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P!?-1 SECOND PART. -.
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THE
PITTSBURG DISPATCH
PAGES 9 TO I2r. T ,
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RVASSHEGUILTYP
BY J. MAKSDEN STJTCIJFFE,
BEING ONE OF A SERIES OP SHOET STORIES ENTITLED
ay '-
JTHE R03JU-rs-;.ii CWF
ii Upon Passages ih the Experience of Mb. AUGUSTUS WILLIAM
"WEBBER, Formerly General -Manager of the Universal Insurance Company.
ALL ItlOSTS RESERVED.
COXCLTTDED,
IV.
As Colonel "West passed from the room,
after dealing out to Mrs. Macdonald the
terrible accusation that she -was engaged in
practising against the life of her husband,
he encountered in the veranda that ran
round tho building the faithful Ali Sen, the
Major's servant, bearing in his hand a
steaming bowl of rich savory soup which he
had prepared for his sick master.
The Colonel was, ordinarily, the least sus
picious of mortals, but when once the demon
ot doubt obtained possession of his mind it
was not to be easily exorcised. It flashed
upon him suddenly as a possibility that the
man might be in league with his mistress
In a scheme to abbreviate the life of Major
Macdonald, and, quick as thought, he re
solved to pnt his newsuspicion immediately
to the proof. Turning fiercely on the Hin
doo he abruptly demanded for whom "that
mess" was intended, and learning that Ali
had prepared it for the Major by Mrs. Mac-
.donald's orders. Colonel "West, fixing the
man with a penetrating glance from his
deeply-set eyes, quietly remarked:
jf- "lhen I think I will taste the soup, if
7 yon have no objections, Ali," and without
r waiting for a reply he took the soup from
&& he man's hands.
t "The sahib is welcome to my poor ef-
'r7' 'orts" the Hindoo said, making a profound
salaam as he surrendered the decoction.
, "The soup is good, as the sahib will find."
There was a garden seat in the veranda,
" on which the Colonel immediately seated
himself.
"It smells good," said the Colonel, as he
seated hiuiselt and prepared to attack the
savory 'brew.' "If it only tastes as good as
it smells it will be capital."
If Ali Sen expected that the Colonel
would have contented himself with one or
two sips of the beverage he was disap
pointed. Colonel West began his experi
ment cautiously, as, indeed, he had need to
do, seeing that"the beverage which AH, had
prepared was piping hot. But, to the in
tense satisfaction of the Hindoo, he turned
', rach spoonful over his palate. with the gusto
of an epicure enjoying his favorite dish,
.though there was an ominous frown upon
his brow. The Colonel, in fact, was puz
zled. He could detect nothing objectiona-
. me in me taste, ana electing to go tnrougn
his part to the end, he did not pause until
the whole was swallowed, when he quietly
handed the empty bowl to Ali Sen, remark
ing with significant emphasis as he did so:
"The Major ought to get well quickly on
that. The flavor is excellent, and reflects
'great credit on your cooking."
Another profound salaam from the Hin
doo greeted this observation, as the man
receiving back the empty bowl retired to
the servants' quarters, to prepare another
portion for the sick Major.
" Happily the Colonel suffered no ill effects
from tne experiment he had made upon
himself, a circumstance that perplexed him
not a little, and left him wondering at what
rpoint in ffs"" transition from the servants'
.quarters to the Major's bedside the sick
fmaa's food was tampered with. That it
as adulterated with some slow poison be
Tore it reached the Major's lips was clear aB
dkrlight to the Colonel's mind.
As soon as the man had retired, Colonel
"West paid a visit to his friend's sick room.
A chill struck the heart of the brave sol
dier, as at one glance his eye took in the
ravages which the mysterious malady had
-worked on the powerful, herculean frame
of Major Macdonald. The Major, who was
attired in civilian dress, lay extended on;a
couch scarcely able to move hand or foot
A clammy perspiration covered his face, and
hung from his pallid lips. He complained
( much of feeling cold, though a num
ber of warm rugs were piled upon
him, and of a terrible nausea, with burn
ing heat and constriction in his throat,
' His circulation was languid and poor, and
his clothes hung baegy and loose upon his
shrunken limbs. The Colonel made no pre
tense to a knowledge of medicine, bnt as he
listened once more while his friend detailed
the symptoms of the mysterious malady that
had brought him so low, he could not resist
the conviction that, although many of the
symptoms described might be traced to that
disorganized state of the liver from which so
many Anglo-Indians suffer, the disease was
not running an ordinary course; in short,
that his friend was being slowly done to
' death.
Colonel "West, however, wiselv kent the
suspicions that were working in his mind
from the Major's knowledge. He sat by his
bedside pouring words of cheer into his ear,
which the Major, to do him justice, was not
slow to accept and respond to; affirming that
although he felt as 'weak as a cat' there was
nothing the matter which a sea voyage to
England and a short furlough on the breezy
r moors and hillsides of Clansyde in his native
Scotland would not soon put to rights.
Colonel "West considered that he, at any
1 rate, possessed better reasons for tho confi
dence which the Major felt in his own re
covery. "Egad," he murmured to him'selfashe
went away to his own quarters, leaving the
, Major inclined to sleep, "he will get better
fast enough now never feart His wife
will not dare to go on with her fiendish de
sign now that she knows that she is sus
pected and watched. As for Ali, .he will
put no native's poison in the messes he
makes, when he knows that I may spring
upon him at any moment unawares and
want to drink the lot myself." And the
Colonel chuckled as his mind conjured
up the humor that was blended with the
tragedy of the situation.
