The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-10

uOOE-DO2TQS mus ldlO Dare.
The old mans sawed-of shotgun
was lying on the floor, where 1t had
probably been wrenched from his hand
before he could use 1t.
Jack had only time to note these
particulars when q rabbIe Of peopls
from the village, alarmed by Texie's
screams. came running up the yard
and stormed into the house. A mo-
ment later Jerry Brown. the town
marshal. hustled in and took charge
and the peaceful cottage passed into
the hands of the law.
The house was cleared of all but
the preacher. the woodsman and two
or three women. a messengeg sent to
the city for the coroner. anu Z deputy
put on guard at the door pending his
arrival
Seventy years ago the coroner's
office was in the saddle, the coroner,
then as now. always a physician, usu-
ally of the ssaddle-bags" type, a race
of men staunch and true, who. next to
the minister and teacher, did most TO
nurse the young republic to manhood.
Early the next morning the coroner
arrived. After a short consultation
with Jerry Brown. he entered he
room .where the tragedy occurred and
began his inquest.
Aside from the disarranged furni-
ture, the torn garment, the scratches
on the face. there was little evidence,
and no clue whatever to the person or
persons with whom the old man had
waged his fatal battle in the dark.
Not a cent of money, or any article
of value. had been taken. The safe
vas still locked. apparently just az
1t had been left the day before.
Texie testified that she had heard a
struggle, and words strained and
mufffed and indistinct-that she imme-
diately sprang out of bed and ran into
the hOusekeeper's room-that they
lighted a candle and hurried down.
stairs-that there was no one else in
the room except her father, and he
lay back across the chair arm
Her voice choked into silence.
did you real anyone running from
the room as you came downstairs?"
the coroner questioned after a con-
siderate pause.
81 did not"
Were the windows all DOWN.
81 think so"
Were the doors all closed?"
"All but the door of the settin'-
room-it was open d little Bit"
was 1t closed when you went to
bed?'
Il s'pose so-father never failed
to shut and lock it,"
WAS there more than one key e.
the doorT'
mo, only one"
"Where was it kep'?"
"Hangin' blind the door,"
Marshal" directed the coroner. "will
you see if that key is still hangin'
thereY'
The marshal peeped behind the door. :
Yes, It's thar yit, Y'ur Honor" he
answered, with as much pompous i'm
p~ortance as if announcing the discov-
cry of the pivotal clue in tile case.
The coroner relaxed his gruff sever
ity long enough TO offer the weeping
girl a word of kindly sympathy, and
hen dismissed her.
The h%ousekeeper was next called.
Her testimony agreed in every par
with TeXie's.
And then came the preacher. In his
jerky way, he testified that
le was a heavy sleeper-that he had
nothing till Miss Texie screamed
that he had then hastily thrown on
he few articles of dress necessary to
make himself %presentable before ladies
that he had opened his door and
hurried across the parlor, across he
'i~tting-room and into the office, where
lie was Mortified to find his dear friend
lead, and the room in its present dis
rs it true that you carry a key to
he parlor door,"
1T is. Brother Colin placed it at
ny disposal the evening | came"
Where is it?'
Here
He drew it forth and held 1t toward
he coroner, who waved it away.
did you lock the parlor door las
II did"
You're excused"
The coroner looked in hisfnote-book,
lanced into the corner of the room
Jack Warhope stood neal
chair and motioned with his
and. The woodsman approached the
able.
what do you know of this case?'
In his slow, careful way the woods
ian told what he had heard and
cen, from the moment of Texie's
cream to the arrival of Jerry Brown.
What was you dom up so late?"
The question probed deep. Things
'ould have happened had he answered
and they would have happened
tst. Back along the wall the preach