THE DAY OF TEMPTATION,

North Otago Times, 3 December 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE DAY OF TEMPTATION,

A STORY OF TWO CITIES,

BY WILLIAM LI QUBUX, Author of "If Sinnera'Entice Thee," 'A Secret Service," "Guilty Bonds," etc., etc,, etc.

- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED,

,'• cvgrthmhuk& PART *

CHAPTER !H, Orb of i Otow»,

Wrtrrm half a minute a e»wd hta gathered around the cab, for it that hour Piccadilly Circus it the centre of London life. Half a dozen of the largest theatres and music halls ire within a stone's throw of that open space, with its useless fountain, where so many of the principal thoroughfares converge, and the blaze of electricity, the everchanging coloured advertisements, and the unceasing stream of idlers and pleasure-seekers render it the gayest spot in the giant metropolis,

The instant the cabman raised the alarm the constable was joked by the burly door-opener of the Criterion in gaoler-like uniform and the round-faced fireman, who, lounging together outside, were ever on the lookout for some diversion. But when the constable agreed with the cabdriver that tho lady was dead, their ready chaff died from their lips,

'"What do you know of her?' asked the officer of the cabdriver,

'Nothing, beyond the fact that I drove 'er from Charin 1 Cross with a gentleman. She's a foreigner, but he was English,'

'Where is he?' demanded the constable, anxiously, at that moment being joined by two colleagues, to'whom the fireman in a few breathless words explained the affair. 'He went into the bar there 'arfan hour ago, but he ain't come out.' 'Quick. Come with ae,and let's find him/ the offieer Baid. Leaving the other policeman in charge of the cab, they entered and walked down the long garish bar, wrutinising each of the hundred or 60 men lounging there. The cabman, however, saw nothing of his fare.

'He must have escaped by the back way,' obsorved the officer, disappointedly. ' It's a strange busiuess, this.' ' Extremely,' said the cabdriver. 'The fellow must have murdered her, and then entered the place in order to get away, He' 6 a pretty cute 'un.'

' It seems a clear case of murder,' exclaimed the other in a sharp, precise, business-like tone. ' We'll take her to the hospital first; then you must come with me to Yine street at once.'

.When they emerged they found that ;he crowd had already assumed enormous proportions, The news-that a woman had been murdered spread instantly Ihioughout the whole neighbourhood, ind the surging crowd of idlers, all turiosity, pressed around the vehicle to ibtain a glimpse of the dead woman's face. Amid the crowd, olbowing his way fiercely and determinedly, wa6 a man whoso presence there was a somewhat curious coincidence, having regard to what had previously transpired that evening. He wore a silk hat, his frock-coat was tightly buttoned, amUie carried in his gloved hand a silvermounted cane. After considerable difficulty he obtained a footing in front of the crowd immediately behind the cordon the police had formed around the vehicle, and in a few moments, by craning his neck forward, obtained an uninterrupted view of the lady's face. His teeth wero firmly set, but his calm countenance betrayed no sign of astonishment. For an instant he re garded tho woman with a cold impassive look, then quickly he turned away glancing furtively right and left, and an instant later was lost in the surging struggling multitude which a body of police were striving in vain to' move on.'

The man who had thus gazed into the dead woman's face was the man to whom she had been introduced at the itation, Major Gordon Maitland. Almost at the same moment when the major turned away the constable sprang into the cab beside the woman, and the Sriver at once mounting the box, drove rapidly away along Coventry street and ocross Leicester square to Charing Cross Hospital. The. excited, turbulent crowd opened a way for the vehicle to pass, but some of the more enthusiastic ones ran behind the vehicle, and did not leave it until the inanimate body had been carried.up the steps and into the portals of that smoke-blackened institution.

To the small, bare, whitewashed room to the left of the entrance hall, whpre casualties are received, the dark-haired girl was carried and laid tenderly upon the leather-covered divan. The depressing place smelt strongly of disinfectants, the gas jet hissed within its wire globe, and water slowly trickled from a tap into a basin of porcelain, Upon a shelf were half a dozen bottles containing drugs for immediate administration to alleviate pain or steady the nerves of the unfortunate ones, and a small cupboard opposite was filled with surgical instruments. With these exceptions the room was perfectly bare.

The dresser, who. attended to minor accidents, gave a quick glance at the face of the new patient, and at once sent for the house surgeon. He saw it .was a grave case.