"Whether the Colonel's suspicions were
well or ill-founded, it was certainlv singular
that the anticipations he had formed of th
recovery ot his riend were justified in an J
ntugciucr icmarKaoie way. rom the day
when he interfered, as he afterward put the
matter, "to save the life of my friend,"
Major Macdonald began to mend. He
ceased to complain of being chilled. The
nausea and that terrible burning heat in
his throat, which had destroyed his appe-
tite-and rendered the passage of food pain
' fnl to him, soon left him. His appetite re
turned, and as soon as he was able to enjoy
his meals with his wonted relish he began
to put on flesh and his strength returned to
him gradually, so that when the news came
that the furlough he had applied for had
been granted he was able to make the neces
sary arrangements for his departure himself.
And what of the beautiful siren who had
draw.ndpwn npon herself the dark snspicions
of Colonel "West? Day and night she hung
round the couch of her husband with a
wifely devotion that touched the simple
heart of the Major even more deeply than
her beauty had in foriner days fascinated
him. He was proud of her beauty still, and
fondly doted on each peerless charm of hers,
as she smoothed his pillows for him, nr with
easy grace and noiseless step moved about
the apartment making some new arrange
ment for his comfort. She declined all as
sistance in her self-imposed task of dutv and
affection, except that of the faithful Ali.
Ali prepared his food under her superin
tendence, but she allowed .no other hand
than her own -to administer it to her hus
band. Dr. Esmead, who had been sent for by
Colonel West from Aurungwallah, and to
whom the Colonel had committed his sus
picions when he arrived a few days later.
uuiu iiuu bo graua ik Margw, Wfiwa
JUV XNSTJItJUVCE OFFICE.
he declared were little better than the rav
ings of insanity. The solicitous anxiety
displayed by Mrs. Macdonald for her hus
band's" recovery, and her refusal to quit his
side even to obtain for herself the repose that
her long vigil made necessary in the inter
ests of her own health, so completely won
upon Dr. Esmead that he testily declared
that the Colonel was an old fool, who, be
cause his wife nursed a prejudice toward a
beautiful young woman, must needs make
matters worse by indulging in the foulest
suspicions.
But the Colonel was not disposed to be set
down in this matter.
"I know her to be an unprincipled ad
venturess to begin with," he said, "who
came to us under false pretenses. Her. sis
ter was engaged by Lady Kingsbury as Mrs.
West'scoinpanion, and when she happened
to fall ill on the eve of the day appointed
for her sailing by the Mysore, what does
this artful jade do bnt steal away from
home and take her sister's place, leaving
behind her a note to say that she bad done
so? Could anything be more unprincipled
for a young woman respectably brought up
to do?"
"Bnt there is a long step between obtain
ing a situation on false pretenses and mur
der," Dr. Esmead replied.
"Granted for the sake of argument," re
turned the Colonel, "but unfortunately she
does not stop at that. She bolsters up her
fraud with ail kinds of specious lying, and
artfully ensnares Macdonald with the glam
our of her wonderful, beautv, thinking be
cause he is the Laird of Clansyde he is a
man of wealth and position, little dreaming
that Clansyde brings tho most meager return
imaginaoie. nen sne Unas that she is
deceived, or rather that she has deceived
herself about our poor friend's monetary po
sition, what does she -do next? She creates
a scene with her husband, and at her insti
gation poor Mac draws npon his savings to
insure his life for a large sum, out ot all
character with his means. Mark my words,
as soon as Mack returns to Aurungwallah,
having effected that insurance in Calcntta
with the Universal, his healtlfbegins to de
cline. He has the first day's illness he has
ever known in his life."
"Well, a man must begin to be ill some
time," remarked Dr. Esmead, in an ag
grieved tone.
"You call it liver," continued the Colonel,
passinshv the interruption. "It is singu
lar that his liver begins to mend as soon as
.Mrs, Macdonald accompanies mf wife to
these infernal hills, Jeaving him behind in
Aurnngwallah, and it is more singular still
ttiatas soon as Mac comes here and joins his
wife he starts with his liver again. I
thought vou sent him here to get better of
that."
"So I did," nnwered the doctor.
"Well, he didn't," returned the Colonel
hotly. "He got worse instead, till I thought
he would have died. Then X told his wife
thaUf anything happened to him questions
would be asked which would have to be an
swered. My GodI you should have seen
how that shot went home. There was guilt
in her every attitude. But if anything had
been wanted to show that my suspicions
were justified it was supplied when hebeznn
to menu. xnereTrasrno
that hnH bppn Rnwl in fhn MMnflita wtr.
for which an innocent woman would have
torn me in pieces. She knew that the game
was too dangerous to play, and she gave it
up for no.better reason."
"Xou are prejudiced, Colonel," said Dr.
Esmead, when the Colonel had ooncluded
his statement.
"And you ? You are under the spell
.of her beauty and cannot see how damnin"
is the case against her." "
The health of Major Macdonald was fairly
established when he embarked on th6 Tan
jore, accompanied by his beautiful wife
and attended by the faithful Ali, to set sail
for England. Colonel West, who had come
on board to take leave of his friend, whom
he had learned to love as a brother, could
not repress a feeling of misgiving as he con
trasted the burly form of Hector Macdonald
as he had known him a few short months
ago, and the bowed and feeble-looking man
who, though pronounced convalescent,
looked prematurely aged by the terrible ill
ness through which he had passed. His
misgivings were not allayed as he looked
npon the beautiful face of the handsome
woman who was hauging on the arm of her
hnsband in an attitude of bewitching trust
and tenderness. Never had she looked
more ravishingly beautiful than now, as,
wua ueiguieneu roior anu tan, erect, regal
figure, she looked everyinch a queen, and
cast on Colonel West a look of proud dis
dain. Since the day when he had so broadly
hinted that she might be charged with be
ing accessory to the death of her husband if
he chanced to die under her care, thev had
never met until now. The Colonel had
been a constant visitor on his friend through
ins iiiness, out wnenever ne called Jura.
