Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-01-14

A Fooled
Conspiracy
1t Was Handled by a Smart
Detective and a Brave
Woman.
By EILEEN BRENNAN

ny EILEEN DNEiNlNhN
************s**%*********+
Enoch Doolittle, having amused q
fortune by misery methods, could not
bear to think that he would have no
control of II after his death. He would
have liked to dispose of 1t before his
demise, but that would deprive him OF
1t for the rest OF his life. He had no
children of his own, but his sisters
daughter, Mary Blackiston, had been
kind to him, ana he resolved to leave
his money TO her. But, fearing that
Mary, who had no business experience,
would lose 1t all. he made a condition
that in case his chief clerk, Jonas Kill
gour, who had done much dirty work
for him In the accumulation of his for
tune, should be alive when the estate
was turned over she should marry him.
The testator gave her one other chance
than Jonas death to escape the mar
rage If It was distasteful to her. II
Jonas refused to marry her she should
still inherit the estate.
When Doolittle died Mary, without
his knowledge, was engaged to Henry
Ashurst, worthy young man, but poor.
Mary. who had often met Kilgour and
detested him. decided at once that she
would give UP the Inheritance. Ash
urst, learning Of the clause In the will
releasing her from the condition, went
to Kilgour. told him Of his engagement
TO Mary and asked him IL he intended
TO deprive her of her fortune by In
sisting that she should marry him.
Jonas showed Mt once that he intended
TO act the dog in the manger. He &c
cused Henry Of being DESTROYS Of get
ting possession of the fortune for his
own benefit. High words resulted, and
Henry, who was spirited fellow,
knocked Jonas down, leaving him
where he was on the floor.
By the terms OF the will Mary was
to receive the money at the end OF a
year after the testator's death provided
the condition had been fulfilled. If she
had not married Jonas within that time
or Jonas had not refused TO marry her
then the fortune should be divided
among several charitable institutions.
MARY HnuIlltu AbHuISl u lew lHOHLIb
after her uncle's death. Kilgour could
not after her marriage hope to enjoy
the property rs her husband, and there
was really nothing for him to do but to
Sign u paper saying he had refused to
marry her. Nevertheless he would not
consent to do this. An attorney sug-
gested that compromise might be
affaofad with KiI0nur by a0raain0 fo
give him one-third the estate. In this
case he would sign the required docu-
ment. Mary refused to give him any
thing Mt all.
A month before the expiration Of the
year of grace n servant entered XII
gour's room In the morning to find 1t
deserted. The furniture was found dis
arranged, blood was spattered on the
wall, and there was every evidence
that there had been an alteration.
Persons In the house remembered that
Henry Ashurst had been there the
night before. The police were notified,
and Henry was arrested, charged with
having made away with Kilgour Since
Kilgour's death would give Ashurst's
wife "A fortune. there was strong mo-
tive for the deed. Henry said that he
had received verbal message from
Kilgour that II he would call at his
lodgings at 10 O'Clock on the night Of
the murder he would give him a paper
that would put Mrs. Ashurst I'm posses
sion OF her inheritance. He had gone
to Jonas room. Jonas was not there,
and, after waiting half an hour, he had
returned to his home much disap-
pointed
II was evident TO every one who
knew the parties that Jonas had laid a
plan to make II appear that Ashurst
had made way with him. As to the
police, they had no doubt that Henry
was guilty, though they were ignorant
Of what had become Of the body. lie
was lodged IN jail without bail. Every
effort was made TO find Jonas messen-
ger, but without success He, too, had
disappeared MS well as Jonas, and since
no one except Henry and his wife
knew OF his coming there was no evil
dence that Jonas had sent any such
message
Naturally this was n terrible vista
ton to the Ashursts. They supposed
that Jonas was bent on revenge for be-
ing deprived Of the Doollttle fortune.
lie had acted so cOntemptibly that they
feared he would suffer Henry to DO
punished for murder rather than reveal
himself A detective was employed to
try to trace him. When he learned the
story as II has been told here from Mrs.
Ashurst he arrived at a very different
conclusion from theirs as 10 Kilgours
intent
BE comfOrted" he said to the poor
woman. "Kilgour is not after revenge
alone. His principal object IL money.
He desires TO force you TO divide the
estate with him. He will send you
message proposing that II you will ac-
ccpt his terms he will reappear and
your husband will be exonerated. But
he win choose his own way Of convey
ing his message. II will probably 10
verbal, like the one he sent your hus-
band 10 call on him and receive the
coveted document. There viii be no
Witness 70 the receipt Of the message,
80 thss Il will avail you nothing %
make Il known that you have recei7-
cd n.
1--WE must prepare for Its coming. We
must fnd somn way Of having you con