Very soon the doctor, a l thin, elderly, pale-faced man, entered briskly, asked a couple of questions of the constable,' unloosened her dress, cut the cord of her corsets, laid his hand' upon her heart, felt her pulse, slowly moved her eyelids, and then shook his head,

'Dead,' he exclaimed. 'She must have died nearly in hour ago.' Then he forced open her mouth, and turning the hissing gas jet to obtain a full light, gazed into it. Hie. gray shaggy brows contracted,

and the dresser standing by knew that his chief had detected something which nuzzled Urn, He felt the glands in her Beck carefully, and pushing back the hah that had fallen over her brow, reopened her fast glazing eyes, and peered into them long and earnestly. He carefully examined the palm o) her right hand, which ,was ungloved, then tried to remove the glove from the left, but in vain, He was obliged to' np it up with a pair of scissors. Afterwards he examined the hand minutely, giving vent to a grunt of dissatisfaction, ' Is it murder, do you think, sir V the constable inquired; 'Thcro are.no outward signs ol violence,' answered the house-surgeon, 'You had better take the body to the mortuary, and tell your inspector thai I'll make the post-mortem. to-morrow morning,' 'Very well, sir,' paaied from Charing Cross stotionojr i

nor, - we aoowr coutinmiu. •- w nurb is ho?'

,'! He alighted, entered the Criterion, and didn't-cWo back,' explained fiie cabman, . ■ ~

' Suspicious of foul play I Very suspicious,' the doctor, observed, his brows still knit. ' To-nwrriw we Bhall know the troth;..; She's .'evidently a lad* and from her dress appears to be a foreigner,*' 'She arrived by the Paris mail tonight,' the oabman observed. 'Well, it must be left to the police to unravel whatever mystery surrounds her, It is only for us to ascertain the cause of her death—whether natural or by foul means,' and he turned to where tb.e d&d woman was lying still and cold, her dress disarranged, her dark hair fallen dishevelled, her sightless eyes closed in the sleep that knows no awakening until the Great Day. The cabman-stood with his hat in hit hand; the constable had hung his helmet on his forearm by ite strap, 'Then outwardly there are no signs of murder ?' the latter asked, disappointed perhaps that the case was ..not likely 10 piinc so' sensational as it Lud it first appeared, ' Tell your inspector that at present I can give no opinion,' the surgeon replied. ' Certain appearances are mysterious, To-night I can Bay nothing more. At the inquest I shall be able to speak more confidently.' As he spoke his cold, gray eyes were still fixed upon the lifeless form, as if held by somo strange fascination, Approaching the cupboard, he took from a case a small lancet, and raising' the dead woman's arm, made a, slight incision in the wrist, For a few moments be watched it intently, bending and holding her wrist full in the glaring gaslight within two inches of his eyes.

Suddenly he let the limp, inert arm drop, and with a sigh turned again to the two men who stood motionless, watching, and said: 'Go. Take the body to the mortuary. I hare yet much to do for the living to-night. I'll eiamine her to-morrow.' And he rang for the attendants, who came, lifted the body from the couch, and conveyed it out to admit a man who lay outside groaning, with his leg crushed.

Half an hour later the cabdriver and" the constable stood in the small upper room at Vino street police station, the office of the inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department attached to that station. Inspector Elmcs, a darkbearded stalwart man of forty-five, sat at a table, while behind him, arranged over the mantelshelf, were many photographs of criminals, missing persons, and people who had been found dead in various parts of the metropolis, and whose friends had not been traced. Tinned against the gray painted walls were several printed notices offering rewards, some with portraits of absconding persons, others with crude woodcuts of stolen jewels. It was a bare, carpetless room, but eminently businesslike.

' Well,' the inspector was saying to the constable as'he leant back in his chair. 'There's some mystery about the affair you think—eh? Are there any signs of murder ?'

'No, sir,' the man answered. 'At present the doctor has discovered nothing.' 1 Then until he has our department can't deal with it,' replied the detective. ' Why has your inspector sent you up here?'

'Because it's so mysterious, I suppose, sir.'

' She may have had a fit—most probable, I should think. Until the doctor has certified I don't see any necessity to stir. It's more than possible that when the man who left her at the Criterion reads of her death -in the papers lic'l! come forward, identify her, and clear himself.' Then, turning to the cabman, he asked: ' What sort of man was bean Englishman ?" ' I really don't know, sir,' said the cabman. 'He spoke to the dead girl in hei own language, yet I thought when he spoke to hie friend at the station that his English was that of a foreigner, Besides, he looked like a Frenchman, for he wore a large bow for a tie, which no Englishman wears,' 'You think him a foreigner because of his tie, eh?' the.detective observed, smiling. ' Now,_ if you had noticed his boots with a critical eye you might perhaps have accurately determined his nationality. look at a man's boots next time.'