Macdonald would quit her sick husband's
chamber by one door as he entered the room
by the other. Now that they met at last
she returned his salutation with studied
coldness, and except from the occasional
flashing of her wonderful dark t eyes in de
fiant scorn, and the haughty curl of her
dewy lip, she betrayed no other sign of inter
est in his presence." For the first time in his
life Colonel West felt that he looked small
in a woman's eyes. But his uppermost feel
ing was of sorrow at parting from his friend
and concern for him. "What," he found
himself thinking "what if this determin
ation of Macdonald's to take a long fur
lough in England proves to be the chance
for which his wife is looking, to carry the
scneme to a successful issue which has been
intcrrupfed by my interference!"
He had lately lighted, too, on what he
deemed fresh confirmation of madame's
guilt. The Macdonalds had left the hill
station to make preparations for their de
parture for England some days earlier than
Colonel West and his wife. Their departure
from what Colonel West firmly believed to
be the scene of a contemplated tragedy had
been the signal for the unloosening of the
tongues of every native in the settlement.
There were rumors, at first vague, but grow
ing more and more certain in their tenor, of
kisses and caresses between the beautiful
Mrs. Macdonald and the faithful Ali, and
some runtdrs went so far as to hint at more
sinful dalliance still.
"Then they are in league, as I thought
they were," exclaimed the Colonel, hastily'
jumping to conclusions when his wife in
formed him of the stories that were current
in the station. He had anxiously asked
himself since, whether it was hot his dtity
to make a full disclosure of what he .had
heard, and 'of his own suspicions to" the
Major before bidding him farewell, but he
iiau rescued no uenniie conclusion until he
arrived at the ship. Then, when he looked
on the face ot his friend gleaming with love
and trust and complete satisfaction, as he
gazed on the face of his wife who had given
"herself Jmaltbs-full-rJpe charjebs of her
perfect beauty to a battered.'' warrior of
mature age who had spent all Jhs active life
as a soldier in the East, he fylt that eten if
he had more reasons toalles'e in favor of his
suspicions than he' possessed, reasons more
convincing still would Ae required before
tho Major's fnith in his rife conldbe shat
tered. He decided to hfold his peace!
Thesailintrof the Ofaninn. tco ,ii.,.-,i
for some time after Crtlouel Wert' arrival
on BBM-d to JUid'kls Jriend wed-bye. and
availing himself of the chance thus afforded,
he sought an interview with the captain, to
whom alter swearing him to secrecy, he
confided his suspicions. Captain Elseover
was a quick judging man of the world, to
whose lot had fallen many strange vicissi
tudes, in which he had seen something of
the worst as well as of the best of human
character, under the most unlikely circn in
stances, wa3 so impressed with the Colonel's
narrative that he readily Understook to in
tervene if Major Macdonald's health un
derwent and decline while on board the
Tanjore.
"But look here." he said to Colonel
West, during one of the pauses in the con
versation, "why don't you write to the in
surance company and place them, on their
guard? You have plenty of time'to do it
now. Wc shall be kept here four or five
hours yet, and here are paper, pens and
inK."
But the Colonel drew back from this pro
posal. "Prevention is better than cure," he
quoted. "The Insurance Company could
not meddle with suoh a case until interfer
ence came too late."
"There is something in that,' no doubt,"
said the Captain, "but we had better leave
them to decide. They may be able to con
cert measures of which we know, nothing.
If you will write I will see the letter is de
livered." Here was an opportunity to do something
something which might discomfit Mrs.
Macdonald's schemes it after the warning
she had had she ventured to return to them
something, too, which might result iq
bringing her guilt home and insuring that
justice should be done if other precautiobs
failed of their effect.
The Colonel accordingly spent the next
few hours busily engaged in committing his
narrative to writing, which Captain: Else
over undertook to deliver privately into the
hands of the manager of the Universal In
surance Company immediately upon his
arrival in London.
Colonel West's conscience was satisfied
at last that he at any rate had done all that
lay within his power. He wished he could
have done more how many times after
ward the same wish rose from his heart it
would be hard to say 1 But, for the time,
he was satisfied that'he had done his best;
for when he set about committins his story
to writing he felt how painfully insufficient
was his narrative to convev the impression
that his own mind had received. He seemed
to discover for the first time that it was only
a case of dark suspicion after all; that he
had been an eye-witness to no overt acts;
tnat au ne Held in his band was the mm-
ess7afterPeTaf"7tr-fn3AAftfvMAnMA MniKi .i.n..-
i ;j , ' .-..
value as evidence, unless as a buttress to
evidence more convincing still, which
could not be obtained nnless the dark
designs which he attributed to Mrs. Mac
donald were actually carried into effect.
But his heart felt lighter now that he had
done what circumstances seemed to call for,
and there was honest heartiness in his man
ner and honest cheerfulness in his face as
he wrung the hand of his comrade in arms
on the deck of the Tanjore, and took his de
parture from the ship whose voyage might
be fraught with consequences he dreaded to
contemplate. ,
Captain Elseover was as good as his word.
As soon as his ship touched the dock he
sought out Mr. Webber at the office of ihe
Universal Insurance Company, to whom he
intrusted Colonel West's astonishing narra
tive, and Mr. Webber in his turn lost no
time in placing the matter in the hands of
the company's Inquirv Agent, -Mr. Dog
gett. Captain Elseover's account of the voyage
contributed little to the stock of informa
tion. Major Macdonald, after suffering for
several days from seasickness, which had
the effect of greatly reducing his newly ac
quired strength, and redoubling the Cap
tain's watchfulness, as soon as he picked up
his sea legs, made a surprising rally and
had landed in England in better health
than when he embarked.
"I don't want to prejndiee Mrs. Macdon
ald by anything I say," Captain Elseover
remarked, "but in justice to Colonel West
you ought toi know that the r lady had no
chance to play any tricks while with .me.
