The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-30
By CAROLYN WELLS

~ NhS
tons room at or near l o'clock.
That this intruder in some man
ner induced Miss Darlington to
swallow the poison, whether con-
scious of her act or not. That the
intruder subsequently, and for
some reason, placed the snake
around the neck of the victim;
and, later still, brutality gave her
a stunning blow with the black
jack which was found, and there
by fractured her skull. Granting
these assumptions, can you, Miss
Stuart, give us any information
that would lead to discovery of
the hand that wrought this
hayocR"
"Not any," and Pauline raised
her great eyes a moment to SEQ
fields face and slowly dropped
them again.
"Then can you not express an
opinion or suggest a theory that
might account for such strange
happenings, at least, in partf"
"No," said Pauline slowly, II
have no idea, nor can / imagine
why my aunt should be so elab-
orately arrayed and seated in an
easy chair in front Of her mirror.
1T is contrary to all her customs or
habits"
"Could she have been killed
first and could the jewels and
adornments have been added aft
erward?" asked the coroner Of
the doctors.
mo replied DIR. Moore; "the
whole condition of the body and
clothing makes such a theory
practically impossible"
"Quite impossible, added Dr.
Stanton; f'and, too, what would
be the sense Of such a proceed
ing?"
Eve are establishing the facts
of the proceedings, not the sense
of them" returned the coroner a
little testify, for he was at his
wits end even to make a begin
ming in this strange case.
"At least he went on, eve
have the facts and the approx
mate time of the. crime have you,
Miss Stuart, any suspicion of who
tthe murderer can BET"
The question was shot cut sud
denly. If its intent was to ~startle
the witness, it certainly succeed
ed. Pauline Stuart turned even
whittier than she had been, and she
caught her breath quickly and
audibly as she flashed a fright
ened glance at Gray Haviland. 1t
was Oy no means an accusing
glance, though many who saw it,
eager for a direction In which to
cast their suspicious, took it for
such.
But Pauline controlled herself
Immediately. Certainly not"
she said coldly. THAT is, / can
have no suspicion Of the murder
er's identity. 1t was, of course,
a midnight intruder of the Grim
inal class. / have no individual
acquaintance who use or possess
the weapon that was employed in
this crime"
"The blackjack is an auxiliary
only. The poison may have been
administered by one not yersed in
the ways of professional crimi-
nails. You admit that, | Supposed
"It is no doubt true" said
Pauline Jelly, that poison may be
given by a person not belonging
to the criminal classes. / fail to
see, however, how that fact af-
fects the matter in hand"
1T may well affect it. Since
Miss Darlington was killed by a
deadly poison, we must conclude
that the blackjack assault was
made with the intention of con
cealing the poisoning and making
it appear that the blow caused the
death. There seems to me no
other way to account for the con
ditions that confront us"
A silence followed this. Its
truth was patent to everybody,
CLEARLY, the poisoner had deliv.
cred the blow, for no one else
would attack a victim already
dead. And a plausible reason
would be- the hope that the poi
soning would pass unnoticed In
view of the other apparent cause
of death.
"And it points to the work OF
an amateur, went on Scofield
professional criminal would
know that the autopsy would dis
close the earlier crime
Pauline lost her nerve. II dom
know anything about it'll" sh,
cried, and sank back into her seat
'ther face buried in her hands.