Then, taking up lis pen, he drew a piece of pale yellow official paper beforo him, noted the number of the cabman's badge, inquired his name and address, and asked several other questions, afterwards dismissing both men with the observation'that until a verdict had been given in the coroner's court he saw no reason to institute further inquiries. Two days later the inquest was held in a small room at St. Martin's Town Hall, the handsome building overlooking Trafalgar square* and as may be imagined was largely attended by representatives of the Press. All the sensationalism of London evening journalism had, during the two days intervening, been let loose upon the mysterious affair, and the remarkable 'latest details'had been ' worked up' into an amazing, but utterly fictitious story. One paper, in its excess of zeal to outdistance all its rivals in sensationalism, had hinted that the dead woman was actually tho daughter of an Imperial House, and this had aroused public curiosity to "fever-heat. When the usual formalities of constituting the court had been completed, tho jury had viowed the body, and the cabman had related his strange story, the coroner, himself a medical man, dark-bearded and middle-aged, commenced a'close cross-examination, ' "Was it Trench or Italian the lady spoke i" he asked, 'I don't know the difference, sir,' the cabman admitted. • ' The man with ner spoko just as quickly as she did,' ' Was there anything curious in the demeanour of either of them ?' 'I noticed nothing.strange, The gentleman told me to drive along Pall Mall and the Haymarket, or of course I'd 'avo taken the proper route, up Charm' Cross road and Leicester square.' • 'You would recognise this gentleman igain,' I suppose ?' the coroner asked. ' I'd know him among ten thousand,' the man promptly replidd. Inspector Mines,, who was present on behalf of the Criminal Investigation Department, asked several questions through the coroner, when the latter afterwards resumed his cross-examina-' tion, 'You have told us,'he said,'that just before entering the cab the gentleman was accosted by nfriend. Did you overhear any of their conversation ?' ' I heard the missing man address the other as ."Major,"' the cabman replied, fingering the metal badge displayed upon the breast of his faded coat, ' He introduced the major to the lady, but I «m M t« ttft either of theit mom, . yi)w yooty seated on your b« ni ggt m aaoh Is i wtof i&

tion, rue two mi'ii secmwi vqy jiinif.'lo'. incuty but, ou tliu otluT hnnil, iiiygeiitiemim seemed in a. great .-hurry' to got away.'.' ','.,■'.' 1 You arc certain that this man you know as, tho raujor did not tirrivo by. the same train,'eh?' asked the coroner, glancing sharply up from the paper whereon he was writing tho depositions of this important witness, 'I am certain; for I noticed him , lounging up and down the platform fully arf an hour before the train came in. 1 -

'Then you think he must have been awaiting his friend?' 'No doubt he was, sir, for as soon as I drove the lady and gentleman away, he, too, started to walk out of the station.'

Then the. coroner, having written i few more words upon the foolscap before him, turned to the jury, exclaim* tog-

'This last statement of the witness, gentlemen, seems, to say the least, curious.' .

• In an instant all present were on tiptoe with excitement, wondering what startling facts were likely to be revealed,

CHAPTER IY,

"Tire Majos."

No further questions wero put to the cabdriver at this juncture, but medical evidence was at once taken. Breathless stillness pervaded tho court, for the statement about to be mado would put an end to all rumour, and tho truth would be known.

When the dapper elderly man had stepped up to the tablo and been sworn, the coroner, in the quick, businesslike tone which, he always assumed towards hia fellow medical men, flaid:

'You aro Dr. Charles Wyllie, houße-surgeon, Charing Cross Hospital ?'

' I am,' the other answered in a correspondingly dry tone, while the coroner wrote the witness's name. 'The woman was brought to the hospital, I suppose? . ' Yes, tho police brought her, but she had already been dead about threequarters of an hour. There wero no external marks of violence, and her appearance was as though she had died suddenly from natural causes, In conjunction with Dr, Henderson I yesterday inadc a careful post-mortem. The body is that of a healthy woman of about twenty-three, evidently an Italian, There wa6 no trace whatever of organic disease. From what I noticed, when the body was brought to the hospital, however, I asked the police to let it remain untouched until I was ready to make a post-mortem.' 'Did you discover anything which might lead to a suspiciou of foul play?' inquired the coroner.