As soon as I missed .Major Macdonald I
paid him a visit, and when I found how
matters stood, I insisted on having him at
tended to in my own way. I was not going
to have murder done on board my ship un
der cover of seasickness, if I could help i.
I contrived to have someone always with him
who was responsible to me. .He was never
left day or night until he came round again.N
j. made tne nest excuse l pould to the lady,
telling her that a ship'fa captain was the
most despotic being on earth, and she sub
mitted. When the Major was able to leave
his cabin he took his meals'at table seat
ed on my right and shared with me my
own decanter, and as he never took any
thing at other timesuoeing a most abstemi
ous man, he could not be got at, even if the
lady had been inclined to. About that, of
course, I know nothing beyond Colonel
West's statement
So far satislactory. The first thing to do
was to ascertain the address ,to which the
Major had gone after leaving the ship.
This was supplied by Captain Elseover, and
thus armed Doggett set out to make arrange
ments for witching their movements. But
when Doecett applied at the address with
which he Jbad been furnished he enconntered
his first heck. The Major and his wife
had on! stayed one night in the hotel.
They hid left that morning for Paris 1 By
dint ofpersistency, in his inquiries the de
tectivj learnt that this piece of information
respecting thctr destination had been volun
teered by the lady herself a circumstance
whih at once"placed Doggett on his cuard.
Ian of campaign had been atrreed
'n between the detective and Mr. Web-
baf before the former set out on his mission.
his instructions were most nrecise.
fter ascertaining where Maior and Mrs.
Macdonald were staying, the detective was
ordered to keep strict natch and pick up
what information he oonld. In the pvpnt
ot Major Macdonald showing any signs of
muispusiuim xcqujdui; me services oi a
physician, the name and residence of the
physician were to be ascertained, whereupon
Mr. Webber undertook to seek an interview
with the physician, and after pledging him
to secrecy, acquaint him with the tacts that
had come to his knowledge, and so place
him on his guard against the possibility of
malpractice. This scheme was well de
vised, depending only for its success on
Doggett's success in "shadowing" the un
fortunate Major and the syren whose beauty
had woven a spell round him.
Doggett had now to decide whether he
would follow the travelers to Paris or treat
the communication as a feint to mask Mrs.
Macdonald's real movements. He swiftly
decided to leave nothing to chance. He
accordingly dispatched a subordinate to
Paris with instructipns to place himself at
oaee in communication with the Paris
Mtiw, white he .blMself remained takind I
, PITTSBURG, SATURDAY, MAYV
-to prosecute inquiries nearer home. He
soon had the satisfaction of learning that
the travelers had not reached Paris, nor so
far as could be ascertained had they set foot
anywhere on French soili The attempt to
leave a false scent behind had failed.
Notwithstanding this, the Macdonalds,
intentionally or unconsciously, had man
aged to surround their retreat with much
mystery. Many precious weeks were lost
before the detectives succeeded in striking
the trail. The authorities were communi
cated with at th,e Horse Guards, but they
knew nothing of the Major's whereabouts.
He had paid a complimentary call on the
Commander-in-Chief on the day of his arri
val in England, but beyond that nothing
was known.
In whatever direction Doggett bent his
steps, the result was ever the same. He
could come across no trace of the Major,
though he hunted down Macdonalds galore,
tracked Majors accompanied by handsome
women by the dozen, ran down and laid
siege in turn to every haunt frequented by
Anglo-Indians and followed up every scrap
of information that had the figure of a
mild Hindoo" for its central fact. But all
in vain. Strange to say, when he commu
nicated witn tne .Major s lactorat uiansjuc.
the factor was not aware that the Major had
left India. Baffled though he was at every
turn, the detective never lost heart, though,
with absolutely no clew to go upon, he
found it difficult to devite new measures for
discovering the Major's retreat, as each new
expedient proved more abortive than the
rest. At last fortune favored him. Even
his indominitable pluck was beginning to
give out when news reached him in a round
about way which led him to pay a visit to
Brighton, But here again a fresh disap
pointment awaited him. The "form" was
warm, but the game had disappeared.
Mrs. Macdonald had left Brighton
a month ago, attended by the faithful Ali,
taking her husband with her. The Major
was reported to have been in a dying state,
but he had insisted, contrary to the wishes
of the physician in attendance the great
Sir Marcus Bland on being allowed to try
what the breezy moors and picturesque glens
of Clansyde would do to renew his exhausted
powers. A visit paid to the celebrated
Brighton physician issued in important dis
coveries. Major Macdonald had been living
in Brighton since the day he left London,
where he spent only one night after his ar
rival in England, and the services of Dr.
Bland bad been called into requisition on
the night of his arrival in Brighton. "A
typical Anglo-Indian confirmed dyspeptic
and advanced-livestdisease," was. the great
"physleian'srep'orl ofTus patient, on whom
he had remained in attendance nntil his re
moval from Brighton.
Doggett now tuined his steps northward
and arrired at Clansyde two days.later, only
to find that his labor was all in vain.
Major Macdonald had breathed his last at
York a fortnight ago, and had been interred
in that historic city, and as soon as Mrs.
Macdonald's strength wonld permit of her
resuming her journey she might be expected
to arrive at Clansyde.
Such was the news communicated to him
by the intelligent factor Mr. McOallum.
VI.
Doggett made no delay in returning to
town, to communicate the result of his
labors to Mr. Webber, and to ask for fresh
instructions. He broke his journey at York
to discover whether the facts were as stated
by the factor, and satisfied on this head re
sumed his journey without loss of time.
But Mr. Webber was already in possession
of all the information that Doggett had
gleaned before the detective's arrival. This
information had come to him in the form of
a claim on the Universal, forwarded with
the necessary certificates and particulars by
a respectable firm of solicitors in York,
acting in behalf of the newlv-made widow.
