The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-17
the resultant tragedy. which was after

the resultant tragedy. which was AFTER
ward known to everyone.
ST took the candle which Lord Win
ton gave me and went along the hall
to the stairway, which descended into
the basement of the house. I had in my
hand the key to the wine-cellar.
THE last I saw Of Lord Winton in
his life was his tall, bowed back as he
stopped to open the door, his hand on
the latch He seemed a sort of heavy
shadow outlined against the door in
the dim light of the gas-jet that burned
feebly, lighting the hall behind him"
He made a vague gesture, lifting one
Of his hands softly from the arm Of the
chair.
Here, monsieur, chance or my intel
Hgence failed me. If I had remained
moment-if, in fact, had looked back
as went down the stairway at the end
of the hail. should have seen Lord
Winton's assassin
The Project of Police made no COM
ment, and Lord Valleys continued:
After some little difficulty, finally
| found the door to the wine-cellar.
opened it and entered. 1t was very old
one of those huge stone cells which the
early English built in their houses in
which to store the choice wines of
France.
cit seemed to me that this wine-cel-
| lar had not been entered in a long
time. I was mistaken in this impress
| sion. Fortunately for me, 1t had from
| time to time, been looked into by Lord
| Winton'S manservant. have said
| fortunately because this manservant.
| Staley, was able to confirm my state
ment.
THE whole of the low vault was
cluttered with straw, piled and heaped
with it, like a farmers rick. It was
this aspect Of the place that gave me
the impression that it had not been
entered for long time. And it was
true it had not been disturbed for a long
time. The walls and the floor Of this
cellar were stone; the ceiling was of
wood crossed with beams dried out like
finder, and the bins, as I have said.
were heaped with the straw in which in
Vulnerable wine-cases had been packed.
Lord Winton had described the wine
which he wished so that 1 could not
mistake 1t. But he was not certain in
which bin it was to be found, and
had to make a search Of very nearly
the whole Of the cellar. This did not
disturb me, for Lord Winton had fixed
an hour as the length Of the visit Of the
person whom he expected, and who, in
fact, had arrived. And I was not to re-
turn until that time. It was, as nearly
as I can determine, about eleven o'clock
of the night when I went down the
steps to the wine-cellar."
The man remained silent moment as
If in some contemplation. Finally he
continued:
rising from bin over which I had
been stopped, the candle touched a wisp
Of straw hanging from above, and i'm
mediately the dried-out, half-rotten
wood of the beamed ceiling flashed into
flame"
He paused again.
'I was appalled,, but did not lose my
sense of necessity. I undertook to nut
the fire out. I made a desperate effort
against it, there in that underground
cell, for I knew the house must burn if
this whole wood ceiling took fire. The
place filled with smoke. 1t became very
nearly impossible to breathe, but did
not give UP the fight against the fire.
Finally when I was blinded, choked and
very nearly unconscious, I broke open
the door leading from the basebent Of
the house ana ran out into the street.
II seemed that I should never breathe.
and continued to run.
You know what followed was
taken UP by one OF the Metropolitan Do
lice: the burning house was entered.
and Lord Winton brought out He was
dead. The small blade of a knife had
been driven into his body low down on
the right side. The wound, ranging
upward. was deep. It had severed a
vital artery
The final instaIInnent Of this thrilling
mystery viii appear tomorrow.
666 quickly relieves Colds and |
LaGrippe. Consultation. Bilious