The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-14
A Strange
Revelation
By ELINOR MARSH

"Most Of you will remember the
Charnley murder case. After month
had passed and We had given out ev-
cry day or so that we were ON the
track Of the murderer and would get
him sure the public began to lose con-
hdence and the papers were full Of
scathing remarks about the police. An
election for city officers was coming
on, and the chief told me one day to
drop everything else and work on the
Charnley case, intimating that the ad-
discovering the murderer.
II did hard lot OF thinking on the
problem. Indeed. l began to fear that
II kept on l would run into monOma-
mania. l walked the floor nights try
ing to put this and that together to
! construct theory Of the murder. So
my wife put me in room by myself
where l could prowl without waking
her or the children
Zone night after the usual brain
racket l fell into slumber. ! don't
know how long slept, but think 1t
was about an hour. Then l woke up
and started at seeing man standing
by my bed.
"'COme with me- he said, and I'll
put you on to an explanation Of the
| Charnley murder
| II jumped out of bed, hustled on my
clothes, strapped on my revOlver-fOr
despite my anxiety to get the informa-
ton he promised did not forget that
he had come into my house without
being admitted and l was somewhat
suspicious Of him-and followed him
downstairs. A horse and buggy were
standing at the door. We climbed into
the vehicle, the fellow whipped up the
horse, and off we went.
! II was so impatient and curious to
know what was coming that tried to
pump 1t out Of him, but his mouth
was shut like an oyster. and never
word did he speak from the time we
started till we pulled up In front of
! the house in which Charnleys body
had been found the morning after the
| murder. knew 1t was that house,
though l didn't know any one Of the
|
been shut up since the tragedy, but
now there were lights in every part.
my companion alighted, led me to
the house and, opening the front door
for me, babe me enter. What became
Of him after that l don't know.
didn't see him again, unless one of the
persons about whom l am going to tell
you was he.
"Hearing voices mingled with sObs
upstairs, l ran up and stood In an
opening on the second floor, looking
into a bedroom through an open door
On couch lay the figure Of man.
but number of persons were crowd
ing about him SO that l could not see
his face. A young woman was on her
knees beside the couch, Historically
clinging to the body, while another
woman was trying to draw her away.
A man was standing apart, wringing
his hands. l stepped into the room,
and the moment he saw me he col
lapsed. The woman trying to draw
the girl away from the body turned
and, seeing me, uttered a shrek Then
she dropped on her knees before me,
and between her sobs said:
"'Don't take him! He made terrible
mistake oh, why didn't l confide in
him? Let me explain, and when you
know how we suffer at what has oc-
CURED I am sure you will not add to
our misfortune This is my intimate
friend'-pointing to the girl beside the
couch. She was married clandestinely
to the man who lies there. The mar
riage could not be published because
her father would disinherit her. per.
mitted them to meet here. My hus-
was here this evening. and she was ex.
pected. My husband came home sud
denly and found him here with me,
waiting for her. Mad with Jealousy,
without giving us time to explain, he
seized a heavy glass ornament and
brought It down on the victims head.
Please go away from here and say
nothing. We are the only ones who
know of the tragedy
81 was thinking what l could say to
the woman to make 1t easy for her
for felt obliged to report the matter
when the lights went out and left
| me in darkness.
81 was awakened in the morning by
my wife In my own room from heavy
sleep or stupor, l don't know which.
She could only get me up by telling me
would be late In reporting. l man.
aged to get into my clothes, swallowed
a cup of coffee and went to headquar.
tiers.
II thought the matter over that day
and the next told the chief that had
failed to find a clew to the Charnley
murder and advised him TO keep feed.
ing the public with stories Of clews till
after election and then let the matter
drop. Now that l have unburdened
myself wouldn't mind hearing what
you think about It."
"Who do you think was the man
who took you to the housed" asked
: one
81 don't like to say, but my suspicion