The meager particulars which Doggett had
succeeded in obtaining from Sir Marcus
Bland, the Brighton physician, were far
from satisfactory, but then they furnished
sufficient data to show that the malady to
which the Major had succumbed was in
every essential feature similar in character
to the illness which had so nearly reached a-
ratal termination in India when Colonel
West jumped to the conclusion that his
friend was being slowly done to death by a
slow poison.
Mr. Webber called into council as many
of the directors of the Universal as could
be got together on short notice, and after a
long and anxious consultation they decided
to refuse to admit the claim and to state
their reason fairly, viz., that the deceased
had met his death by unfair means.
It was originally suggested that the facts
in possession of Mr. Webber should be com
municated to the Coroner at York, with the
view ol obtaining an inquest on the re
mains, but the absence of Colonel West
from England, and the difficulties surround
ing the case led the directors to take a
course which would have the effect of either
relieving them of their liability an im
portant point in the judgment of the di
rectorsor would compel Mrs. Maodonald
to proceed by protracted litigation to en
force her claim, an expedient which would
allow of Colonel West being communicated
witn.
An angry letter, written by the solicitors
at York employed by Mrs. Macdonald. fol
lowed the refusal on the part of the Univer
sal to meet tne claim, in wbich the dis
tressed condition of their client at the shame
ful imputation laid against her was skill
fully set forth. But Mr. Webber refused to
budge, simply naming the company's solic
itor and stating that he wonld accept service
of writ ou their behalf.
But if the directors of the Universal im
agined that Mrs. Macdonald would be terri
fied by the bold front they had placed on
matters, in refusing admission of her claim
and imputing her husband's death to foul
play, they were mistaken. Mrs. Macdonald
was determined to fight the matter gut, a
circumstance that subsequently told heavily
in her favor when the case went before a
jury. The company's solicitor was served
with a writ immediately after the receipt of
Mr. Webber's letter, and the. decks were at
once cleared for action.
The company's solicitor at this time was.
Mr. "Kenneth .Fraser, the story of whose
tragic death, which occurred not inanv
years afterward," has been told in . the
mystery at Clump Cottage. Doggett "was
at once dispatched to York to hunt up what
information he could, while Mr. Kenneth
Fraser went down to Brighton to interview
Sir Marcus Bland, who had attended the
deceased Major from the time of his arrival
in England down to the period whenlie set
out on his ill-fated journey northward to
his Scottish home, to die", as it turned oat,
on the road.
But Sir Marcus Bland, between whose
cognomen and his oilv, gracious" manner
some subtle link existed, was only able to
assure iMr. Fraser 'that hcT.had alresdv been
engaged by the other side, and "Until I j
25, 1889.
reach tb.e witness-box," he added, sweetly,
my lips are, of course, sealed." Mr.'
Kenneth Fraser was a skillful crois-exam-iner,
and after a further passage of arms if
the deit caution of the Scotchman and the
unctuousness of the physician an ay be so
called Mr, Fraser was compelled Xo beat a
retreat, qnitting Brighton no wiser than he
came, save for the conviction that he had
formed that in Sir Marcus Bland the Uni
versal would have a tough adversary.
Dogget fared no better at York. The doc
tor who had attended Major Macdonald
during the last few days of bis life in that
city was more confiding than the Brighton
physician had proved to be, but his sympa
thies also were enlisted on the other side.
The York physician frankly told the de
tective that in his judgment the Universal
had no case, "You have not a leg to stand
on you have not indeed," he affirmed,
"Major Macdonald died a perfectly naiural
death. His constitution was completely
broken down by his long residence in India
before his return. He acknowledged as
much as that to me, and he was in extremis
when I saw him."
The detective spent some time looking up
the chambermaids in the hotel where Major
Macdonald had died; but the wonderful
beauty of Mrs. Macdonald, her unexampled
devotion, too, as a sick nurse, and her man
ifestations of poignant distress oyer his
death (whether real or imaginary hung in
doubt), had so completely won over the
minds of the women to her side that Dog
gett's gleanings in this field were few and
scanty.
One woman there was who proved more
communicative than the rest, and out of her
the detective contrived to worm some par
ticulars which aggravated the suspicions
against the widow.
"Whatever the poor man took," said this
woman, "seemed to disagree with him. He
could keep nothing down."
"Did he complain of anything?" asked
the detective.
"Not in my hearing," was the response.
"I have heard the others say that his thirst
was something terrible, and that sometimes
his sufferings were very trying. He had a
good deal of pain, and he used to complain
a good deal of a leeling in his throat as if he
could not swallow."
Bnt this hearsay evidence communicated
from one woman to another did not help the
case forward much. The symptoms might
be compatible with a diseased condition well
known to medical science. Indeed, on the
assumption that the Major had died from a
process of slow poisoning, was ft not clear
that the drug which had been given (what
ever that might be) had the power of being
able to simulate the effectB nt disease in an
altogether remarkable 'way? Otherwise
how was it possible that the de
ceased Major should have been under
the hands of three members of the faculty
at oinerent periods ol time, and all ot them
have arrived at the same conclusion that
his malady was strictlv in accordance with
medical experience? First of all Dr. Es
mead in India, next Sir Marcus Bland at
Brighton, and last of all Dr. Bedford at
York, who had seen the patiently separately
and independently at different stages' of his
malady, had all agreed that the effects from
which he was suffering were to be ascribed
to natural causes.
Was she guilt? This question required
to be faced when Doggett returned from
York with his report.
"If Colonel West's story did not bear on
it the stamp of truth," said Mr. Webber,
addressing Mr. Fraser, with whom he was
closeted in a long and earnest consultation,
"I should be disposed to think we have ab
solutely no case to go upon."
