Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-24

u
Mrs. Roisfon. Mr.. whitney tells Craig
that Templeton lawyer. was appointed
to take testimony in tho get-rich-quick
company prosecutions.
II ,ENNEDY nodded. What SORT
of fellow personally was
Templeton?" he asked.
Every popular. replied the
district attorney, both at the coun-
try club and in his profession in New
York He was fellow of naturally
commanding temperament-the Tenn
pletons were always that way. 1
doubt if many young men even with
his chances could have gained such a
reputation at thirty-five as his. So
cially he was very popular. too. q
great catch fors all the SLY mammas
of the country club who had mar
riageable daughters. He liked auto
mobiles and outdoor sports. and he
was strong in politics, too, That was
how he got ahead so fast.
well, to cut the story short.
Templeton met the Wainwright girls
Long Island. They had just returned
from a long trip abroad, spending
most of the time in the far east with
their father, whose firm has business
interests in China The girls were
very attractive. They rode and play
of the men, and this fall Templeton
became a frequent visitor at the
Wainwright home in Williston.
People who knew them best tell
me that his first attentions were paid
to Marian. very dashing and ambi-
day Templeton's car stopped at the
house and the girls and some friend
of Templeton's in the country club
went for a ride. They tell me that
Templeton on the front seat. But
after a few weeks the gossips-noth-
ing of that sort ever escapes Willis
ton-said that the occupant of the
front seat was Laura. She often
drove the car herself, and was very
clever at it. At any rate, not long
after that the engagement was an
nounced"
AS he walked up from the pretty
little Williston station Kennedy ask
ed: "One more question. Mr.. Whitney.
How did Marian take the engage
ment?"
The district attorney thesitated. 81
will be perfectly frank, Mr.. Kennedy"
he answered. 1.-THE country club
people tell me that the girls We're
very cool toward each other. That
was why 1 got that statement from
Mrs. Wainwright. I wish to be per-
fectly fair to every one concerned in
this case"
We found the coroner quite willing
to talk, in spite of the fact that the
ney, here, still holds the poison
theory" began, the coronsrr rin spite
Of the fact that everything points alb
solutely toward asphyxiation.S If
had been able to discover the slight
est trace of Illuminating gas in the
room 1 should have pronounced 1T
asphyxia at once. All the symptoms
accorded with it., But the asphyxia
was not caused by escaping illumi-
mating gas.
There was an antique charcoal
brazier in the room. and I have as
certained that it was lighted Now.
anything like a brazier will, unless
there is proper ventilation, give rise
to carbonic oxide or carbon monox-
ide gas, which is always present in
the products of combustion. often to
the extent of from five to ten per
cent A very slight quantity of this
gas, insufficient even to cause an
odor in a room, will give severe
f. headache, and a case is recorded
where a whole family in Glasgow
the escape of this gas A little over
/ per cent of it in the atmosphere
is fatal, il breathed for any length
of time. You know, 1t is a product
of combustion. and Is very deadly
it is the much dreaded white damp
or afterdamp of a mine explosion.
I'm going to tell you a secret
which / have not given out to the
press yet. I tried an experiment in
a closed room today. lighting the
brazier. Some distance from 1t I
placed a cat confined in a cage so 1t
al n
half the cat was asphyxiattd."
The coroner concluded with an air
of triumph that quite squelched the
district attorney. 80
Kennedy was all attention. Have
you preserved samples of the blood
of Mr.. Templeton and Miss VAIN
wright?' he asked.
Certainly. 1 have them in my
h Office"
The coroner, who was also local
physician, led us back into his pri-
' and the catg" added Craig.
Dr. Mott produced it in a covered
basket.
Quickly Kennedy drew off little
Of the blood of the cat and held it
human samples. The difference was
You see," he explained, carbon
monoxide combines firmly with the
blood, destroying the red coloring
matter of the red corpuscles. No.
oxide that killed the lovers. although
1t certainly killed the cat"
DIR. Mott was crestfallen. but still
unconvinced. IF my whole medical
peated, IT should still be compelled
TO swear to asphyxia. I've seen 1t
too often to make a mistake. Car
bonic oxide or not. Tempieton and
Miss Wainwright were asphyxiated."
1t was now Whitney's chance to air
his theory. 81 have always inclined to-
ward the cyanide-of-potassium theory.
either that 1t was administered in a
drink or perhaps injected by needle"
he said. zone Of the chemists has re-
flight traces Of cyanide in the mouths"
'If it had been cyanide" replied
Craig. looking refiectively at the two
jars before him on the table, these
blood specimens would be blue in color
and clotted. But they are not. Then.
which Is used in the process Of diges-
ton. 1t gives a reaction which might
veky easily be mistaken for slight
trace Of cyanide. think that ex-.
no more. no less. The cyanide theory
does not fit"
One chemist limited at nux vomica."
volunteered the coroner. He said 1t
wasn't nux vcmica. but that the blood
test showed something very much like
t, Oh, we've looked for morphine,
chloroform. ether. all the ordinary
poisons, besides some OF the little known
ikaloids. Believe me. Prof. Kennedy.
L was asphyxia-"
I could tell by the look that crossed
Eennedy,s face that at last q ray Of
light had pierced the darkness. "Have
rou any Spirits Of turpentine in the
bfIice?" he asked.