The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-18

case and, advancing to the head Of the
table, whispered few words in the
corOners ear. l saw look Of some
thing between surprise and perpleXity
cross the corOner's face.
1--WE seem to be dealing with a
strangely mysterious matter, quite
apart from the DEATH" he remarked
This gentleman"-he glanced at the
card-"Mr. Stephen Postlethwaite,
solicitor, from York-tells me thai
he saw accounts of this case in the
papers yesterday, and has hurried here
to give some information. suppose
we'd better have it now?"
Mr.. POStlethwaite formally described
himself as solicitor. He produced a
diary, and exhibited an entry which
recorded a call from Mr.. Salim Maza-
rolf.
Mr. Mazaroff," he continued, who
was total stranger TO me, intro
duced himself as staying in York for
few days at the North Eastern hotel.
He then informed ME that he was a
very wealthy man; that he had made
his money in various trading concerns
in the East, and lately in extensive
diamond dealings in South Africa ::
that he had now retired from all this,
had realized his various properties.
and lodged all the proceeds in cash at
his London bank, the Imperial Bank
ing Corporation of South Africa, pend
ing investment in this country. Then
in q rather jOcular fashion he re-
marked that up to then, as he had no
children, and no relations, he had
never made a will, but he now desired
to do so. He produced sheet OF
paper on which he had written out his
wishes, handed it to me, and asked
if | could put it into shipshape FORM
l told him l would have the will pre-
pared for him, and he was to call and
execute it at any time after three
o'clock that afternoon. He returned
to my office at half past three, when
the will was ready for his signature.
He duly appended that and carried
the will off with him. 1t was not until
some days later that | found that |
had omitted to give him his own
original draft, which l found lying
amongst some papers on my desk.
went round TO the North Eastern
hotel with it, myself, but learned then
that Mr. Mazaroff and his friend Mr..
Holt had left for Durham and the
north, leaving no address. | therefore
locked up the draft. Yesterday / read
in the newspapers the various ac-
counts of what had happened here,
and rs | particularly noticed that Mr.
MazarOff had been robbed Of his pa
pers as we'll as his money and valu-
abes, | thought it my duty to come
here at once and tell what | knew"
Much obliged to you, I'm sure, Mr..
POstlethwaite," the coroner said.
Now, according to you the deceased
man carried off this will in his pocket.
1t appears from the evidence that
everything he had on him-mOney,
valuables, papers-was stolen, most
likely by the murderer or murderers:
presumably the will has gone with the
rest. However, it's something to
know that such document was in
existence. You say he told you he was
wealthy man. Did he say how
wealthy"
"Yes. He told me he was worth
about eight hundred thousand pounds"
The coroner leaned back in his
chair, put the tips of his fingers to-
gether, and looked round the court.
Then he turned again to the witness.
81 think we'll trouble you to read
that draft, Mr.. Postlethwaite," he
said, quietly.
Postlethwaite read-amidst a dead
silence:
'This is the last will of me, Salim
Mazaroff, of the Hotel Cecil, London,
in the county of MiddleseX and of
941 Darling street, Cape Town, South
Africa. | devise and bequeath all my
estate and effects, real and personal,
which may die possessed of or en-
titled to unto Mervyn Holt, of 559a
Jermyn street, London, absolutely,
and | hereby appoint the said Mervyn
Holt sole executor of this my will and
revoke all former wills and codicils."
This was all. But l was suddenly
conscious that all eyes had turned
from the witness to me.
The first thing that | was accurate
ly conscious of after the crushing
shock of the York solicitors announce
ment was Crole's voice, close to my
ear
Keep quiet, Holt" he was whisper
ing intently. keep quiet-calm"
| don't think l did more than hear
him-I was watching the coroner,
feeling, now, that he, somehow, crys-
talized in himself all that the various
people in that room were thinking and
wondering.
The coroner looked around-at no.
body in particular.
81 understand that the will has not
been found" he said. THE theory is
that it was stolen by the supposed
murderer, with other of the deceased's
papers. Nobody knows anything about
it, eh?"
Wetherby was suddenly on his legs,
with a sidelong glance at me.
LAS Mr. Holt, the beneficiary, is
present, SIR" he said, II should like to
ask him if he knows anything
about it?'
81 know nothing about it !" l ex-
claimed. II never heard of it 70
Wetherby gave me another look;
there was something cynical in il
,,h;.b Il c.tropr'- rasontn6