The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-02-24


Vaughan away from tnat aouse,"
said at last. Il had Mrs. Royce write
her a note, inviting her to stay with
her. | gave II to her this afternoon"
What did she say?''
She didn't say anything, but l
could see the idea didn't impress her.
And l had thought all along that she
would jump at it,"
Godfrey gave little grunt, whether
OF surprise or satisfaction | could not
tell
why didn't you put her on the
stand today, Lester" he asked. Afraid
Of upsetting her."
Il wouldn't have stopped for that, if
her evidence would have helped Swain.
But 1t would only have put him deeper
in the hole"
I'm what way"
We'll, in the first place, she says
that as she and her father returned &c
the house, she heard footsteps behind
them and thought 1t was Swain fol-
lowing them, because that would be a
natural thing for him to do; and, in
the second place. she saw that blood
stained handkerchief on the floor be-
side her fathers chair when she came
into the room and found him dead"
SO" said Godfrey slowly, lit
couldn't have been dropped there by
| Swain when when he stopped to pick
her up"
NO; besides, we know perfectly we'll
that 1t wasn't about his wrist when he
came back over the wall. Goldberger
knows it, too, and Wen be asked about
ii, next time"
1T might have been pushed up his
slevee-we weren't absolutely certain.
But this new evidence settles it,"
l assented miserably and Godfrey
smoked on thoughtfully. But my cigar
had lost some of its flavor.
How did Miss Vaughan come to find
the body?" he asked at last, and told
him the story as she had told it to me-
He thought 1t over for some moments;
then he leaned forward and laid his
hand on my knee.
Now, Lester" he said, lets review
this thing. 1t can't be as dark as it
seems-there's light somewhere Here
Is the case, barred of all inessentials:
Swain crosses the wall about IL O'clock
cutting his wrist as he does so; Miss
Vaughan meets him about 1880, and
| after a time, finds that his wrist Is
bleeding and ties her handkerchief
about 1t; they agree to have her
father examined for lunacy, ar
range meeting for the next
! night, and are about to separate, when
her father PUSHES in upon them, saw
agely berates Swain and takes his
daughter away. That must have been
about IL o'clock.
! Swain, according to his story sits
there for 1C or Is minutes, finally sees
! the cobra, or thinks he does, and makes
a dash for safety, striking his head
! sharply against IA tree. He tumbles
| over the wall in a half daZed condition.
! The handkerchief is no longer about
| his wrist That. you will remember.
! was about 1920.
Almost at once We heard Miss
| NTnyV s.l,r,
! isn't out OF our sight for more than a
m1nute-tOo short a time, anyway, for
anything to have happened we don't
/ know about.
Meanwhile, Miss Vaughan has re-
| turned with her father to the house
! hearing steps behind her and taking
1t for granted that it Is Swain, follow
! ing them at a distance. She goes to
her room. stays there Is minutes or
So and comes downstairs again to find
! her father dead.
Now let us see what had happened.
! You were right in saying that her IA
! thCr must have been strangled imme-
diutely after she left him. Otherwise
| be would still have been twitching in
such a way that she must have no.
| tiCcd ii. No doubt he dropped into the
chair exhausted by his fit of rage: the
murderer entered through the garden
| door, stopped to cut off the end Of the
curtain cord and make u moose Of it
! that would have taken at least a min
| ute--and then Strangled his victim.
! Then lie heard her coming down the
stairs, and escaped through the gar
den door again just as she entered at
| the other. She saw the curtain still
shaNinE. Then she tainted.
Now, what are the clues to the MUIR
derer? \ string tied with a peculiar
knot, the blood stained handkerchief.
and the finger prints on the dead mans
robe
Godfrey paused for u moment. Freed
OF its inCssentials. in this way, the
case was beautifully clear-and beau
! tfully battling. 1t was a paved Way.
smooth and wide and without obstruc-
ton of any kind; but it ended in
! Cul de sac!
"One thing is certain" Godfrey went
on. ut last: the murder was commit
! ted by s0mebOdy-either by Swain, Or
! by one Of the HinduS. or by some I'M
| known Let us weigh the evidence for,
! and against. each of them.
against Swain it NAV be urged that
! he was on the ground that he had time
! to do it, and some pTovOCatiOn, though
! the prOvOCatiOn. rs we know It, seems
! to be Inadequate, provided Swain was
| in his right mind; a handkerchief that
was tied about his wrist is found be-
side the body, and his finger prints are
| found upon it. Miss Vaughan believed
! he was following them; he admits that
he Thought OF doing so.