~rayton's studio. On the floor
unde. the iim-turned light, lay the
body OF the girl from whom he had
parted a bare half hour before. Near
by cleaned the revolver.
With a cry, Martel flung himself or
his knees beside the dead woman. Hell
body was still warm. He got to his
feet and stared dumbly at her. Scarce
knowing what he did. he picked w
the revolver-and recognized 1t as his
own.
Out into the hallway he reeled, with
some vague idea of shouting for help
DuS klCAIOk aoot ~ . h4oAlC1Atp nt1 1hC
him dumb. Scarcely had he started
down the passage when he saw severa
people hurrying toward him from the
head Of the stairs. One OF them was
policeman. Martel darted back into
the room, to show them the way.
Turning. just inside the doorway, h'
faced the policeman who had entered
at his heels. The o~verxealous oficer
anxious to show OF his prowess to the
new district attorney. leaped at Mar
tel and grappled with him.
Martel. utterly taken back. instino
lively defended himself, but . blow
from tho policeman's nightsticl
knocked him senseless.
He came to himself In station house
cell. Next morning he faced Q charge
of murder.
The public agreed that Halloran be
gan his official duties as district attor
ney by extremely prompt and efficient
work in the Martel case. Not only hat
he visited the scene Of the murder
within ten minutes after the commits
sion of the crime, and had been pres
ent at the prisoners arrest. but he hat
personally handled every detail Of thu
prosecution.
Moreover, he was aided. most intel
ligently. by q young society woman
Miss Margaret Graeme, whom he had
appointed as his personal secretary
and who, 1t was said, worked day and
night in ~perfecting the cass against
elsie Drayton's slayer.
The case itself seemed cleal
enough. A brief review Of it, sent on
by the press, was printed in a Florid;
newspaper which later was used a!
"stufing' for q box of supplies for
warded to an exploring expedition IL
the farther wilderness of Brazil.
John Leonard, CHANGING to pick u,
the wad Of newspaper. which n o
his assistants had just thrown out o
the newly opened box. smoothcd
out and glanced over the rumples
pages. News of the outer world-evel
very ancient news-is welcome to pee
pie far away from civilization.
And scanning the smudged inne
sheets, Leonard came across q head
line which caught and riveted his hol
rifed attention. The headline was:
MARTEL CONDEMNED TO DIE.
Slayer OF Elsie Drayton Sentenced :
Electric Chair.
Followed . New York date line
and the following abridged item:
Edwin A. Martel was yesterda
sentenced by Judge Hinkle to die
the electric chair during the week c
March 80, for the murder Of his swee'
heart, Elsie Drayton, an artist.
"Martel was engaged to be Marie
to Miss Drayton. On tho evening q
December 81. he called on her, alleges
ly to say good-by before starting 70
Brazil on the Leonard expedition. Mr.
Wigs, janitress Of the studio buiit
ing in which Miss Drayton lived. hear
the sounds Of violent q~uarreling a. sh
passed along the hall outside OF Ii
victims apartment
"She heard Miss dayton call o,
In terror: Don't! You're killing me