"It is a thousand pities this man West is
not in England," returned Mr. Fraser. "If
we had him here we should have some
grounds which should justify us in moving
the Home Secretary to order an exhumation
of the remains,.sto44L.Coroner-'s, -inquest if
the result ofthe-post mortem required it."
It must be confessed thai the Universal
was in a singular dilemma. On the onehand
they had nothing except the written narra
tive of Colonel West and the remarkable
good health enjoyed by the Major up to the
time of his effecting his insurance to base, a
single suspicion upon, although it was open
to discussion by experts whether the symp
toms mentioned in Doocett's report, corre
sponding, as they did, with the symptoms
manifested under like conditions in India,
did not admit of an entirely different con
struction than that placed upon them by the
English physicians. But the fact that Mr.
Webber had been forewarned by Colonel
West in his interesting narrative of what
was likely to happen; and that Colonel
West's sinister prophecy had been onlv too
sidly fulfilled, justified Mr. Webber in his
determination to abide by the conrse which
he had pressed on his directors to fight the
matter out to the last. There was an ele
ment. of gambling in the decision, as Mr.
Webber frankly owned to Mr. Kenneth
Fraser, seeing that they were playing a
waiting game on the chance that Colonel
West might yet arrive in time before the
great case came on.
Meanwhile preparations for the trial of
the cause of Macdonald vs the Directors of
the Universal Insurance Company went on
uninterruptedly in both camps, and the
prospects of both parties to the suit were
eagerly canvassed in private medical circles,
as the line of defense began to leak out.
The Universal spent its money freely and
employed its vast resources witCout stint in
a cause which would involve them in a
large money loss in the event ot the day
being decided against them.
Hat the Universal had even more sacred
interests to defend. They realized that the
wise and beneficent provisions for life as
surance were in some rare cases apt to be
misused for the basest purposes, as supply
ing motive for the perpetration of crave
crime, and standing at the head ot the
offices, they refused to allow any reproach
to attach to the principle of life assurance
when it lay within their power to defeat the
machinations of conspirators and bring the
guilty to justice. In short, they stood for
the sanctity ot human life.
They did not spend money in vain. They
had two lines ot defense to their action.
First, with the best medical opinion at their
service wherewith to instrnct counsel, they
expected to break down tho medical evi
dence for the plaintiff in cross-examination,
though this they knew would be difficult
when a great reputation like that of Sir
Marcus Bland's was at stake. But they
calculated that they would be able to obtain
such admissions of the course of the disease
and the character of the syinptons as would
enable them to place the most eminent toxi
oologists in Europe into the witness box,
who would at least so shake the faith of the
jury in theJpIaintifTscasoastogiveaverdict
against ber, on the expeit testimony of men
with a world-wide reputation on the subject
of poisons they finally relied.
After long delays the great trial came
off. The medical testimony was, as usual,
of the most conflictingcbaracter. It is only-
fair to the reputation of Sir Marcus.UIuiul
to say that his diagnosis of the case aad his
description of the course of the disease from
which Major Macdonald died was so clear
in its character, that no difficulty was ex
perienced on the part of the plaintiffs in
putting into the box the foremost physiclaus
of their time, who unhesitatingly declared
that from the description given death was to
be attributed to natural causes; though it
was admitted in cross-examination that
many of the symptoms were such as might
be met with it the deceased had been sub
jected to a long course ot irritant poison, ad
ministered in small and frequent doses.
Bnt the most overwhelming testimony was
that given by the plaintiff hersell, who ap
peared richly clad in expensive mourning,
and a plquante widow's bonnet delicately
fringed wjth white, which showed off to ad
vantage the classic beauty of her perfect
face. Her beauty produced a great im
pression on the Court. She was Juno and
.N jobe in one or both by tarns.
Her case was rudely shaken, however,
when the most eminent experts gave their
testimony to show that the symptoms which
were not contested were tor be traced to the
action of a mineral poison of an irritant
character, anu were too violent and protract-
ed to be attributed to the or ilinarytietioa of
disease. The evidence produced a remark
able sensation, but when counsel for the
plaintiff rose to reply to tho case put forward
in the, interests of the Universal, and after
expatiating on the beauty and distress of his
persecuted client, and went on to declaim in
well-acted indignation on thecowafdice ata
great company trying their strength against
one poor solitary woman, the jury were elec
trified by his appeal.
"There was a conflict of testimony," he
remarked, "between the doctors. Well,"
he continued, "whdn doctors differ who
shall decide? There can be but one answer
to that. Judgment must go for the woman
who, unaided, in this action was fighting a
wealthy corporation with every resource at
their comman J. If that were not enough to
convince the j'ury that justice lay on
the side of his client, he had one
more argument to adduce. If the directors
of this great compauy had each possessed
ihe courage of their convictions, if they
honestly believed in their own pitiful ex
cuse for robbing the widow of her rights.
why had they not taken the bolder and
ropre honest course of vindicating their
cause by prosecuting this woman crimin
ally for her crime and dragging the body
of the unfortunate man from his grave, that
it might prove a swift witness against the
woman whom he had loved so well, and who
had repaid him with all a wife's fondest de
votion?" In the nature of the case there could be
no answer to the appeal. The written nar
rative of Colonel West was not evidence,
and could not be alluded to.
A careful summing up from the Jndge;
and the jury, without turning around in
their seats, gave their verdict unhesitating
ly in favor of the widow: Mrs. Macdonald
had triumphed. But the directors refused
to accept the verdict, and gave notice of ap
peal; and in the hour of her triumph came
the opportunity, whieh the directors had
long coveted, of instituting criminal pro
ceedings against Ijer. Colonel West had
returned, bringing with him a train of In
dian witnesses ready to swear to suspicious
acts witnessed on the part of Mrs. Macdon
ald and the faithful Ali, and to gross Sets
of impropriety which had been witnessed
between them, and which could on no ac
count be reconciled with the relations be
tween mistress1 and servant
j.ne arm ot tne Jaw was now set in motion.
