LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1070, 1 December 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A QUEER CLUE. [From 'Chambers' Journal.'] ( Continued.) And with that, as is a matter of coux-se with such people, off she went into strong hysterics. I couldn't stop her ; so I opened my door, and equally, as a matter of course, there I found the landlady and her servant listening. 'Go in and take care of that girl.' I said; 'and one of you bring her round to Orchard street as soon as she can walk ' I didn't stop to blow them up, and they were too glad to escape, to say a word; so off I went, and found a little cluster of people already gathered round the gate of the house I wanted. ' Here is the Superintendent !' I heard them say as they made way for me. I hurried through, but had no occasion to knock at the door, for they were on the watch for me. Mr and Mrs Ambliss were in the passage, and a neigbour from next door ; all looked, as pale and flurried as people do under the circumstances. 'This i 3 a most terrible affair, Bir,'says poor old Ambliss, who was a superannuated bank clerk. 'We have stnt for you, sir, and the doctor, as being the best we could do. But perhaps you would like to go into her room at once ?'

I said I should, as a matter of course ; and they led me to her room. There was a light there, and they brought more up, so that everything was plainly visible. The people had not liked, or had. been afraid to disturb anything, so the room waa in the same state as when they had entered it. It appeared they had not been surprised at Miss Parkway not coming down in the morning, for this was not uncommon with her; but when the afternoon and evening passed away and she did not appear, and no answer was returned to their rapping at the door, they grew alarmed, and at last "forced an entrance, when they found the furniture in confusion, as though a struggle had taken plic% and poor Miss Parkway in her night-dress lying on her face quite dead. They had lifted her on to the bed, and from the marks on her throat had judged she died by strangulation. As I could do no good to her. I noticed as closely as I was able the appearance of the room, and especially looked for any fragments of cloth torn from an assailant's clothes which remain after a struggle ; or a dropped weapon, or any unusual marks. But I could see nothing. There was no difficulty in deciding how the assassin had entered the apartment, and how he had left it, for the room was on the ground floor, and the lower sash of one of the windows was thrown up, although the blind was drawn fully down. The furniture was knocked over and upset; the washstand, which was a large and somewhat peculiar one, of a clumsy and old fashioned description, had been overthrown, and had fallen into the fireplace, where it lay resting on the bars in a very curious manner; while the jug had fallen into the grate, deluging the fireplace with water, but, extraordinary to relate, without being broken ; not broken to pieces at anyrate, although badly cracked. A great deal of noise had probably been made, and cries for help probably uttered ; but Ambliss and his wife were both deaf, and they and the servant all slept at the top of the big house in the front; while poor Miss Parkway slept at the bottom at the back, and in a room which was built out from the house itself. I had time to hear and notice all this before the doctor came; and his attendance was of course a merp matter of form. JS T o one could help or harm the poor woman now ; so, with the information 1 had gained, I went to the house of the nearest magistrate, a very active gentleman and a solicitor. I ought to have mentioned that the drawers in which Miss Parkway kept her money and jewellery were farced open and every valuable abstracted,; V&e only trace of them being a few Uakai of a slight chain of a very unusual pattern, which, with a curious stone, the lady generally wore round her neck. This chain had evidently been broken by the violence used, and parts of it scattered about; the stone was go-up. Information WAS, of course sent to Miss Parkway's relative who came sometimes to visit ho*. And the result of all the inquiries made was to mako things look so very suspicions against young Lytherly, and so much stress was laid upon his quarrel with Miss Parkway on her refusal to lend him money which seemed known to everybody—that I was obliged to apprehend him. I didn't want to hurt hla feelings j bo I went myself

with a fly, although his lodgings were not half a mile frorci the town hall, so as to spare him from walking iu custody through the streets. I found him at home, looking very miserable, and when he saw me he said : ' I have been expecting you all the morning, , " Robinson; I am very glad you have come.'

' Well, I'm sorry.' I answered. ' But you may as well remember that the least said is soonest mended, Mr Lytherly.' * Thanks for your caution old friend,'he says with a very sieldy smile; 'but I shan't hurt myself, and I feel sure no one else can do so. Why I said I was glad you had come, was because from Sunday night, when the murder was fouud out, until now, middle day on Tuesday, everybody has shunned me and avoided me as if I had the plague. I know why, and now it will be over.'

I didn't put handcuffs on him or anything of that; and when we got into the street he saw the fly, round which there had already gathered at least a score of boys and girls, who had, I suppose, seen me go in. He looked round, and said: 'This was very thoughtful of you, Mr Robinson ; I shall not forget it.' We drove off, and spoke no more until we arrived at the town hall. Here the magistrates were sitting; and here I found a tall, dark, grave looking gentleman talking very earnestly to Mr Wmgrave, our chief solicitor. I soon found this was Mr Parkway, the cousin of the murdered lady. He was giving instructions to the lawyer to soare no expense; to offer a reward if he thought it necessary; to have detectives down from London, and goodness knows what. Mr Wingrave introduced me, and was kind enough to say that there was no necessity for detectives to be brought, as they had so eminent a f tmctionary as myself in the town.

It was supposed that this would be merely a preliminary examination, but it turned, out differently. A few of Lytherly's companions—although, as it transpired afterwards, they fully bslieved him guilty—were yet determined he should have a chance, and so subscribed a guinea for old Jemmy Orotton, the most disreputable old fellow in the town, but a very clever lawyer for all that; and Jemmy soon came bustling in. He had a few minutes' conversation with Lytherly, and then asked that .the hearing might be put off for an hour. This was of course granted ; and by the end o£ that time he had overwhelming evidence to prove an alibi; for the landlady's son hadn't slept i wink for his toothache, and he was with Lytherly until dinner time on Sunday ; and then the accused went for a walk with a couple of friends, and did not return until after dark, having spent two or three hours at a public house some miles off, as the landlord, who happened to be in the town, it being market day, helped to prove ; the rest of the time he was in the Bell, as was usual, poor fellow.

(To be continued.)