The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-07-09

smoother sailing, provided Of course
that I was acquitted. In the few
chats / had had with her. had real
lied that wealth and luxury and social
position meant nothing to Barbara's
happiness. She was the sort of girl
who for man she loved gladly would
brave poverty, hardship, everything
sincere, true-hearted woman with q
clear vision Of the real values OF ex-
istence.
My messenger returned with the
newspapers, and as l picked them up,
everything went black. Millionaire
CASTOR Found Murdered" was the
startling headline that flashed before
me, right there In the column next to
the account of the Bradford wedding.
The sinister effect Of this terrible
news dawned on me instantly. With
my great-uncle Rufus dead. without
the possibility Of his corroborating
any part of my story, my case was
hopeless, desperate. PROFESSIONALLY
1t would mean that / would be found
guilty of murder and sentenced to
death In the electric chair. AS soon
as could sufficiently compose myself
read every word there was in the
newspapers about this new tragedy,
smiling grimly at the thought that at
least they could not blame this muir
der on me.
Mr.. CASTOR, II appeared, had come
to the Granddeck about ten o'clock In
the morning and had gone at once to
his apartment. on his arrival he had
been greeted by the telephone girl and
had informed her that he was only in
the city for few days and was stay
Ing at hotel. He had added that he
would not be occupying the apartment
FOR several weeks until his wife's re-
turn to the city. About half-past
twelve there had come telephone
call for him. The girl had been I'M
able to get any response from the
apartment. Knowing that he had not
gone out, and fearing that he might
have had sudden attack of illness,
she had become alarmed and notified
Mr.. Wick, the superintendent.
The superintendent the account
continued, had summoned Mr.. Henry
Kent the owner of the Granddeck
apartments. Together they had gone
to Mr.. Gaston's rooms. Being unable
to get any reply to repeated rings and
knocks they had finally let themselves
in with pass key in possession OF
the owner of the building.
i In h4s study In the rear Of the
apartment they were Mortified to fine
old Rufus CASTOR, fully clad, lying or
the floor, face down, stone dead. A
great wound on the back of his head
showed that he had been killed, prob
ably instantly, by a terrific blow from
some sort of blunt instrument. A
search OF the rooms failed to show
any sort of weapon.
| The police theory was that the crime
was undoubtedly the work of bur
glar who had been trapped by the re
turn of Mr.. CASTOR so unexpected,
to his apartment, How the murderer
escaped after attacking Mr.. Castor
was puzzle to the detectives at worE
on the case. The superintendent O
the building expressed the opinion tina
the murderer had gained access In tn,
gulse OF meter inspector. Attend
ants in the hall recalled that Their,
had been such man In the building
that morning. AS he wore the usua
uniform and presented the customar,
credentials, he had been permitted I,
enter and leave the building unmo
Tested.
There, followed long review of Ru
fus Gaston's business career and al
estimate of some of his extensive hold
lngs in stocks, bonds and real estate