The Home Secretary consented to grant an
order for the exhnmatiou of the remains of
the late Major Hector Macdonald, and in
the end Mrs. Macdonald with Ali Sen by
her side stood in the criminal dock at York
Assizes to be tried for thpir lives.
The same conflict in medical testimonv,
which had occurred ai the former trial, per
plexed the mind of the- court again. No
actual poison was found in the body. Such
postmortem signs as were not obliterated by
decomposition were attributed on the one
side to the action of some unknown irritant
poison, and on the other to the course of dis
ease. Once more the absence of a link in
the chain of evidence gave to Mrs. Mac
donald a renewal of her former triumph,
and after a long consultation by the jury
she and her accomplice were acqu1
TheUniversal made the best possible use of
a bad situation and paid over the moncy,with
which the Major's widow disappeared to the
Continent, on pleasure bent, carrying with
her the faithful Ali.
Several, years afterward the Star and
Garter, a sister company, received a pro
posal for a heavy insurance on the life of a
young lady. The name of the proposer was
Madame Dejazet. Inquiries were instituted
which led to the discovery that Madame
Dejazet was a person without the means to
pay the annually recurring premiums, and
that she wasin fact none other than the
Infamous woman who had been tried and
acquitted at York Assizes some years before
for the murder of Hector Macdonald.
Once more she disappeared to be heard of
for the last time. In a Iowr filthy den in
the East End of London" a woman was tound
lying dead in herbed with a knife of Indian
workmanship plunged td the hilt in her
breast. She had uttered no cry, given vent
to no groan as'she passed to her Maker. A
dissolute Hindoo who nad lived with her
was tried for the murder, sentenced to death
and hanged. ,
His name was Ali Sen.
The End
Next Saturday,
'KETEALED BY KinE."
THE AUTOMATIC CHA1E.
Drop a Penny Into I lie slot nnd Get a Seat
It Mlclit Prove Expenilre.
Visitors to London commonly complain
that there is nowhere to sit down. Says
the London Globe: Our streets are abso
lutely seatless; there area few benches in
our public buildings, but they are hard and
comfortless, and, hard and comfortless as
they are, are nearly always accompanied
by the professional loafer, to the exclusion
of anyone else. In the park, it is true,
there are plenty or seats, bnt in the public
ones the sitter is haunted by the fear that
previous occupants have not been all that
might be desired in the way of personal
habits, and in the private ones he (orshe) is
perpetually bothered by the collector com
ing round to collect his dues. There really
may be a future, therefore, for the auto
matic chair, which has lately been brought
out.
The mechanism is simple. The seat of
the chair is hinged attlie back, and in its
normal position isfolded up against the back
and cannot .be pulled down. But by drop
ping a penny into slit in the usual man
ner the seat is released and can be pulled
down and sat upon. It is possible, how
ever, in practice tnat the behavior of the
chair when the sitter gets up may lead to
difficulties. For, like the strapontins with
wnicn tueaters are irequeutiy seated nowa
days, the seat when released Irom the sit
ter's weight at once resumes its normal po
sition, and can only be sat upon again on
payment of another penny. So that to an ex
citable gentleman, who frequently got up to
admire the view, the seat might prove an
expensive convenience. The inventors state,
however, that this arrangement can be al
tered by leaving a stick, or au unbrella, or
even a newspaper on the seat when one
rises. But if that be so, the youthlul pirates
of the 'street will not be "slow to find it
out, and by means of a stone or a stick will
keep these seats down forever or, at least,
until the policemau comes around. Still.
the idea is. &iid to have been extensively
adopted in Paris, so it may well be tried in
London.
A BOLD FREEBOOLEB.
IIow a Fnmoas Onttaw Shnvcil n Policeman
Who Vn Looking for Him.
The following story is current in the In
dian Press as an illustration of the fearless
audacity and defiant spirit of the famous
border freebooter, Tantia Bheel. A native
police officer with a body of police recently
set out in pursuit of this dacoit and halted
at a spot near one of his favorite haunts.
A bnrber entered, whose service the officer
requisitioned. Forthwith the man shaved
the policeman, chatting freely of the dacoit
and his doings. "Ah," he said at last,
"there's only one way of catching Tantia."
'And how is that?" "In this way," said
tlie barber, shaving off the tip of the Jema
dar's nose; "I am Tantia."
The pseudo-barber bolted forthwith into
the jungle, leaving the unfortunate officer
streaming with blood, and frantically call
ing upon his men to follow tho runaway,
it is needless to lay that Tantia made good
his escape.
RIM WVJT t&x the flora and fauna
DIUL. It C o central J'arkand tie
scrtbet Ms reflections thereon tn his inimitable
tlyle in to-morrow' t Dispatch.
SHIRLEY DARE &
PACTCH on tobm airt and graces, imftdeteribea
Kme,Q9mfw(9He ami tum4ng wmm.
AMONG THE EED MEN.
Life of a School Teacher in the Fai
Off Indian Territory.
GLORIOUS SUNSETS IN THE WEST,
nation Bay Celebrated After the Style o!
Fourth of July.
A HiPPI A5D ISCEEA8INQ PAYIL1
Eetj Eock, Oioe Aoexct, I. T..
May 20, 1889.
Oh, the glorious sunsets of the WestI If
has been raining almost all day, a rain that
came by jerks and in big drops, but it hat
finally cleared up "cloudy and cool." Bay
in the west, where the sun is setting behind
a ridge of golden clouds that rims the whole
western horizon., The cattle are lowing and
returning homeward, as they did when Gray
wrote his elegy in a country church yardi
and it seems that all things .living have fled
and left the schoolroom to darkness and to
me.
