The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-01-30

~ iooih dt VI HCdI L y I0C
That this intruder in some man
ner induced Miss Darlington t,
swallow the poison, whether con
scious of her act or not. That th
4ntruder subsequently, and TO
some reason, placed the snak,
around the neck of the victim
and, later still, brutally gave he.
a stunning blow with the black
jack which was found, and there
by fractured her skull. Granting
these assumptions, can you, Mis-
Stuart, give us any information
that would lead to discovery o:
the hand that wrought thi:
lhavoc?"
mot any," and Pauline RAISED
her great eyes a moment to SEQ
fields face and slowly dropped
them again.
Then can you not express. al
opinion or suggest a theory that
might account for such strange
happenings, at least, in part9,,
NO" said Pauline slowly,
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 OF
habits"
could she have been killed
first and could the jewels and
adornments have been added aft
erward?' asked the coroner Of
the doctors.
No" replied Dr.. Moore 6 the
whole condition of the body and
clothing makes such a theory
practically impossible"
Quite impossible" added DR..
Stanton and, too, what would
be the sense of such a proceed
ing?'
eve r 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 ease.
al least he went on, Eve
have the facts and the approx
mate time of the crime have you,
Miss Stuart, any suspicion Of who
the murderer can be?"
The question was shot cut sud
denly. If its intent was to startle
the witness, it certainly succeed
ed. Pauline Stuart turned even
winter than she had been, and she
caught her breath quickly and
audibly as she flashed a fright
ened glance at Gray Haviland. It
was by no means an accusing
glance, though many who saw it,
eager for q direction in which to
cast their suspicious, took it for
such.
But Pauline controlled herself
Immediately. Certainly not, =
she said coldly. THAT is, I can
have no suspicion Of the murder
.er's identity. 1t was, of course,
a midnight intruder of the Grim
inal class. I have no individual
acquaintance who use or possess
the weapon that was employed il
this crime"
sThe blackjack is an auxiliary
only. The poison may have been
administered BY one not versed in
the ways Of professional crimi-
mails. You admit that, I suppose =
aIt is no doubt true said
Pauline icily, that poison may be
given by a person not belonging
to the criminal classes. / fail "a
|see, however, how that fact af.
fleets the matter in hand
1T may we'll affect it. Since
Miss Darlington was killed by .
ideally 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 nt
other way to account for the con
ditions that confront us.
"A silence followed this. IT.
truth was patent to everybody
Clearly, the poisoner had deliv
cred the blow, for no one els,
would attack ~ victim ALREADY
dead. And a plausible reasol
would be the hope that the poi
soning would pass nnnoticed ii
view Of the other apparent caus.
Of death.
And il points to the worko
an amateur, went on Seofield
professional criminal woul,
know that the autopsy would dis
sIclose the EARLIER crime
Pauline lost her nervnsT Anm1