The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-10-16

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. Unquestionably
it 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. 1t appeared, had come
to the Granddeck about ten O'Clock in
the morning and had gone ut 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
I ing at hotel. He had added that he
would not he 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 un-
able to get any response from the
apartment. Knowing that he had not
gone out. and fearing that he might
/ have had a 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 GranddecE
apartments. Together they had gone
to Mr.. GaStOn'S rooms. Being unable
to get any reply to repeated rings ant
knocks they had finally let themselves
in with pass key in possession OF
the owner of the building.
In his study in the rear Of the
apartment they were Mortified to fine
old Rufus Castor, fully clad, lying OF
the floor, face down, stone dead. 4
great wound on the back of his heaC
showed that he had been killed, prob
ably instantly, by terrific blow from
some sort of a blunt instrument. 4
search of the rooms failed to show
any sort Of weapon,
The police theory was that the crim'
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 murdere
escaped after attacking Mr.. Castor
was puzzle to the detectives at worl
on the case. The superintendent
the building expressed the opinion tina
the murderer had gained access In tn
, guise of a meter Inspector. Attend
ants in the hall recalled that Their
, had been such a man In the bnildin
, that morning. AS he wore the uSu6
uniform and presented the custOmar
, credentials, he had been permitted t
, enter and leave the building unmt
, Tested.
, There followed long review Of RI
fus GastOn's business career and a
estimate of some of his extensive hOlt
ings in stocks, bonds and real eStat
from which it appeared that his TO
! tune was likely to run to over tie
;. million dollars. 1t was with some Su
prise that ! learned that Il score {
more of years ago the old man appa
. emily had been powerful figure
;, the life of the metropolis active bot
J, in its business and social life.
:, What interested me most was Il
attention paid to the remarkable c
incidence that OnlN a few weeks b
,, fore murder had taken place in Il
apartment just below, under pract
cally the same circumstances. The p
u lice, the account stated, were incline
i to believe that the murderer was OF