When I came into the schoolroom this
evening I found, half reclining against the
organ, a little dark face waiting for me. I
could scarcely see him but for the huge
bunch of jacco he held in his hands. He
said: "Here are some flowers for you." I
took them, admired thenr, and said I would
put them in water. He lingered. I knew
before I took the flowers that he wanted
something, and I said: "Harry, you want
something, don't you?" "Yes," he said,
"colored chalk," emphasizing the colored.
Could I refuse? This people and their chil
dren are diplomats. They know how to
get just what they want, although many a
handsome banquet of sweet prairie flowers
do I receive without the donor having one
selfish wish.
A. QUESTION OV EDUCATIOIT.
The Indian boys are butchering a cow for
the school. The Indian policemen are on
hand to help a little, and to get the delicious
morsels that are not used by us of higher
civilization; but, as they often reason, "we
eat what you wouldn't eat and yoa eat what
we wouldn't touch." All a question of edu
cation. Not one bit of the cow will be
wasted, but all carried off and made use ol
In some way. They TJrove the poor thing
behind the barn and shot her in the presence
of the other cows that were waiting to b
milked. They looked on in sympathy, and
wandered about uneasily, wondering if thej
would share the same fate.
The school was closed yesterday for a Mai
picnic. We all went down into the woodi
bordering on Eed Eock creek and swung,
played, rowed and ate our dinner. Th Tn.
,dian children were in their element, chil
dren of nature as they are. The bovs at.
tempted to row in an old dug-out that tippec
from side to side. Indian like, the girli
swung the boys.
The substantial dinner for the childrer
was eaten with, a relish, followed by the
dainties partaken of by the white folks.
The fragments of the white folks' dinnei
were given to the Indian women and babies
who followed us as the street Arabs follow :
picnic at home, "afar off," but on hant
when dinner is ready. Thev enjoyed tht
bits of cheese, cake and pie, meat, etc., etc.
and had an abundance even of the scraps
iThe do were not foreotten. In the hack
ground were several Indians on horses, wht
were too backward to come and eat withou
an invitation.
---. r -i t. ,
HrrrE a. change.
Night has settled down on Otoe. Th
golden-rimmed olouds have departed anc
left dark leaden ones. The policemen wht
liugered for their share of the dead cow an
trailing home through the long, wet grass ti
their respective tepees, with old coffee sack
slung on their backs filled with the offal
choice meat to them. The cow that was ful
of life an hour ago lies quartered in the mea
shop. What a strange, strange world this is
The weak are overpowered by the strong; i
is one constant struggle for one's rights, ant
a continual warfare with self or others, ant
a strife for life, but to die at last.
Morning has dawned; beautiful, bright
clear and cool. This is ration day. This i
kind of a conference, a picnic and an inde
pendence day for the Indians. They hayi
ou all their best clothes. The women comi
with handsome beaded blankets, face
painted, earrings, beads, breastpins ant
bracelets until they are weighted so tha
walking is an exertion. The variegatec
umbreUas and parasols are out this morning
Many have the beautiful red, white ant
blue ones, cotton and not fast colors either
and tbe nrst rain clouds them terribly.
A HAPPTT FAMILY.
The interpreter has jnst come in to see I
his son had drawn any new pictures on tht
board.' The inWpreter has two wives
who are sisters. They live happilj
together without any quarreling, and an
raising a large family ot smart children.
We have five of them in school, and ont
is a natural artist. The others are iharj
and shrewd, but have inherited some of tht
mean traits of the mean white blood that it
in their veins. The interpreter was dis
charged not long ago, and his brother pul
in his place.
THE KING OP TROUT CADGHT.
A Yankee Fisherman Lands a Bis Beant)
After a Struggle. ,
The king of Eastern Connecticut trout
was caught the other day in an East Kill.
ingly stream by A. C. Oatley, of that town.
On the day following its capture it weighed
just four pounds and three ounces. Mr.
Oatley, who was fishing with a light fly
rod, saw the trout in a broad, deep pool be
fore he threw his hook into the water, and
the sight made him nervous. Said he:
"I looked first at the trout very cautiously,
and then I looked at the little rod, and I
was afraid for the rod; I thought it would
never stand the strain if I hooked the chap.
But I threw in and in less than half a wink
the big fellow took it. Caesarl but didn't
things hum about there then. I was just 17
minutes in tuckering him out, and he acted
very curiously from the starj. He made no
attempt to break for either up stream or
down, but started in a circle, and kept it up
until I killed him. Bound and round that
pool he went till 1 fairly got dizzy looking
at him; but after a while he slowed up, and
finally I had him In the sand of the bank."
Mr. Oatley had an offer of $5 for the trout
as soon as he reached home with his prize
from an ardent sportsman. Dr. Hammond,
of Dayton. He wouldn't take it.
Mr. "Oatley, though he .works for small
wages in a Killingly mill, is an enthusiastic
fisherman. He fishes with a $15 rod and
has taken, many notably large trout. The
Oatley fish is the biggest brook trout that
has been taken in Connecticut in years.
Several years ago Mr. Andrasr a wealthy
sportsman, caught an Eastern Connecticut
trout that weighed a trifle over five pounds,
and he bad a plaster cast taken of the fish.
A stream one mile west of this city is noted
for its big trout. Two pounds and a half,
three pounds,four pounds and a tour pounds,
and a half trout have been taken from it.
An Eel In a Tight Place,
New York Telezram.l
A stoppage of water in the Jefferson Market
building to-day was found to be caused by
the clogging up of the pipes by an "eel
measuring 35 inches. Engineer Savin
maue tne discovery and removed the cause,
ROBERT BR0WNIN6-toK
kj is me columns of tonorrovrsT Dw
PATCH sfme inter etdng fertmai tnttiB am.
emnuna tkt nut :. ,
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