1 1 made several rafter curious discoveries,' the doctor answered, whereat those in court shifted uneasily, prepared for some thrilling story of how the woman was murdered, ' First, she undoubtedly died from paralysis of the heart, Secondly, I found around the left ankle a curious tattoo-mark in the form of a serpent, with its tail in its month, It is beautifully executed, evidently by an expert tnttooist.Thirdly, there was a white mark upon the left breast, no doubt the scar of a knife wound, which I judged to have been iniiicted about two years ago. The knife was probably a long narrowbladed one, and the bone had prevented the blow proving fatal,' 1 Thon a previous attempt had been made upon her life, you think ?' asked the coroner, astonished, 'There is no doubt about it,' the doctor answered, ' Such n wound could never have been caused by accident. It had no doubt received careful surgical attention, judging from the cicatrice. 1 '

' Hut this had nothing to do with her death ?' the coroner suggested. 'Nothing whatever,' replied the doctor. ' The appearance of the body gives no indication of foul play.' 'Then you assign death to natural causes—eh?'

'No, I do not,' responded Dr. Wyllio deliberately, after a slight pause, '.The woman was murdered,'

These words produced a great sensation in the breathlessly silent court, 'By what means?' 'That I have utterly failed to discover. All appearances point to the fact that the deceased lost consciousness almost instantly, for she had no time even to take out her handkerchief or smelling salrs, the first thing a woman does when she feels faint, Death camo very swiftly, but the ingenious means by which the murder was accomplished are at present entirely a mystery. At first my suspicions were aroused by' a curious discolour ation of. the mouth, which I noticed when I first saw the body; but strangely enough this had disappeared yesterday When I made the postmortem. Again, in the centre of the left palm, extending to the middle finger, was a dark and very extraordinary spot. This I have examined microscopically, and submitted tho skin to various tests, but have entirely failed to determine the cause of the mark. It is dark gray in colour, and altogether mysterious.' 'There was no puncture in the hand?' inquired the coroner. 'None whatever, I examined tho body and found not a scratch,' the doctor answered quickly. 'At first I Isuspected. a subcutaneous injection of poison, but this theory is negatived by the absence of any punc. lure.' °

'But you adhere to your first state, ment that she was murdered?'

'Certainly. lam confident that the paralysis is not attributable to natural causes.' ■

1 Have . you found . any trace of poison?' 'The contents of the stomach were handed over by the police to the analyst. I cannot say what he has reported,' the doctor answered sharply.

At once the coroner's officer interposed with the remark that the analyst was present, and would give evidence. The foreman of the jury then put several questions to the doctor, in order to justify his election at the head of the dozen Strand tradesmen, Foremen of juries are fond of. cross-examining witnesses, although they new elicit any fresh -fact, for witnesses hold a coroner's jury in supreme contempt, and resent their endeavours to obtain a clear narrative. .In this case, however, the foreman was t keen observer, and a shrewd man of business. 'Do you think, doctor,' he asked, 1 that it would be possible to murder a woman while; she was- sitting in a cab in. so crowded a place as Piccadilly Circus? <•...:

'The greater the.crowd, the less the chance of detection, I believe!! ' Have you formed no opinion how. this assassination was .accomplished? Is there absolutely nothing which,.can serve as.,clue to the manner in which this mysterious crime'was perpetrated T 'Absolutely nothing mm 'whit I haw, already exptoiniioy, the jfitnew

pnlm of the left hand, which at tK6. time «t tliL'mysterious occurrence,was gloved, On tlic baud which/was'ungloved there is no mark. I, therefore, am jof -opinion that tlris curious discolouration « evidenco .in some way or: other of .murder,' ) ; , :

•' Was she a lady ?' inquired another juryman, I ,' : ■■'-;; ';/.-■'.."'■;■ 1 She had every evidence of being so.' All. her "clothing was of ftrst-plass quality, and the four rings/she wore were of considerable value. When I came to make the post-mortem I iound both hands .and feet slightly swollen, therefore it was impossible to remove her, rings without cutting,'/;■■•'/ 'Do you wish to ask the doctor any farther questions? 1 inquired the coroner of the jury a trifle impatiently. There was no response, therefore he asked the witness to sign his 'depositions, and afterwards wished him goodday, thanking him for his attendance, The evidence of Dr. Slade, analyst to the Homo Office, being brief, was ; quickly dißposod of.' Ho stated that he badßubmittcdthecontents of thestomach. to analysis for poison, but had failed to .find, trace of anything baneful., It was apparent that the woman had' not eaten anything for many hours, but that was of course accounted forty the fact that she had been travelling, Hib evidence entirely dismissed tho theory of poison, although Dr. Wyllie had asserted most positively that death had resulted from the administration of some substance which had proved so deadly as to cause her to lose' consciousness almost instantly, and produce paralysis of the heart,

Certainly the report of the analyst did" not support the doctor's theory. Dr. Wyllie was one of the last persons to indulge, unduly in any sensationalism, 1 and the coroner, knowing him.well through many years, was aware that there must be some very strong basis for his theory before he would publicly express his conviction that the woman had actually been murdered. ' Such a statement, when published in the Press in two or three hours' time, would, he knew, give the doctor wide notoriety as a sensation-monger, the very thing ho detested above everything. But the fact remained that on oath Dr, Wyllie had declared 'that the fair unknown foreigner had been foully and most ingeniously murdered. If this were really--60, then the cnlprit must ho a pastmaster in tho art of assassination. Of all the inquiries the coroner had .held during many years of office this certainly was one of the most sensational and mvsterious,

"When the analyst had concluded, a smartly-dressed young woman named Anindalo was called. She stated that she was a barmaid at the Criterion, and related how the unknown man, whoso appearance she described, had entered the bar, called for a whisky and soda; chatted with her for a few minutes, and then made his exit by the other door, ' Diil he speak to anyone else while in the bar ?' asked the'eoroner,

1 Yes, 'while he was talking to me an older well-dressed mau entered rather hurriedly. . The gentleman .speaking to ino apprared very surprised—indeed almost alarmed, Then, drawing aside bo that I should not overhear, they exchanged, a few hurried words, and the elder left by the back exit, refusing the other's invitation to drink. The younger man glanced at his watch, then turned, finished liis whisky leisurely and chatted to me again, I noticed that ho was watching the front door all the time, but believing him to bo expecting a friend, when suddenly wishing me a, hasty good-night, he throw down a shilling and left.' ' "What sort of man was it who spoke to him?' inquired the coroner, quirkly, 1 He was a military man, for I heard: him addressed as " major," ' __ 1 Curious!' the curoner observed, turning to_ the jury. ' The cabdriver, in his evidence, says that a certain major met tho pair at Charing Cross .station, ' It may have been the samo person, The coincidence is certainly striking, and one which must be left to the police to investigate. Wo have in evidence that the woman and her companion drove away in the cab, leaving the major—whoever he may lbe—standing on the platform. The pair drove straight to the Criterion; 'yet five minutes later the woman's companion was joined by another major, .who is apparently one and the same. Is there anything further, gentlemen, you wish to ask the witness ?'

There was no response, therefore the ooroner dismissed her.

The constable who took the body to the hospital then related how, while on duty in Piccadilly Circus, ho had been called to the cab, and found the woman dead. Afterwards, he had searched the pockets of the deceased and taken possession of the lady's dressing-case and the man's hand-bag, all the luggage they had with them in addition to their wraps. He produced the two bags, with their contents, objects which excited considerable interest throughout the room, In the man's hag was a suit of dresa-clothes, a small dressing-case, and one or two miscellaneous articles, but nothing by which the owner could be traced.

'Well, what did you find in the lady's pockets f Anything to lead to her identity ?' the coroner asked at last. .'No, sir. In addition, to a purse containing some English money,' I found a.key, a gentleman's card bearing the namo "Arnoldo Romanelli," and a small, crucifix of ivory and silver. ,In the dressing-case, which you will see is fitted with silver and ivory fittings,' he continued, opening it to the gaze .of the jury, 'there are a few valuable trinkets, one or two articles of attire, and a letter written'id Italian——'

'I hare the letter here,'interrupted the coroner, addressing the jury. 'lts translation 'reads as follows: J'Dear Yittorina,—Be extremely cautious if you really mean to go to' England, It is impossible for me to accompany you, or I would, but you know my presence, in Italy is imperative, You will easily find Bonciani's. cafe in Regefit street. Kemember at the last table on the left every Monday at five. With' every good wish for a pleasant journey.— Egisto." The letter, which has no envelope,' added the coroner,' is datei from ■Lucca, a'town in Tuscany, a week ago. • It may probably assist the police in tracing friends of the deceased,' Then, turning to the constable, he asked,'"Well, what else was therein the lady's bag?' 'This photograph,' answered -the officer, holding up a cabinet photograph.

' Why,' cried the cabdriver, .who had taken a scat dose to where the policeman was standing. 'Why, that's a photograph of the major.' '..'•.'. 'Yes,'added the barmaid, excitedly, ' that's the same man who" came up to the gentleman while he was speaking to me. Without doubt that's, the major, and an excellent portrait, too.' : ' Strange that t this, of all things, should be.in the dead.womanis poeie*. lion, when we have, it in evidenc«.that eh» wai introduced to Hm'only half »n hour before her death,' oWerved ft«

jury. 'Yi'ry straiigo;indeed. ''.-Erory ; moment the 'mystery surruuiidiiij,' this unknown woman'•seems• to, grow more', •inipouctrubk'-' : " .: : '\:>\j To bo. Continued. >